Parry it!

I'm on the fence about trying it. On one hand, I've heard you shouldn't even try if you don't have good reflexes, but its apparently turn based and I don't know how a turn based game needs reflexes. I have problems with my hand coordination, so if it really does need reflexes, I don't want to waste my money on it.

I’ve tried playing turn based games but they just kill any story pacing / flow of gameplay and I just can’t get into them.

It’s hyperactive turn base. It’s even LSD turn base if you are quick enough on your choices (and the personna style UI permits that). Forgetting about everything else that makes it a goty, the gameplay can be hella gratifying if you play fast and manage all the timings correctly.

Hi! I have had two strokes and the mobility issues that come from that. There’s a story mode with greatly increased timing windows that helped a lot. You need to play this. It is profound.

If you play it on PC (and have a proper HDR monitor/TV), check out RenoDX's HDR mod: https://www.nexusmods.com/clairobscurexpedition33/mods/6 Absolutely gorgeous.

Yes, it’s turn based. But for every attack there is one (or more) indicated QTE to buff the attack, if you hit it. This one is consistent in timings (per chosen attack) and well telegraphed by a consistent animation for the button, so it is basically a little rhythm game. This one is not hard and easy to pull off. After a bit, you should be able to hit them perfectly without even looking at the screen. Then there’s dodge and parry. Those are not obviously indicated by a consistent animation but the timing varies per enemy AND attack. Also the timings of the enemy animations are randomized a bit, so that this one needs reactions instead of a consistent rhythm. Dodge has the most lenient timing, parry is tighter (equals to perfect dodges) and a counter requires you to parry every single hit (hardest). You can use story mode, which dials the need to parry/counter way down and also makes you tankier, I think. It’s still fun to experiment with the fighting mechanics and building OP combos. I accidentally one shot the final (story) boss as I expected a way harder fight and missed out on that cinematic fight…

The only problem with the game is it's a UE5 game. So you have to use upscaling frame generation. It hurts the look of the game. Outside of that, it's my GOTY.

I would say it's really not about reflexes at all, and it's actually timing based dodge mechanics. Anyone who says reflexes is incorrect imo. Good reflexes can allow you to avoid learning the mechanics, but that's really it. I'll give you an example: While driving in the USA, at a red light at a four way intersection, the stoplight will typically turn green after a certain amount of time. Each stoplight is different, and assuming there are no other indicators, trying to go exactly when it turns green is a reflex (unless you memorize every stoplight pattern in the country). In Europe, when stopped at a red light, it will actually give you a yellow light before the green, giving you an indication that a green light is proceeding. It's no longer reflexes and is now timing based, which is more predictable. Expedition 33 is the latter timing based situation. Some enemies are more frustrating than others, but they typically telegraph their moveset (that you learn over time) and then you try to time a dodge or parry. For the first hour or two of gameplay it's more important because your stats are low, but as you progress it becomes less critical. To summarize, you really don't need good reflexes, and you don't need to nail the dodge mechanics to play and love it! It's just helpful to dodge a few times when possible, and once you learn it it's actually quite gratifying i think.

Yes there is just something magical about it 

Well, dang. I absolutely loathe QTE, so that's a hard no for me. Thanks!

From what I'm seeing around, it's really starting to sound like the exact kind of hard that I can't do. I had hopes that it was normal turn-based because I can do those games, but I wound up installing a god mod so I could play through the Witcher 3 on easy. I was already dealing with a tumor in my thalamus, then got t-boned by a SUV, cracked my skull, had a brain bleed, and the whiplash gave my neck bone spurs that are compressing my spinal cord. It's like my brain/body connection is dropping packets, and it's so incredibly frustrating lol.

I just hope for a mod to bypass them

To anyone saying they like the battle system of "turn based with QTE/rythm" you might also like Super Mario RPG, Paper Mario (original N64 and Thousand Year Door), and the Mario and Luigi series (first three of them). Mother 3 also has a rythm element matched to the >40 battle tracks. Go emulate them rather than trying to track them down at scalper prices. They all use turn based battles with timed button presses for extra damage with attacks, blocking/dodging, and specials. Definitely not as pretty, as good a story, or as complicated mechanics, but same sort of battle system.

I'll add south park and wrestlequest to this list

@tatann@lemmy.world You can deactivate the QTEs in the game's settings. But you still have to hit the parries or dodges. Though technically it is possible to beat the game even on expert without any dodges, but that requires much grinding and good tactics. On the easy difficulty you should be able to get by either way.

Even if you can't play the game, watching a 100% playthrough with no commentary is worth it. The story is easily the best part of the game. At least, in my opinion.

Reconsider that position, try the game for a few hours before committing to buying it. I’m not into turn based games either, but this hits completely different. The brief QTE damage modifiers, parry, and dodge mechanics make the gameplay much more active/involved than your typical turn based game. People describing it as a rhythm game are spot-on - these systems all integrate with the music in a way that makes it incredibly satisfying when you’re nailing it. Each party member has their own unique and interesting gameplay mechanic and they can be set up to play off of one another, adding a really cool element of strategy that, again, is really satisfying when it all comes together just right.

 Truly magical

I was hearing people talking about innovative brand new mechanics with the QTE parry system. I was so excited because how could it be new? What could they possibly have done? And its basically Mario RPG super hard mode.