Linux Review:

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33

Lead the members of Expedition 33 on their quest to destroy the Paintress so that she can never paint death again. Explore a world of wonders inspired by Belle Époque France and battle unique enemies in this turn-based RPG with real-time mechanics.

PROTON TIER: PLATINUM

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is a turn-based RPG with real-time mechanics set in a world inspired by Belle Époque France. Players must destroy the Paintress and lead the members of Expedition 33 on their quest to prevent further death.

Status Check

Runs via Proton. Platin-Status.

TWEAKS & TRICKS

• Problem: Significant FPS drops, potentially below 15 FPS, in the endgame area (Flying Manor), primarily due to particle effects.
  • Solution: game-performance gamescope -W 2560 -H 1440 -f -r 360 --force-grab-cursor -- %command%
• Problem: Voice acting is played exclusively through the “Front Center” channel, making it inaudible in recordings or streams.
  • Solution: Ensure output devices support surround sound and are configured correctly. Verify that virtual surround sound configurations are working as expected.
• Problem: Potentially suboptimal performance with graphical settings limited.
  • Solution: SteamDeck=0 %command%
• Problem: An alternative Gamescope command with Mangoapp.
  • Solution: game-performance gamescope -W 2560 -H 1440 -f -r 360 --mangoapp --force-grab-cursor -- %command%
• Problem: Reduced performance compared to Windows, attributed to the DirectX 12 implementation and Unreal Engine 5.
  • Solution: PROTON_NVIDIA_LIBS=1

Verdict

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is a strong recommendation for Linux gamers, particularly those with Nvidia GPUs. While some performance tweaks and audio configuration adjustments may be necessary, the Platinum ProtonDB tier and positive user reports indicate a well-supported and enjoyable experience.