Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is taking the world by storm with its unique blend of turn-based combat and real-time action elements.

However, the game begins to shine once you perfect the challenging art of parrying!

Clair Obscur takes its players to a surreal world where a group of daredevils embarks on an epic journey to stop the mysterious Paintress, aiming to wipe out an entire generation of 33-year-olds.

Exciting, right? No wonder the title has gained incredible popularity worldwide, but many players still struggle to master its complex combat mechanics. Luckily, you can use this guide to learn how to parry!

Clair Obscur: an easy tip for learning the Parry system

Two Core Active Defense Mechanics

The crucial defense combat elements in Clair Obscur Expedition 33 are dodging and parrying. The former is more forgiving, as it has a broader time window and doesn’t require ideal timing. You can repeatedly press the dodging button during the enemy attack animation to eventually pull out a Perfect Dodge. Since dodging has similar timing to parrying, practice it before trying out the latter!

Image credit: Sandfall Interactive | Clair Obscure: Expedition 33 Dodge

Parrying is a bit more complicated since it requires pressing a button (E on PC, R1, or RB on consoles) directly upon an enemy attack. Once you mistime the action, prepare yourself for taking full damage (not recommended). Therefore, practice dodging before you start using parrying, as this strategy can help you better understand enemy attack patterns and their timing.

Tips For Using Parry

Since Perfect Dodge and Parry have identical timing, try to master this action before you start parrying. Once you notice you are regularly dodging, it’s time to practice parrying. It’s a rewarding process, as parrying gives you extra AP and lets you deal a supreme counterattack. As you can see, the results are worth the effort!

Image credit: Sandfall Interactive | Clair Obscure: Expedition 33 Parry

However, if you have trouble getting the timing right, you can use the hint in the game’s soundtrack. Before each enemy attack, you can hear a subtle swishing sound, suggesting a hit is coming. If you press the parry button immediately after it, you can parry the attack. Unfortunately, this hint often blends with other combat sounds, so it’s not ideal. Hopefully, our brief tutorial helped you master the challenging art of parrying!