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A fun fact: The “Obscur” in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 alludes to the somewhat obscure nature of the in-game systems and gameplay loops.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has you leading a band of magical influencers, spearheaded by the bold British Daredevil, on a quest to reverse a worldwide curse that stops people from growing old. It merges traditional RPG battles with action-game reflexes drawn from challenging titles, all cloaked in a idiosyncratic aesthetic language.

It has proven to be the biggest releases of the year, having garnered a huge player base and earned the premier award accolades. The experience can feel slightly intimidating at first, but after you grasp its systems, you’ll discover a rich and fascinating experience that is quite unique from contemporary titles. Listed here are a collection of starting pointers for Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.

Change Party Members Regularly

In Expedition 33, allies who take part in a battle earn a significant 50% bonus to Experience Points versus those not fighting. Furthermore, the campaign will periodically require you to include particular characters. The easiest solution to both issues is to switch members often and try to keep your roster at a similar level.

The positive aspect is that leveling up is not too tedious. Fights provide a generous amount of XP, often sufficient for a stat increase after just a few. You can refresh an local foes by taking a break at an expedition flag—these markers are located throughout each level. If you need to accumulate XP fast, simply battle monsters near a flag, use the flag, and continue the cycle.

Rotate Accessories Regularly

The game features two primary ways to grant bonus effects to your characters: Picto gems and Lumina skills.

• Pictos are items which give stat boosts and also feature a unique passive skill. Every party member can slot up to three Pictos. After being worn, finishing four encounters with a Picto grants access to its associated Lumina.
• Luminas are not gear pieces but essentially act as unlocked abilities. Each character has a pool of skill points (which you can raise via items). A Lumina has a required LP amount. As long as a character has sufficient LP, there is no limit can benefit from the same Lumina, allowing you to stack key bonuses across your full roster.

The smartest tactic is to ensure someone has equipped every new Picto and fights through four battles to gain its Lumina. This ensures you’ll have it for later builds.

When you aren't have new Pictos to unlock, simply equip the Pictos with the most beneficial attributes for your needs.

Blocking Is Not Your Sole Defense

Expedition 33’s key feature is its marriage of RPG systems with action-oriented blocks. But, the timing for a perfect block is notoriously tight on all difficulty levels. Rather than frustrating yourself trying to hit perfect blocks, concentrate on dodging.

While a perfect guard restores one AP and causes massive extra damage, missing the timing gives you nothing. Luckily there are multiple accessories and abilities that grant AP on a well-timed evade. If you find parrying difficult, focus on those dodge-focused abilities instead.

Break Is Your Secret Weapon

Break is a battle-altering state that can turn the tide. As you whittle down health, a gold meter fills up under their HP bar. Upon maxing out, you can apply the Break status, which slashes their defense by 20% and stuns them for one full turn. It is the top-tier condition in the game, but only certain skills can trigger it.

Build Characters With a Plan

You are able to re-spec your build using a rare item called a Recoat. Since they are uncommon, it's prudent to consider your path before spending your attribute points. Get a feel for a party member's role and map out a skill tree path in advance.

Always Rest At the Checkpoint Flag

Using your tent at an expedition flag refills the health of your entire party and replenishes all of your potions, including Chroma Elixirs and revival items. Make it a habit to stop and heal up!

These flags also act as the closest thing to fast travel in the game. You won't find a mini-map, compass, or objective markers. Instead, each flag has a name and number. By resting, you can access a log of all discovered flags in that area under a fast travel menu. It's a simple but effective way to track your progress.

Locked Chests Are Consistently Worth the Effort

Glowing chests are basically puzzle caches that require you to locate and shoot three scattered mechanisms in the immediate vicinity to getting the loot. The reward is consistently valuable, including items like respec items or unique gear. The associated mechanisms aren't easy to spot, but they are almost always located close by. If you can't find one, try exploring thoroughly or looking up.

Absolutely, Battle the Merchant

Every merchant stocks a hidden special good that doesn't appear in their regular wares. To gain access to it, you must pick a champion and defeat the merchant in a one-on-one fight. This is always worth doing, as these items are game-changing. The first merchant you meet, for instance, sells a special accessory that causes the vulnerability status, which increases damage dealt against the affected enemy by a quarter.

Rely On the Automatic Saving

There is no {manual saving