Hey there! Let’s talk about the recent indie hit, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, that’s making waves on PC. Despite being developed by a small team, the game surprises with its level of polish. However, it does have a few hiccups that overshadow its strong narrative focus, especially on PC where some issues make this version the least refined compared to other platforms.
Using Unreal Engine 5, Clair Obscur benefits from top-notch graphics but also faces some familiar hurdles. While most settings are pretty standard, it lacks the option for hardware Lumen ray tracing, leaving players with a less powerful software alternative for global illumination and reflections. To get the best performance, it’s recommended to stick with the settings chosen by the devs for the console releases.
Before we dive into the details, let’s address a couple of presentation issues in the game that could use some fixing. The cutscenes run at an unstable 30fps, causing a noticeable drop in performance on high-end hardware that could easily handle 60fps or more. It’s quite a jolt to switch from smooth gameplay to these choppy cutscenes. It would be great to have the choice to disable this frame-rate limit without relying on third-party mods like Lyall’s ClairObscurFix. Also, pre-rendered cutscenes suffer from uneven performance due to frame pacing issues, resulting in a jerky visual experience.
Moving on to gameplay, there are various smoothness problems that need attention. While not as bad as some recent remasters, the PC version still experiences noticeable frame-time stutters and hiccups. Shader compilation stuttering is a common occurrence, leading to spikes in frame times when entering new areas. It’s a bit annoying but typically happens only once per session until the game or graphics card drivers get updated, calling for better shader pre-caching.
Another specific stutter on PC is microstuttering, especially noticeable during camera movements. To fix this, you need to set a frame-rate limit that your system can consistently hit. However, occasional drops to 59fps can still cause issues. Sandfall Interactive should consider decoupling camera movement from a fixed frame rate to resolve this problem.
Apart from these stuttering issues, the game also suffers from traversal stutters, similar to the console versions. Crossing invisible game world boundaries leads to frame-time spikes when running with an unlocked frame rate. Utilizing third-party frame-rate caps or enabling v-sync at 60Hz can help mitigate these hitches.
In terms of optimization, checking out the PS5 Pro’s performance mode offers valuable insights. Adjusting settings like shadows, global illumination, and reflections can significantly boost performance without sacrificing visuals. By opting for optimized settings rather than all-epic configurations, you can see a substantial improvement in performance without compromising the visual experience.
To sum it up, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is a captivating experience despite its technical issues. With a few tweaks like unlocking cutscene frame rates, fixing shader compilation delays, and addressing camera micro-stuttering, this game has the potential to shine brightly on PC. Let’s hope the developers put in the effort to iron out these concerns and fully realize the game’s technical prowess.
