Five Reasons Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Platinum Trophy Is a Must-Have

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, released in April 2025 by Sandfall Interactive, has captivated RPG fans with its innovative turn-based combat, haunting Belle Époque-inspired world, and emotional narrative about confronting the Paintress and her Gommage. Beyond its critical acclaim—boasting a 92/100 on OpenCritic and 3.3 million copies sold in a month—the game offers a rewarding Platinum Trophy, The Greatest Expedition in History, that stands out as a must-have for trophy hunters. With 56 trophies (1 Platinum, 2 Gold, 5 Silver, 48 Bronze), the list is accessible yet challenging, encouraging players to explore every facet of the game. Here are five compelling reasons why earning this Platinum is an unmissable achievement that will elevate your gaming journey.

Reason 1: A Well-Balanced Trophy List That Enhances the Experience

The Platinum Trophy for Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is designed to immerse you in the game’s rich content without feeling like a grind. The trophy list covers story progression, exploration, combat challenges, character development, and collectibles, ensuring you engage with all the game’s systems. Unlike some RPGs with overly tedious requirements, this list strikes a balance: about 50-70 hours for completion, with roughly half tied to the 25-30 hour main story and the rest to side content and post-game challenges.

Key trophies like Embark on the Expedition (Bronze, complete the Prologue) and Reach the Monolith (Bronze, finish the main story) unlock naturally, while others, such as Find all of the journals from prior expeditions (Bronze, collect 49 journals) and Win all of the Gestral games (Bronze), push you to explore optional areas and minigames. The list rewards mastery of combat (Defeat a boss without taking any damage, Bronze) and character relationships (Reach relationship level 7 for characters like Maelle and Lune), making every trophy feel like a meaningful milestone. This thoughtful design ensures the Platinum enhances your appreciation of the game’s world, combat, and story, making it a fulfilling pursuit.

Reason 2: Minimal Missables Make It Accessible for All Players

One of the biggest hurdles in RPG trophy hunting is missable trophies, which can lock players out of the Platinum without a second playthrough. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 minimizes this frustration, with only a few missable items that are manageable with basic awareness. The primary missables are in the Prologue: the Old Key (needed for a journal tied to Follow the Trail, Bronze) and the Mime encounter in Lumière (tied to A Peculiar Encounter, Bronze). Both are clearly signposted and can be addressed early with minimal effort.

Additionally, a dialogue choice with Maelle when advancing her relationship from level 6 to 7 (choose “Yes. (Truth)”) is critical for her relationship trophy. If missed, players can reload one of the game’s 21 autosave slots to correct it, as the game lacks manual saves but provides ample autosave flexibility. Post-story, all areas remain accessible, and New Game+ allows cleanup of any missed collectibles or trophies, such as Connoisseur (Bronze, find all 33 music records). This forgiving structure makes the Platinum achievable for players going in blind, reducing stress and encouraging a natural first playthrough while still rewarding thoroughness.

Reason 3: Combat Challenges Showcase Your Mastery

The game’s hybrid combat—blending turn-based strategy with real-time dodging, parrying, and Free Aim shots—is a highlight, and the trophy list pushes you to master it like a pro. Trophies like Defeat a boss without taking any damage (Bronze) and Consume 20 Foretell on a single target during Twilight (Bronze, tied to Sciel’s mechanics) test your understanding of enemy patterns, Stain management (for Lune), and stance switching (for Maelle). These challenges are satisfying because they reward skill and strategy over grinding.

For example, to defeat a boss without taking damage, you’ll need to perfect dodging with the Dodger Lumina (1 AP per perfect dodge) and use Break skills (Gustave’s Overcharge, Lune’s Earth Rising) to stun enemies, creating safe windows for damage. The Foretell trophy is simplified with Sciel’s Chation weapon (Level 4: Sun Skills apply 10 Foretell), making it a strategic puzzle rather than a luck-based grind. Even the toughest combat trophy, Beat Simon (Gold, an endgame boss in The Abyss), is approachable on the easiest difficulty, as no trophies are difficulty-locked. These challenges elevate your combat skills, making the Platinum a badge of tactical prowess.

Reason 4: Exploration and Collectibles Deepen the World’s Lore

Clair Obscur’s Continent is a treasure trove of secrets, and the Platinum Trophy encourages you to uncover them all, enriching your connection to the game’s lore. Trophies like Find all of the journals from prior expeditions (49 journals), Find all 33 music records (Bronze), and Discover all of Esquie’s abilities (Bronze, including swimming, flying, and diving) require thorough exploration of main areas (Spring Meadows, Flying Waters) and optional zones (Painting Workshop, Stone Wave Cliffs). These tasks reveal the tragic history of past expeditions, the Paintress’s impact, and the Gestrals’ culture.

Collecting journals, for instance, uncovers stories of fallen Expeditioners, adding emotional weight to your journey. Music records, paired with the game’s stellar soundtrack by Lorien Testard, unlock atmospheric tracks that enhance camp moments. Esquie’s abilities, tied to relationship level 6 and defeating Francois, expand traversal, letting you access hidden areas like Paint Cages or Lost Gestrals (tied to Find all Lost Gestrals, Bronze). The collectible-focused trophies aren’t just checklists—they immerse you in the world’s beauty and tragedy, making the Platinum a testament to your exploration.

Reason 5: Endgame Content Offers Epic Challenges and Rewards

The Platinum Trophy shines in its endgame requirements, which push you to tackle post-game content that rivals the main story in scope and excitement. Trophies like Complete all 11 Stages of the Endless Tower (Bronze), Defeat Clea in Flying Manor (Bronze), and Beat Simon (Gold) introduce challenging bosses and trials that test your builds and strategies. These activities, accessible after the main story, include optional bosses (Chromatic Pétank, Simon), dungeons (Flying Manor), and the Endless Tower’s 11 stages with unique trials.

For example, the Endless Tower requires optimized builds, such as Lune’s Dark Stain setup with Scaverim or Maelle’s Burn-focused Medalum. Defeating Simon, a high-level endgame boss in The Abyss, demands mastery of dodging, Breaking, and team synergy, rewarding you with a climactic narrative payoff. These trophies don’t require excessive grinding—farming EXP in Act 3’s Dark Shores for Reach level 99 (Bronze) is straightforward—and the rewards (unique weapons, Pictos, and cutscenes) make the effort worthwhile. The endgame content ensures the Platinum feels like a heroic culmination, not a chore, cementing your legacy as an Expeditioner.

Why the Platinum Is Worth Your Time

Pursuing the Platinum Trophy for Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is a journey that mirrors the game’s narrative of perseverance and discovery. Its balanced trophy list ensures you experience the full breadth of the game—story, combat, exploration, and relationships—without overwhelming grind or punishing missables. The combat challenges hone your skills, making you a master of the game’s hybrid mechanics, while exploration trophies deepen your connection to the Continent’s lore. The endgame content, with its epic bosses and trials, provides a satisfying climax that justifies the 50-70 hours invested.

Unlike some RPGs with bloated trophy lists, Clair Obscur respects your time. The lack of difficulty-related trophies means you can play on Story mode for a relaxed experience, while still feeling accomplished. The autosave system and post-story accessibility make cleanup easy, and the minimal missables encourage a blind first playthrough, preserving the story’s emotional impact. Social media buzz reflects this sentiment, with players praising the Platinum as a “worthy grind” that enhances the game’s brilliance, citing its artwork, soundtrack, and combat as highlights.

Tips to Start Your Platinum Journey

To maximize your Platinum pursuit:

Prologue Awareness: Grab the Old Key before speaking to Gustave’s sister in Lumière and fight the Mime for their respective trophies. These are the only true missables.

Use Monoco Early: Include Monoco in your party after unlocking him to collect all 44 skills for Feet Collection (Bronze), as some enemies (e.g., GROSSE TETE) may not respawn.

Exhaust Camp Dialogue: Always check the bonfire for new conversations to advance relationship levels, especially for Maelle’s level 6-7 choice (“Yes. (Truth)”).

Track Collectibles: Use the in-game menus for journals, music records, and Monoco skills to monitor progress, as there’s no regional collectible tracker.

Farm Efficiently: Grind EXP in Dark Shores (Act 3) for Reach level 99, and tackle the Endless Tower and Simon with optimized builds (e.g., Lune’s Elemental Genesis, Gustave’s Overcharge).

Conclusion

The Platinum Trophy for Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is more than a digital accolade—it’s a testament to your mastery of one of 2025’s finest RPGs. Its balanced list, minimal missables, rewarding combat challenges, lore-rich exploration, and epic endgame content make it a must-have for trophy hunters and fans alike. As you dodge Nevrons, uncover journals, and conquer the Endless Tower, you’ll forge an unforgettable expedition that rivals the game’s narrative of courage and sacrifice. Start your journey today, grab that Old Key, and etch your name in the Continent’s history with The Greatest Expedition in History Platinum Trophy.