🔗 Share this article

An interesting tidbit: The “Obscur” in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 alludes to the initially cryptic nature of the game's menus and systems.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 places you in the role of a band of magical influencers, spearheaded by the daring British Daredevil, on a journey to reverse a worldwide curse that prevents aging. It blends turn-based RPG battles with timed defensive moves reminiscent of action RPGs, all cloaked in a distinctive visual style.

It has become one of the major releases of the year, having achieved massive sales and secured Game of the Year recognition. The game can feel somewhat dense in the beginning, but once you lock in, you’ll uncover a rich and captivating experience that stands apart from many others. Below are a collection of beginner's tips for Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.

Swap Party Members Regularly

In Expedition 33, party members who participate in a encounter gain a significant 50% bonus to experience relative to those not fighting. What's more, the campaign will periodically require you to include particular characters. The easiest solution to these mechanics is to change your lineup frequently and try to keep your roster at a roughly equal strength.

The positive aspect is that grinding is fairly fast. Encounters grant a substantial amount of XP, frequently sufficient for a stat increase after just two or three. You can refresh an local foes by taking a break at an expedition flag—these points are placed throughout each area. If you need to power level, simply engage in combat near a flag, use the flag, and do it again.

Swap Gear Frequently

You have two main ways to provide bonus effects to your allies: Picto gems and Lumina abilities.

• Pictos are items which provide attribute increases and include a constant effect. A character can wear a maximum of three Pictos. After being worn, completing four encounters with a Picto grants access to its corresponding Lumina.
• Luminas are not gear pieces but are similar to equippable passives. Every ally has a pool of Lumina Points (which can be increased via consumables). Every Lumina ability has a specific point cost. As long as a character has sufficient LP, there is no limit can benefit from the same Lumina, allowing you to layer powerful passives across your whole party.

The most efficient strategy is to ensure someone equips every new Picto and wins the required fights to gain its Lumina. This ensures you’ll have it for future use.

If you don't have new Pictos to unlock, simply use the Pictos with the most beneficial attributes for your playstyle.

Perfect Guards Are Not Your Sole Defense

Expedition 33’s key feature is its marriage of RPG systems with twitch-based defenses. However, the parry window is notoriously tight on any mode. Instead of breaking controllers trying to land parries, prioritize rolling.

Although a successful parry restores a resource and deals massive extra damage, failing to parry leaves you vulnerable. Fortunately there are multiple gear and skills that restore Action Points on a well-timed evade. If you find parrying difficult, equip those evasion-based options instead.

Breaking Enemies Is Your Secret Weapon

Inflicting Break is a decisive condition that can turn the tide. As you whittle down health, a special bar fills up beneath their HP bar. Upon maxing out, you can inflict break, which slashes their damage resistance by a significant amount and stuns them for one full turn. It is the top-tier status effect in the game, but only specific skills can cause it.

Allocate Points Intentionally

You can reset attributes and skills using a rare item called a Recoat item. Given its scarcity, it's wise to consider your path instead of spending your skill points. Get a feel for a character's playstyle and map out a skill tree path beforehand.

Don't Forget to Stop At the Checkpoint Flag

Using your tent at an save point completely restores your whole team and refreshes all of your consumables, including healing potions and phoenix down equivalents. Develop the routine to stop and heal up!

Checkpoints also serve as the only means to fast travel in the game. The game lacks a mini-map, GPS, or quest indicators. Instead, each flag has a identifier. By resting, you can see a menu of all discovered flags in that level under a teleport list. It's a basic yet helpful way to navigate the world.

Glowing Cages Are Always Worth the Effort

Paint Cages are effectively sealed loot boxes that need you to find and hit three hidden locks in the immediate vicinity prior to getting the loot. The treasure inside is consistently worthwhile, including items like respec items or strong equipment. The required seals aren't easy to spot, but they are typically located close by. If you are missing a lock, try breaking objects or checking elevated spots.

Yes, Challenge the Shopkeeper

Every merchant carries a one-of-a-kind piece of gear that isn't listed in their regular wares. To unlock it, you must choose one character and beat them in combat in a one-on-one fight. This is invariably a worthwhile endeavor, as these rewards are exceptionally powerful. The initial shopkeeper you meet, for instance, offers a special accessory that causes the vulnerability status, which increases damage dealt against the affected enemy by a significant margin.

Trust In the Autosave

There is no {manual saving