Summary
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, the JRPG-influenced adventure from developer Sandfall Interactive, has received rave reviews since its launch. The turn-based battle system with heavily emphasized timing elements is engaging and satisfying to master, drawing comparisons to classics likeChrono Triggerand theMario RPGs among others. This, combined with the game’s unique visual style and themes, makesClair Obscura must-play for any turn-based RPG fans.
Like any classic JRPG,Clair Obscur: Expedition 33is full of optional interactions, side quests, and boss fights that are easy to either ignore or miss completely. There are plenty of reasons to seek out these optional quests, as the rewards range frompowerful upgrades and Pictosto new outfits for the game’s various characters. For those who want to see as much as they can in one playthrough, here are thebest side quests that are easy to miss.
While this article avoids story spoilers forClair Obscur: Expedition 33, it does contain mechanical spoilers, as well as information on side quest outcomes, rewards, missable items, and NPCs.
7Trash Can Man
Early Upgrade Item
There are several missable items and interactions in the prologue ofClair Obscur: Expedition 33. Most players will probably choose to interact with Nicolas, the painter near a large statue at the start of the game, and get the missable respec item from that interaction. Yet they might easily miss that the trash can near the stairs close by is also interactable, and interacting with it several times will let players talk with trash can man.
It’s more of an amusing interaction than a side quest, but players will get an early Chroma Catalyst from it, which can be used later for weapon upgrades. Players looking to 100% the game should also make sure to get theOld Keyfrom Colette during the festival and defeat the Mime in the prologue before going past the point of no return at the harbor.
6Jar
Finding The Light
The NPC Jar is relatively difficult to miss; they are in a prominent position at the end of the Spring Meadows zone. Yet, like many of the side quests inClair Obscur, Jar won’t tell players exactly what they want or where to find it. All they’ll tell players is they’re looking for a light source, making it pretty easy to miss the item that players need to complete the quest.
It’s also possible to miss this quest entirely (and lock out the reward from a much later quest) by choosing to fight Jar at this point. If players want to help Jar instead (and they should), they’ll need to findResina little ways past the NPC and into the dungeon they’re in front of. The Healing Tint Shard players get as a reward for helping is used in upgrading potions, and is well worth the minor effort of backtracking.
5Demineur
Lost Weapon
Demineur is another White Nevron NPC, similar to Jar, who players can choose to assist or attack if they find them in Flying Waters. To find this quest, players need to progress to Noco’s Hut resting point in Flying Waters. Heading forward from there brings players to a large open area, and they can take the route on the right side to get toa small area containing the Demineur NPC. Examining this NPC lets players know it’s missing its weapon, which is past a small platforming puzzle nearby.
If players choose to return the weapon to the Demineur, they get Deminerim, a weapon for Lune, in return. The Deminerim deals lightning damage, making it useful in the rest of Flying Waters. It’s a good reward, but it’s also pretty easy for players to walk straight past the area with this early game NPC and miss the encounter entirely.
4Hidden Gestral Arena
Optional Boss Fights
The Hidden Gestral Arena is home to a series of optional one-on-one boss fights that can earn players some significant rewards. This optional area is accessed from the overworld, and it’s found in the northwest of the map, in the area between Ancient Sanctuary and Gestral Village.
Not only is this optional side quest a great way to test the player’s abilities in a one-on-one battle, but it also unlocks some unique Pictos that will help with later situations where players need to fight one-on-one.It’s easy to miss this hidden arena, but players can visit it later if they missed out during their first trip through.
3Hexga
Auto Shell
Hexga is another White Nevron encounter that can be found in the Stone Wave Cliffs. Just before getting to the Tide Caverns resting point, players can find Hexga on the cliffs overlooking the Old Farm area. Like with the other Nevron quests, players canchoose to attack Hexga, or they can help it by bringing back the items it’s looking for. In this case, players need to explore the nearby cave and find three Rock Crystals.
The reward for assisting Hexga is the Auto Shell Pictos, a powerful item that will be forfeited if players choose to attack beforecompleting thisClair Obscurside quest. Attacking any of the White Nevrons will lock players out of another potential reward later, too, so those on a first playthrough will likely want to assist any that they find. Hexga isn’t the easiest White Nevron to miss, as it’s just off the main progress path, but players definitely don’t want to skip the quest reward.
2The Crows
Chromatic Chapelier
The Crows is an area that players can find on the world map just to the west of Visage. Players might be confused if they visit it, though, as the area appears to be empty. There’s actually a hidden boss fight here, but players first need to use free aim to shoot the crows that are perched around the area.
As players take out crows, the incessant cawing gets quieter and quieter. Once the last crow is taken out, the boss fight against Chromatic Chapelier will be triggered. It’s easy to miss the trick required to initiate this boss fight, but the rewards are worth getting while in Act 2.
1Blanche
Helping The White Nevrons
Blanche is an NPC located in a hidden area near Spring Meadows, but it’s only accessible once players have access to flight much later inClair Obscur. This NPC is the culmination ofthe White Nevron side quests, and their interaction with the player will depend on whether they choose to help the Nevron or attack them. If players help the Nevron, Blanche will reward them with 100 Colors of Lumina.
If players attacked any of the White Nevron, interacting with Blanche will trigger a boss fight. Players get Colour of Lumina x10 andGrandiose Chroma Catalystx2 from winning the fight, so it’s still worth finishing this quest chain for those who are pursuing the fighting route. There are a lot of opportunities to miss these Nevron quests or mess up the rewards for first-timers, but they make for a good reason to replayClair Obscur: Expedition 33.
