Clair Obscur Expedition 33 Controller or Keyboard?

Image Credits: Sandfall Interactive

So, you're standing at the grand crossroads of gaming: controller or mouse and keyboard. In Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, both roads lead to pain if you can't parry—but let’s talk about which one might hurt a little less.

Is a controller needed? Or is using a keyboard fine?

You won’t explode if you play on mouse and keyboard. In fact, some players (including myself) actually prefer it. Shocking, I know.

• Mouse & Keyboard (M&K):

  • Works just fine.

  • There may be little quirks like sometimes needing to press W twice for skills. Is that a bug? Probably. Is it annoying? Definitely.

  • Parrying and dodging feels responsive, but there are reports of occasional key inputs not registering. So if your character eats a sword to the face, you can totally blame your keyboard.

  • Good if you like precision aiming when shooting weak spots.

• Controller:

  • Comfortable, especially if you enjoy leaning back and pretending you're not stressed.

  • There’s a tiny bit of input lag when it comes to parries and dodges, but nothing you can't adjust to after a few “YOU DIED” screens.

  • Doesn’t magically make dodging easier—sadly, it won’t turn you into a reflex god.

The Parry/Dodge Debate

No matter what you use, people agree on one thing: the parry and dodge windows in this game are brutal. It's less "react to what you see" and more "hope your muscle memory kicks in before you get flattened."

• If you like clear visual cues, well... good luck.

• Some say it's bad design. Others say it's part of the challenge. Either way, expect to whiff a few parries and blame your setup.

Final Blurb

At the end of the day, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 doesn’t care if you're using a high-end controller or a keyboard from 2003—it just wants you to suffer equally. Both options are totally viable, so pick whatever feels right for your hands (and patience levels).

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