Expedition 33 Difficulty: Story vs Expeditioner vs Expert

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has three difficulty settings: Story, Expeditioner and Expert. They mainly change two things: how much damage enemies deal and how tight the dodge and parry timing is. You can switch at any time, and late in the game you can add optional challenge modifiers on top. Here's what each setting does and which one to pick.

Last checked: November 9, 2026 (game version 1.5.6).

Expedition 33 difficulty settings compared

If you want even more of a challenge than Expert, the game adds optional challenge modifiers later on, described below.

Story mode

Story is the easiest setting. Patch 1.3.0 in June 2025 made it noticeably easier:

• Parry and dodge windows are 40% wider.
• Damage taken is cut by 50%, up from a 10% cut before the patch.

With these changes, Story plays much more like a classic turn-based RPG. You can still dodge and parry, but missing doesn't punish you much, so a tanky build with plenty of Vitality and healing can carry you through most fights.

Story is a good fit if:

• you mainly want the story, music and characters
• timing-based games give you trouble
• you'd rather think about builds than reflexes

Expeditioner (normal)

Expeditioner is the normal setting and the one Xbox's hands-on preview used. Timing is strict but fair, and you'll need to dodge or parry a good share of attacks, especially against bosses and optional enemies. Sandfall's creative director has said Normal is more forgiving than Hard, and that players aren't meant to parry everything.

Pick Expeditioner if you're comfortable with action-game timing, or want to try it and drop to Story if it gets frustrating.

Expert

Expert is the hardest setting. Enemies hit harder, so every missed dodge or parry costs you more. Sandfall's creative director put it simply: on the hardest setting, if you aren't dodging at least half of the attacks, you'll struggle.

Expert suits players who enjoy learning attack patterns, like in Sekiro or other Souls-style games. Two features added after launch make it more manageable:

• Battle Retry (patch 1.4.0): after a defeat, a prompt lets you restart the fight straight away.
• Abandon battle (Thank You update, December 2025): leave a fight that's going badly.

Can you change difficulty in Expedition 33?

Yes, at any time. You don't have to restart or start a new save, and there's no penalty. A common approach is to play on Expeditioner and drop to Story for a boss that's giving you trouble.

Accessibility options that help

Difficulty isn't the only way to make fights easier. The game can also enter Skill timing inputs for you, the quick-time prompts during your own attacks, so you can sit back and watch the animations. That's separate from the difficulty setting, so you can combine it with any of the three.

Challenge modifiers (Act III onward)

Patch 1.3.0 added optional challenge modifiers for players who want more from the endgame. From Act III, you can set them at any Expedition Flag:

The damage limit matters because the Painted Power Picto removes the normal 9,999 damage cap. Capping damage again makes some late-game builds less extreme. See our Pictos and Lumina guide for how the cap works.

The same patch also lets you rematch Simon, the hardest optional boss, as often as you like.

Other ways to make the game harder

• New Game Plus: after the credits, you can start NG+ from an Expedition Flag. It's harder, and you keep your character progression. You can repeat it more than once.
• Endless Tower: the Thank You update added new late-game bosses here, with Pictos, costumes and gear as rewards.
• No-damage runs: Sandfall has said it's possible to beat every enemy without taking damage if you master their patterns.

Does difficulty affect achievements or trophies?

No. None of the achievements or trophies depend on the difficulty setting, so you can play the whole game on Story and still earn them all.

Which difficulty should you choose?

• New to timing-based combat: start on Story or Expeditioner. You can always change later.
• Comfortable with action games: Expeditioner is the intended experience.
• Want a real test: Expert, then challenge modifiers and NG+ after the credits.

Whatever you pick, learning to dodge first and parry later makes every setting easier. Our Expedition 33 combat guide explains the timing for each defensive move.

Frequently asked questions

Can you change difficulty in Expedition 33?

Yes. You can change it at any time without restarting or losing progress. Many players switch to Story for one tough boss and then switch back.

What is the hardest difficulty in Expedition 33?

Expert. Enemies deal the most damage there, so you need to dodge or parry consistently. For even more challenge, use the Act III challenge modifiers or New Game Plus.

What does Story mode change in Expedition 33?

Since patch 1.3.0, Story mode makes parry and dodge windows 40% wider and cuts the damage you take by 50%. It's the easiest setting and plays more like a traditional turn-based RPG.

Which difficulty should I play Expedition 33 on?

Expeditioner if you're comfortable with timing-based combat, since it's the standard experience. Pick Story if you mainly want the story or struggle with parrying, and Expert if you want every fight to test you. You can switch at any time, so the choice isn't permanent.

Does difficulty affect trophies in Expedition 33?

No. No trophy or achievement requires a specific difficulty, so you can earn them all on Story mode.

Is there New Game Plus in Expedition 33?

Yes. After finishing the story, you can start New Game Plus from an Expedition Flag. Your characters keep their progression, the game gets harder, and you can repeat NG+ more than once.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 © Sandfall Interactive, published by Kepler Interactive. mgame.gg isn't affiliated with or endorsed by them.