Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 director Guillaume Broche recently detailed the design philosophy behind the game’s combat system in a new interview. Sandfall Interactive focused on building battles around player agency rather than random outcomes.
Broche said the goal was to avoid “frustrating deaths” where players lose for reasons beyond their control. The system emphasizes skill-based defense mechanics like parrying and dodging instead of RNG-driven enemy targeting or randomized boss patterns.
The combat was designed so that a player can theoretically clear the entire game without taking a single hit. Every attack in the game can be avoided through perfect timing and execution.
This doesn’t mean the game is easy or forgiving. Broche clarified that for high-difficulty and optional bosses, the team expects players to die at least once while learning attack patterns.
The key difference is that deaths should feel chalked up to player mistakes rather than bad luck. Missing a parry window or making a poor tactical decision causes failure, not dice rolls or unavoidable damage checks.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 includes both parry and dodge options, with dodge being more forgiving for players still learning timing windows. Players can also build defensively using shields, damage mitigation, and other survival tools.
