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Clair Obscur: Expedition 33: How To Solve The Esoteric Ruins Maze

Once again, a Nevron asks something of you—though this one's a little more challenging than the others

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Sciel looks at a glowing object in a maze.
Screenshot: Sandfall Interactive / George Yang / Kotaku

In Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, there are friendly Nevrons that’ll hand out quests to you. By completing these quests, you’ll earn some helpful rewards. One of these quests is located in an optional area called the Esoteric Ruins, and this one can be more of a pain compared to others. But don’t worry, we’re here to help.

You can finish this quest towards the middle of the game. And at this point you should have all of your party members, including Lune, Maelle, Sciel, Verso, and Monoco. At the Esoteric Ruins, make your way through until you come across a glowing blue ball of light named Portier.

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They will ask you to find some wood boards, but you’ll have to solve a maze in order to reach it.

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Read More: A Beginner’s Guide To Mastering Lune In Clair Obscur: Expedition 33

Solving the Esoteric Ruins maze

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A screenshot shows the location of the Esoteric Ruins.
Screenshot: Sandfall Interactive / George Yang / Kotaku

In this maze, you’ll have to shoot at balls of light that will open or close its surrounding doors. There’s actually an easy solution to this maze puzzle.The issue is that the puzzle doesn’t reset if you leave the area. So as a result, some players may have to use trial and error to find their solutions. Here’s the simplest solution, assuming that you haven’t messed with the puzzle at all yet, along with a visual chart.

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A chart shows the correct sequence for a puzzle.

At the start of the maze in Room 1, shoot light ball A, which will open up the door to the left into room 2. Go into Room 2, turn around, and shoot light ball A again. Then in Room 2, shoot light ball B.

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Go all the way to Room 4 without touching any of the other light balls. In Room 4, turn around and shoot light ball C in Room 3. That’s it—don’t touch anything else. You should be able to walk through the door at the end of the maze and get out.

Sciel stands around some broken objects.
Screenshot: Sandfall Interactive / George Yang / Kotaku
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There are a couple of items around the area after the end of the maze, including some Lumina as well as the Wood Boards near the back. Afterwards, make your way back to Pontier using the shortcut with your grappling hook and give them the Wood Boards. Doing so will transform Portier from a blue ball to their physical form.

Your reward is the Protecting Heal Picto. Whenever an ally is healed, Shell is also applied to them for one turn.

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The party stands before a Nevron.
Screenshot: Sandfall Interactive / George Yang / Kotaku

Should you attack Portier?

If you decide to attack the Portier, your reward is 3x Colour of Lumina and 1x Polished Chroma Catalyst. It’s not a great reward, so it’s better to spare Portier so you can get a greater reward later in the game.

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Read More: A Beginner’s Guide To Mastering Gustave In Clair Obscur: Expedition 33

During Act 3, you’ll unlock the ability to fly around with Esquie. Fly to the area next to the Spring Meadows area called The Fountain and you’ll find Blanche. If you’ve spared every friendly Nevron that provided quests throughout the game, Blanche will reward you with 100x Colour of Lumina.

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However, if you’ve killed any of those Nevrons, including the Portier, Blanche will attack you. He’s definitely a challenging fight, so it’s recommended to be at least level 80 if you intend to take Blanche on. Defeating Blanche will earn you 10x Colour of Lumina and 2x Grandiose Chroma Catalyst.

100x Colour of Lumina is definitely a much better reward, which is why we recommend sparing the Nevrons. After receiving the 100x Colour of Lumina from Blanche, you can go back to the Esoteric Ruins and kill the Portier if you wish.

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Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is available now on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and Windows PCs.