Want to know what Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 New Game Plus is like? Finishing the game the first time it's just the tip of the iceberg. NG+ is actually where the real test begins.
New Game Plus doesn't just replay the story; it makes things more complicated, throws tougher enemies at you, and dares you to dive back in with what you've got.
Your maxed-out team might have been unstoppable, but NG+ is about to put that to the test.
What Is NG+ and How to Start It
New Game Plus (NG+) in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 isn't your typical second playthrough; it's an opportunity to put your perfected builds to the test truly.
Once the credits roll after completing the main story, you'll unlock this mode through the Expedition Flags spread across the game.
Selecting the NG+ option restarts the journey from Act 1 but with several crucial differences that reshape both the challenge and the rewards. One thing to be very careful about: starting NG+ will overwrite your existing save.
That means you can't undo it unless you've made a manual backup. It's a good idea to tie up any side quests, relationships, or collectibles before starting NG+, as it resets things across the board.
What Carries Over and What Gets Wiped
When you begin a New Game Plus run, a good portion of your progress carries over.
Your characters will retain their levels, attribute distributions, unlocked skill trees, Gradient Attacks, and gear. Weapons, Pictos, outfits, Lumina upgrades, and even Tint customizations are all preserved.
You'll also keep high-value materials like Chroma Elixirs and Recoats, giving you a huge head start when it comes to builds and customization.
Any Pictos you get in NG+ will begin with a higher level, making their passive effects way better right away. However, not everything makes the cut.
Side quests get wiped clean, so you'll need to reacquire quest-specific items such as collectibles, journal entries, music records, and mission tokens.
The relationship progress goes back to square one, requiring you to rebuild any bonds formed in your first playthrough.
Although Esquie's travel skills, including underwater traversal, remain intact, you'll have to earn her combat abilities and unlocks once more.
What's Different in NG+
The tougher difficulty and the new loot setup fundamentally change the tempo of NG+.
Expect enemies to be much tougher, with colossal health pools and amplified damage, making even the first encounters feel like a challenge. To stay competitive, the game begins providing better loot right away.
Lower-tier materials give way to higher-grade ones, including Grandiose and Perfect Chroma Catalysts, which are key for reaching level 33 with weapons and items.
Not only do enemies drop better resources, but chroma pickups in the field give you larger quantities as well. The story itself remains the same, but NG+ gives you space to experiment.
Are you looking to explore a different character this time? Take an alternate dialogue route or aim for a different ending – it's all up to you.
And since you'll already be familiar with the combat, NG+ becomes the perfect chance to try out different builds, push character stats to their upper limits, and take on the toughest enemy setups the game has to offer.
This is a great time to pick up anything you missed; whether it's un-equipped Pictos or gear combinations, you haven't tested yet.
To really make the most of NG+, some prep before you dive in is a good idea. Make sure your best weapons are equipped, your party builds are fine-tuned, and your Pictos and Luminas are ready for action.
The challenge spikes early, so going in half-prepared can make the early fights more frustrating than fun.
That said, NG+ does allow you to adjust the difficulty if needed, which is handy for those who want a slower ramp-up.