There aren't a ton of major narrative decisions to be made during your playthrough of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, despite it having an incredible story and well-fleshed-out characters. Aside from the final major choice in the game, your decisions will more or less be a matter of preference that don't have a profound impact on the outcome of the story. However, there are a few key moments in the game that present you with a choice that can give you alternative dialogue and/or cinematics, and in one case, your choice could prevent you from unlocking a powerful skill.

!!! WARNING: THIS ARTICLE CONTAINS MAJOR SPOILERS FOR CLAIR OBSCUR: EXPEDITION 33 !!!Advancing each character's relationship in Clair Obscur is an essential part of unlocking their unique Gradient Skills, specialized skills that are among the most powerful in the game. As you near the highest level in Maelle's relationship, you'll end up traveling to an optional area called The Reacher and uncovering more secrets about who she is and where she comes from. Afterward, she and Verso will have an intense conversation about when they first met at the end of Act 1. At this point, you'll have the choice to let Verso tell Maelle the truth or lie through his teeth.

What Happens If You Lie To Maelle In Clair Obscur: Expedition 33

Maelle Can Tell Something's Off

Once you reach relationship level 6 with Maelle in Clair Obscur, Verso can spend time alone with her to have one final discussion. Unlike the other main characters, advancing Maelle's relationship to maximum level is not possible if you don't make the right choice during this conversation. During the conversation, Maelle asks Verso a difficult question that has been bothering her since the moment they were introduced at the end of Act: If you're trying to avoid spoilers, now is the time to avert your eyes.

The question pertains to Gustave's tragic death at the end of Act 1 and whether Verso would have been able to save his life or not when Gustave fell at Renoir's hand. This is a loaded question for Verso, given the larger context, and ultimately Maelle likely already knows the answer.

You can unlock Verso's Gradient Skills by advancing Esquie's relationship to levels 4 and 7.

When asked whether Verso had the ability to save Gustave, you will receive a prompt and be asked to decide whether you want Verso to tell the truth or lie to her about it. If you choose the latter, Maelle sees through the lie right away, and you are locked out of increasing her relationship to level 7. The conversation ends, and while you'll be able to speak with her at camp, she doesn't seem very interested in being close with Verso anymore.

What Happens If You Tell Maelle The Truth In Clair Obscur

Maelle's Gommage Gradient Skill Is On The Line

If you decide to have Verso tell Maelle the truth, he its that he could have saved Gustave, and Maelle is not exactly happy about it. She does appreciate that Verso trusted her enough to be honest, however, and they are both grateful for the bond they've formed. Verso explains to Maelle that he was uncertain if she would be willing to help him if he had saved Gustave in the first place, assuming she found out the nature of the Canvas and understood the consequences of stopping his mother, Aline.

Tears are shed and weight is lifted off both their shoulders, and they even vandalize the Paintress' Tower with a special message for Renoir. More significantly, however, telling Maelle the truth is the only way to advance her relationship to Level 7 and unlock her final Gradient Skill, Gommage. This is her most powerful Gradient attack and easily one of the top skills in the game.

Why You Should Tell Maelle The Truth

Clair Obscur Does Not Reward Liars

Overall, there's a pretty clear-cut choice here regarding whether you should lie to Maelle or tell her the truth about Verso's actions at the end of Act 1. There are no rewards for lying to Maelle and keeping Verso's motivations a secret, and you will actively lock yourself out of one of Maelle's best skills. Not only that, but you will not be able to unlock Maelle's associated trophy for completing her relationship quest line.

"To throw all that work away for a little white lie seems like an awful waste."

For that reason, I highly recommend telling Maelle the truth. You'll want the Gommage skill as an option for the hardest bosses in Clair Obscur, and you've already put the work in to advance her relationship to level 6, so to throw all that work away for a little white lie seems like an awful waste. Further, you will unlock the "Maelle" trophy by telling her the truth, and even go on a fun adventure to vandalize the Paintress' Tower. Overall, telling Maelle the truth in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is a good idea.