🔗 Share this article

A curious piece of trivia: The title term “Obscur” in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 references the somewhat obscure nature of the in-game systems and systems.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 casts you as a group of social media mages, spearheaded by the daring British Daredevil, on a mission to combat a worldwide curse that prevents aging. It fuses traditional RPG encounters with real-time parries inspired by action RPGs, all wrapped in a distinctive aesthetic language.

It has emerged as the biggest games of the year, having sold millions and won Game of the Year recognition. The adventure can feel somewhat dense at first, but when it clicks, you’ll uncover a layered and fascinating experience that is quite unique from other games. Below are ten crucial beginner's tips for Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.

Swap Team Members Often

In Expedition 33, characters who take part in a encounter earn a sizable bonus to experience relative to those not fighting. Furthermore, the story will sometimes force you to field certain characters. The simplest approach to these challenges is to rotate your team and strive to keep your roster at a comparable strength.

The positive aspect is that leveling up is relatively quick. Fights grant a sizable amount of XP, often enough for a character progression after just a few. You can respawn an area's enemies by taking a break at an expedition flag—these markers are placed across each zone. If you need to gain levels quickly, simply fight enemies near a flag, refresh, and repeat.

Swap Items Frequently

You have two primary ways to provide constant buffs to your allies: Picto accessories and Lumina skills.

• Pictos are accessories that provide numerical bonuses and include a constant effect. A character can equip a maximum of three Pictos. When equipped, winning four encounters with a Picto will unlock its associated Lumina.
• Luminas function differently but can be thought of as unlocked abilities. Each character has a number of LP (which grows via items). Every Lumina ability has a set cost. If a character has sufficient LP, you are not restricted can use the same Lumina, allowing you to combine useful effects across your entire team.

The smartest strategy is to always one of your characters has equipped every new Picto and fights through the required fights to unlock its Lumina. That way you’ll have it for later builds.

When you aren't have unleveled accessories to level up, simply equip the Pictos with the most beneficial attributes for your playstyle.

Blocking Is Not Your Only Option

Expedition 33’s defining element is its fusion of RPG systems with real-time parries. But, the timing for a perfect block is extremely brief on every setting. In place of frustrating yourself trying to hit perfect blocks, prioritize rolling.

Although a successful parry refunds one AP and causes significant bonus damage, not blocking yields no benefit. Fortunately there are a number of Pictos and Luminas that provide resources on a successful dodge. If you can't get the block down, use those evasion-based perks instead.

Breaking Enemies Is Your Greatest Advantage

The Break status effect is a game-changing state that can swing a fight. As you whittle down health, a special bar fills up below their life bar. Upon maxing out, you can stun the enemy, which lowers their damage resistance by a fifth and stuns them for one full turn. It is the single most powerful debuff in the game, but only specific attacks can cause it.

Allocate Points Intentionally

You are able to re-spec stat points and abilities using a limited consumable called a Recoat. Given its scarcity, it's wise to think ahead before spending your attribute points. Try out a party member's role and chart a progression route in advance.

Always Stop At the Save Flag

Stopping at an save point refills the health of your all characters and refreshes every healing items, including Chroma Elixirs and Revive Tints. Develop the routine to stop and heal up!

Checkpoints also serve as the closest thing to navigation in the game. You won't find a mini-map, GPS, or objective markers. However, each flag has a designation. When you interact with one, you can access a log of all discovered flags in that zone under a navigation option. It's a basic yet helpful way to track your progress.

Paint Cages Are Always Worth the Effort

Paint Cages are essentially puzzle caches that need you to discover and activate three concealed seals in the immediate vicinity prior to opening them. The treasure inside is without fail valuable, such as respec items or powerful weapons. The required seals aren't always obvious, but they are almost always near the cage. If you are stuck, try smashing crates or scanning the environment vertically.

Go Ahead and, Fight the Merchant

Every merchant carries a hidden special good that won't show up in their normal inventory. To unlock it, you must pick a champion and defeat the merchant in a solo battle. This is always worth doing, as these rewards are game-changing. The initial shopkeeper you meet, for reference, sells a special accessory that causes the vulnerability status, which increases damage dealt against the foe by 25%.

Trust In the Auto-Save System

You cannot perform {manual saving