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

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 places you in the role of a band of magical influencers, led by the audacious British Daredevil, on a quest to halt a global affliction that halts the natural aging process. It fuses turn-based RPG battles with real-time parries reminiscent of action RPGs, all presented with a distinctive visual style.

It has emerged as the major games of the year, having sold millions and won top honors recognition. The game can feel a bit off-putting in the beginning, but when it clicks, you’ll find a deep and engrossing role-playing game that is quite unique from contemporary titles. Here are are 10 essential starting pointers for Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.

Change Characters Often

In Expedition 33, characters who take part in a fight receive a significant 50% bonus to experience versus those on the bench. What's more, the narrative will periodically require you to use specific characters. The easiest method to these mechanics is to change your lineup frequently and strive to keep everyone at a similar level.

The positive aspect is that farming experience is fairly fast. Encounters award a sizable amount of XP, frequently enough for a stat increase after just a few. You can refresh an area's enemies by taking a break at an checkpoint banner—these flags are placed throughout each level. If you need to gain levels quickly, simply engage in combat near a flag, refresh, and continue the cycle.

Swap Gear Often

There are two primary ways to grant bonus effects to your characters: Picto accessories and Lumina abilities.

• Pictos are accessories that provide attribute increases and come with a unique passive skill. A character can slot a maximum of three Pictos. Once slotted, finishing four battles with a Picto will unlock its corresponding Lumina.
• Luminas function differently but are similar to skill tree nodes. A party member has a pool of Lumina Points (which you can raise via level-ups). Each Lumina has a specific point cost. Provided that a character has sufficient LP, there is no limit can equip the same skill, allowing you to layer key bonuses across your full roster.

The smartest approach is to ensure one of your characters has equipped any new accessory and wins four battles to gain its Lumina. This ensures the ability will be available for later builds.

When you aren't have new Pictos to level up, simply slot the Pictos with the highest bonuses for your needs.

Blocking Is Not Your Only Option

Expedition 33’s key feature is its fusion of RPG systems with action-oriented blocks. That said, the timing for a perfect block is notoriously tight on any mode. In place of struggling endlessly trying to hit perfect blocks, focus on dodging.

Although a successful parry refunds one AP and causes a huge damage spike, missing the timing leaves you vulnerable. The good news is there are a number of accessories and abilities that restore Action Points on a successful dodge. If you find parrying difficult, equip those evasion-based perks instead.

The Break Status Is Your Secret Weapon

Break is a battle-altering state that can secure victory. As you damage an enemy, a gold meter increases below their health bar. Once charged, you can stun the enemy, which lowers their defense by a fifth and prevents them from acting for an entire round. It is the single most powerful condition in the game, but only certain skills can cause it.

Build Characters With a Plan

You have the option to reallocate stat points and abilities using a scarce resource called a Respec token. Since they are uncommon, it's smart to plan your build instead of spending your skill points. Get a feel for a character's playstyle and chart a build strategy in advance.

Don't Forget to Stop At the Save Flag

Using your tent at an save point refills the health of your all characters and refreshes every consumables, including healing potions and phoenix down equivalents. Develop the routine to rest at every flag!

These flags also act as the closest thing to quick traversal in the game. The game lacks a traditional map, waypoint system, or quest indicators. But, each flag has a identifier. At a flag, you can see a menu of all discovered flags in that level under a fast travel menu. It's a simple but effective way to track your progress.

Locked Chests Are Consistently Rewarding

Paint Cages are basically puzzle caches that demand you to discover and activate three hidden locks in the immediate vicinity before opening them. The treasure inside is without fail worthwhile, often containing rare resources or powerful weapons. The associated mechanisms aren't always obvious, but they are almost always near the cage. If you can't find one, try smashing crates or looking up.

Go Ahead and, Battle the Shopkeeper

Each shopkeeper has a secret, unique item that doesn't appear in their standard shop. To unlock it, you must choose one character and beat them in combat in a single combat. This proves to be rewarding, as these items are exceptionally powerful. The first merchant you meet, for instance, sells a special accessory that applies the Defenseless debuff, which amplifies attacks against the affected enemy by a significant margin.

Trust In the Auto-Save System

There is no {manual saving