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A curious piece of trivia: The “Obscur” in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 hints at the complex nature of the in-game systems and systems.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 places you in the role of a team of social media mages, spearheaded by the bold British Daredevil, on a journey to combat a universal phenomenon that halts the natural aging process. It blends turn-based RPG encounters with real-time parries reminiscent of Soulslike games, all presented with a idiosyncratic visual style.

It has become one of the most successful releases of the year, having sold millions and earned the premier award recognition. The game can feel somewhat dense initially, but when it clicks, you’ll find a layered and engrossing experience that differentiates itself from many others. Here are are ten crucial starting pointers for Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.

Change Team Members Frequently

In Expedition 33, party members who are active during a fight receive a significant 50% bonus to XP versus those on the bench. What's more, the narrative will periodically mandate you to include particular characters. The most straightforward approach to these challenges is to switch members often and try to keep your roster at a comparable level.

The upside is that farming experience is not too tedious. Battles provide a generous amount of XP, frequently sufficient for a stat increase after just several. You can reset an area's enemies by stopping at an save point—these markers are scattered in each area. If you need to accumulate XP fast, simply engage in combat near a flag, use the flag, and repeat.

Rotate Gear Frequently

The game features two primary ways to provide passive perks to your allies: Picto accessories and Luminas.

• Pictos function as gear that grant numerical bonuses and also feature a constant effect. A character can wear up to three Pictos. When equipped, finishing four battles with a Picto grants access to its linked Lumina.
• Luminas aren’t physical items but essentially act as skill tree nodes. A party member has a number of Lumina Points (which can be increased via level-ups). Every Lumina ability has a set cost. If a character has sufficient LP, you are not restricted can benefit from the same Lumina, allowing you to stack useful effects across your entire team.

The optimal approach is to always one of your characters equips each fresh Picto you find and wins four battles to reveal its Lumina. That way you gain access for future use.

Should you not have unleveled accessories to work on, simply equip the Pictos with the best stats for your needs.

Parrying Isn't Your Sole Defense

Expedition 33’s key feature is its marriage of RPG systems with action-oriented blocks. But, the parry window is incredibly short on any mode. In place of struggling endlessly trying to land parries, focus on rolling.

While a successful parry restores one AP and inflicts significant bonus damage, missing the timing yields no benefit. Fortunately there are several gear and skills that provide resources on a perfect roll. If you can't get the block down, use those evasion-based options instead.

Breaking Enemies Is Your Key Tactic

The Break status effect is a game-changing condition that can swing a fight. As you whittle down health, a gold meter fills up below their health bar. Upon maxing out, you can stun the enemy, which slashes their defense by 20% and skips their turn for their next action. It is the top-tier status effect in the game, but only specific skills can cause it.

Level Up With a Plan

You can reset attributes and skills using a rare item called a Respec token. Given its scarcity, it's smart to plan your build prior to using your attribute points. Get a feel for a character's playstyle and map out a build strategy first.

Don't Forget to Use the Expedition Flag

Using your tent at an save point refills the health of your entire party and refreshes your supply of healing items, including healing potions and revival items. Develop the routine to rest at every flag!

These flags also serve as the primary method to navigation in the game. You won't find a traditional map, compass, or floating icons. But, each flag has a designation. When you interact with one, you can access a log of every flag you've found in that zone under a fast travel menu. It's a simple but effective way to navigate the world.

Glowing Cages Are Invariably Rewarding

Glowing chests are essentially sealed loot boxes that need you to find and hit three concealed seals in the immediate vicinity to getting the loot. The reward is without fail high-tier, often containing Recoats or powerful weapons. The associated mechanisms aren't always obvious, but they are usually located close by. If you can't find one, try breaking objects or looking up.

Absolutely, Fight the Vendor

Every merchant carries a one-of-a-kind piece of gear that isn't listed in their normal inventory. To gain access to it, you must choose one character and beat them in combat in a solo battle. This is always a worthwhile endeavor, as these pieces of gear are truly unique. The initial shopkeeper you meet, for example, sells a special accessory that applies the Defenseless debuff, which increases damage dealt against the affected enemy by a quarter.

Rely On the Automatic Saving

There is no {manual saving