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A curious piece of trivia: The title term “Obscur” in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 references the initially cryptic nature of the interface systems and mechanics.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 places you in the role of a team of social media mages, fronted by the daring British Daredevil, on a mission to halt a worldwide curse that halts the natural aging process. It fuses turn-based RPG combat with timed defensive moves inspired by Soulslike games, all wrapped in a unique aesthetic language.

It has proven to be the most successful games of the period, having sold millions and won the premier award recognition. The game can feel somewhat dense initially, but when it clicks, you’ll find a rich and engrossing RPG that is quite unique from contemporary titles. Here are are 10 essential starting pointers for Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.

Change Party Members Often

In Expedition 33, party members who take part in a encounter receive a sizable bonus to XP versus those on the bench. Additionally, the story will sometimes mandate you to include particular characters. The most straightforward solution to these challenges is to rotate your team and try to keep everyone at a similar strength.

The upside is that grinding is fairly fast. Battles grant a generous amount of XP, often enough for a character progression after just two or three. You can respawn an local foes by stopping at an checkpoint banner—these markers are placed throughout each area. If you need to power level, simply engage in combat near a flag, rest, and do it again.

Rotate Accessories Frequently

There are two primary ways to bestow constant buffs to your party members: Picto accessories and Luminas.

• Pictos are items which provide attribute increases and include a unique passive skill. Each character can equip a maximum of three Pictos. When equipped, finishing four battles with a Picto unlocks its corresponding Lumina.
• Luminas function differently but essentially act as equippable passives. Each character has a pool of LP (which can be increased via items). A Lumina has a set cost. Provided that a character has sufficient LP, multiple characters can benefit from the same skill, allowing you to stack key bonuses across your full roster.

The most efficient strategy is to make sure a party member equips any new accessory and fights through four battles to reveal its Lumina. Doing this you’ll have it for later builds.

Should you not have new Pictos to unlock, simply use the Pictos with the most beneficial attributes for your needs.

Perfect Guards Are Not Your Only Option

Expedition 33’s key feature is its marriage of strategic battles with twitch-based defenses. That said, the parry window is incredibly short on any mode. In place of breaking controllers trying to hit perfect blocks, concentrate on rolling.

While a well-timed block refunds one AP and causes a huge damage spike, failing to parry gives you nothing. Fortunately there are several gear and skills that provide resources on a perfect roll. If you struggle with the timing, use those dodge-focused options instead.

The Break Status Is Your Key Tactic

The Break status effect is a battle-altering state that can turn the tide. As you whittle down health, a yellow gauge increases under their life bar. Once charged, you can inflict break, which reduces their damage resistance by a significant amount and stuns them for one full turn. It is the most impactful debuff in the game, but only particular skills can cause it.

Allocate Points Intentionally

You can reset your build using a limited consumable called a Recoat. Since they are uncommon, it's smart to consider your path prior to committing your stat investments. Try out a character's playstyle and map out a skill tree path first.

Always Stop At the Save Flag

Using your tent at an expedition flag fully heals your entire party and replenishes your supply of healing items, including HP restoratives and Revive Tints. Make it a habit to use each flag you see!

Expedition flags also function as the primary method to quick traversal in the game. There is no overworld map, GPS, or objective markers. But, each flag has a designation. By resting, you can see a menu of your progress in that area under a navigation option. It's a basic yet helpful way to navigate the world.

Locked Chests Are Consistently Worth the Effort

Paint Cages are effectively sealed loot boxes that demand you to find and hit three concealed seals in the nearby environment to opening them. The contents is always valuable, often containing Recoats or unique gear. The required seals aren't easy to spot, but they are typically located close by. If you can't find one, try smashing crates or looking up.

Yes, Fight the Shopkeeper

All vendors stocks a hidden special good that doesn't appear in their regular wares. To get them to sell it, you must select a party member and win a duel in a single combat. This is always worth doing, as these items are truly unique. The first merchant you meet, for instance, provides a Picto that inflicts the Defenseless debuff, which increases damage dealt against the target by a significant margin.

Trust In the Autosave

The game lacks {manual saving