Parrying was not easy: Clair Obscur devs used sound to fix parries

Small changes made a big difference in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 when the team discovered parrying timing was a problem early on. Olivier Penchenier, the technical and sound designer, explained during a talk at GDC 2026 that director Guillaume Broche asked if something could help players get good timing on the attack.

"We realized that parrying was not easy for the player," he says. Penchenier did not want an obvious beep or alarm saying "Parry now," so the team kept the cue inside the attack sound: "instead, we decided to keep something directly inside the attack sound." Later they added the Glissant Rush, named for the musical term glissando.

"It’s a rush with a much more cultural timing for the integration," he states, and the team used a second audio file containing a reference hit, "a bit like a kick," as a marker so the rush lands with consistent timing every time.

clair obscur, expedition 33, parrying, parry timing, olivier penchenier, guillaume broche, sound design, glissant rush, glissando, attack sound