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A fun fact: The name “Obscur” in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 alludes to the initially cryptic nature of the game's menus and mechanics.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 places you in the role of a group of social media mages, fronted by the bold British Daredevil, on a quest to halt a worldwide curse that halts the natural aging process. It merges turn-based RPG encounters with real-time parries inspired by Soulslike games, all presented with a distinctive artistic lexicon.

It has proven to be the most successful titles of the year, having garnered a huge player base and earned top honors accolades. The adventure can feel a bit off-putting at first, but once you lock in, you’ll discover a layered and fascinating role-playing game that stands apart from contemporary titles. Below are 10 essential beginner's tips for Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.

Change Party Members Frequently

In Expedition 33, party members who are active during a encounter earn a hefty increase to Experience Points versus those not fighting. What's more, the narrative will sometimes mandate you to use specific characters. The simplest approach to both issues is to change your lineup frequently and strive to keep all characters at a comparable power level.

The upside is that leveling up is not too tedious. Encounters award a sizable amount of XP, often sufficient for a stat increase after just several. You can refresh an local foes by taking a break at an save point—these points are placed throughout each area. If you need to power level, simply battle monsters near a flag, refresh, and repeat.

Change Accessories Frequently

You have two primary ways to provide constant buffs to your party members: Pictos and Lumina abilities.

• Pictos are items which give attribute increases and include a constant effect. Every party member can wear up to three Pictos. When equipped, finishing four fights with a Picto unlocks its associated Lumina.
• Luminas are not gear pieces but essentially act as equippable passives. Each character has a amount of LP (which you can raise via level-ups). A Lumina has a set cost. Provided that a character has enough points, there is no limit can use the same Lumina, allowing you to layer key bonuses across your full roster.

The optimal strategy is to always a party member is wearing each fresh Picto you find and fights through the required fights to unlock its Lumina. Doing this you gain access for when needed.

If you don't have unleveled accessories to work on, simply slot the Pictos with the best stats for your current build.

Parrying Isn't Your Sole Defense

Expedition 33’s signature mechanic is its marriage of RPG systems with real-time parries. However, the parry window is incredibly short on any mode. In place of frustrating yourself trying to master the timing, concentrate on evading.

Even though a well-timed block refunds a resource and causes massive extra damage, not blocking yields no benefit. Fortunately there are several Pictos and Luminas that grant AP on a perfect roll. If you struggle with the timing, use those dodge-focused abilities instead.

The Break Status Is Your Greatest Advantage

Inflicting Break is a battle-altering state that can swing a fight. As you damage an enemy, a special bar charges under their HP bar. Once charged, you can apply the Break status, which reduces their defense by 20% and prevents them from acting for their next action. It is the single most powerful status effect in the game, but only certain attacks can cause it.

Allocate Points Deliberately

You are able to re-spec attributes and skills using a rare item called a Recoat item. Since they are uncommon, it's smart to think ahead prior to committing your attribute points. Experiment with a hero's kit and plan a progression route in advance.

Make Sure to Stop At the Expedition Flag

Stopping at an expedition flag completely restores your all characters and refreshes every consumables, including HP restoratives and phoenix down equivalents. Develop the routine to rest at every flag!

Checkpoints also serve as the closest thing to fast travel in the game. You won't find a mini-map, GPS, or floating icons. But, each flag has a designation. When you interact with one, you can access a log of your progress in that area under a navigation option. It's a simple but effective way to track your progress.

Glowing Cages Are Invariably Worth It

Paint Cages are essentially sealed loot boxes that need you to find and hit three scattered mechanisms in the nearby environment before opening them. The treasure inside is without fail valuable, often containing respec items or unique gear. The three locks aren't always obvious, but they are usually near the cage. If you are stuck, try smashing crates or scanning the environment vertically.

Yes, Battle the Merchant

Each shopkeeper stocks a one-of-a-kind piece of gear that won't show up in their regular wares. To get them to sell it, you must choose one character and win a duel in a one-on-one fight. This proves to be rewarding, as these pieces of gear are exceptionally powerful. The initial shopkeeper you meet, for example, provides a Picto that applies the vulnerability status, which increases damage dealt against the affected enemy by a significant margin.

Rely On the Auto-Save System

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