While Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is an incredible experience overall, things start to get a little out of balance in Act 3. Developer Sandfall Interactive is fully aware of one specific skill that has completely broken the game more than they wanted it to, and an official nerf is already on its way in the game's first major update. This is a much-needed fix in my view, but it's only the first step needed to balance the endgame and make it a little less broken.

Anyone playing Clair Obscur has likely discovered the ridiculously overpowered endgame Maelle build. And while this skill will still be extremely powerful after the nerf, it's no longer going to be dealing billions in damage to the strongest enemies in the game. Stendahl is an extreme example of the endgame imbalance in Clair Obscur, and Sandfall recognizing that the possible damage output on the skill was getting a little ridiculous is a promising sign. However, I'm not sure how much this nerf will change things without a few other necessary endgame adjustments.

Clair Obscur Creators Want You To Break The Game, Within Reason

Millions In Damage Output Is Okay, But Billions Might Be Overkill

The Stendahl skill is easily the most broken skill in the game, and with an optimized Maelle build in Clair Obscur that synergizes with other characters such as Verso, you could set Maelle up to deal billions in damage. Personally, I set Maelle up for a solo run and was able to speed-run the main storyline in about two hours thanks to this skill alone. In a post from the official Clair Obscur X , Sandfall clarifies that it wants players to "break" the game with different builds and party compositions, but it seems like Stendahl was a bit overkill.

It's not surprising that Sandfall would nerf Stendahl, as you could pretty much one-shot any enemy in the game, including the toughest endgame secret bosses like Simon or Clea. However, this nerf is not meant to rebalance the entire endgame, even if it is a step in the right direction. I imagine future updates will adjust things to add more of a challenge, even with extremely overpowered party or character builds.

Clair Obscur's Endgame Could Use An Overall Rebalance

Endgame Bosses Will Still Be Too Easy After The Stendahl Nerf

While Stendahl is one example of a skill that could be exploited to "break" the game, it's far from the only one. Multi-million point damage output is possible for each character, assuming you've synergized your party well and maxed out Lumina ives for each character. On the one hand, this is what Clair Obscur wants you to do, and it's an awesome feeling when things finally kick online. On the other hand, these overpowered abilities for each character make Act 3 and NG+ a pretty underwhelming experience.

Since it's possible to start dealing massive damage during Act 3 without even entering into NG+ in Clair Obscur, the main rebalance should focus on Act 3 side content and boss strength, as well as enemy resistances, health, etc. The challenge could be further increased if they had additional buffs, shields, or abilities that mitigate your skills in a more impactful way. Endgame bosses such as Simon and Clea should feel like a challenge, even with a broken build, and I think they should especially feel like a challenge when you take them on in NG+.

Another Damage Cap Could Help Balance Act 3 In Clair Obscur

There's Already A 9,999 Damage Cap Through The End Of Act 2

One possible way to balance the endgame would be to add another damage cap until you enter NG+, similar to the 9,999 cap you get until you reach Act 3 and access the Painted Power Pictos. This would not only further incentivize players to enter a NG+ run but also make the endgame slightly less trivial. Reaching deity level with your builds should still be an option, but in my view, it shouldn't be possible so early. The damage cap in the early game is the main reason it feels more balanced than Act 3.

"Since Sandfall ultimately wants you to be able to break the game, adjusting and balancing skills probably isn't the route it wants to take."

If it wasn't possible to reach multi-millions in damage until you were Level 99 and in Act 3 of NG+, things would feel slightly more balanced overall. Aside from adding another damage cap or buffing bosses and enemies in the later game, further nerfs to certain skills might be another possibility. However, since Sandfall ultimately wants you to be able to break the game, adjusting and balancing skills probably isn't the route it wants to take, and there are plenty of alternatives to finding a balance in the endgame.

Overall, I expect to see some major rebalance updates coming in the future, especially given today's nerf of the Stendahl skill. However, I really hope future updates focus on enemy and boss rebalance as opposed to character skill rebalance, mostly because finding different ways to break these skills is a ton of fun. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 doesn't have very many major issues, but endgame balance is one of the few areas that could use some work.

Source: Clair Obscur Official X