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A fun fact: The title term “Obscur” in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 references the complex nature of the in-game systems and gameplay loops.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has you leading a band of social media mages, spearheaded by the bold British Daredevil, on a journey to combat a global affliction that halts the natural aging process. It merges turn-based RPG encounters with action-game reflexes inspired by action RPGs, all wrapped in a distinctive aesthetic language.

It has proven to be the most successful releases of the year, having sold millions and earned top honors accolades. The adventure can feel a bit off-putting at first, but once you lock in, you’ll uncover a layered and engrossing role-playing game that stands apart from other games. Below are ten crucial starting pointers for Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.

Rotate Party Members Regularly

In Expedition 33, party members who are active during a encounter gain a significant 50% bonus to Experience Points versus those on the bench. Furthermore, the narrative will sometimes force you to use specific characters. The simplest solution to both issues is to change your lineup frequently and aim to keep everyone at a roughly equal strength.

The good news is that leveling up is fairly fast. Fights award a generous amount of XP, frequently sufficient for a stat increase after just a few. You can refresh an local foes by resting at an save point—these flags are scattered throughout each area. If you need to accumulate XP fast, simply fight enemies near a flag, use the flag, and do it again.

Rotate Accessories Regularly

There are a couple of key ways to provide passive perks to your party members: Pictos and Lumina skills.

• Pictos are items which grant attribute increases and also feature a special ability. A character can slot a maximum of three Pictos. Once slotted, completing four fights with a Picto will unlock its corresponding Lumina.
• Luminas function differently but essentially act as unlocked abilities. Each character has a amount of Lumina Points (which can be increased via level-ups). Each Lumina has a set cost. Provided that a character has enough points, multiple characters can use the same skill, allowing you to combine powerful passives across your full roster.

The most efficient strategy is to ensure someone is wearing each fresh Picto you find and completes four battles to unlock its Lumina. This ensures you gain access for future use.

When you aren't have unleveled accessories to unlock, simply equip the Pictos with the highest bonuses for your playstyle.

Blocking Is Not Your Only Option

Expedition 33’s defining element is its marriage of turn-based combat with action-oriented blocks. That said, the opportunity to deflect is notoriously tight on any mode. In place of breaking controllers trying to land parries, concentrate on rolling.

While a perfect guard grants a resource and deals massive extra damage, failing to parry leaves you vulnerable. The good news is there are several accessories and abilities that grant AP on a well-timed evade. If you find parrying difficult, focus on those evasion-based options instead.

The Break Status Is Your Key Tactic

Break is a battle-altering condition that can swing a fight. As you damage an enemy, a yellow gauge fills up below their HP bar. Upon maxing out, you can inflict break, which reduces their armor by a significant amount and skips their turn for one full turn. It is the top-tier status effect in the game, but only certain abilities can apply it.

Build Characters Intentionally

You have the option to reallocate stat points and abilities using a limited consumable called a Respec token. Since they are uncommon, it's prudent to consider your path prior to using your attribute points. Get a feel for a party member's role and plan a skill tree path first.

Always Stop At the Checkpoint Flag

Resting at an checkpoint completely restores your all characters and restocks your supply of consumables, including Chroma Elixirs and Revive Tints. Make it a habit to stop and heal up!

Expedition flags also act as the closest thing to quick traversal in the game. The game lacks a traditional map, waypoint system, or quest indicators. Instead, each flag has a name and number. At a flag, you can see a menu of all discovered flags in that area under a teleport list. It's a basic yet helpful way to see how far you've come.

Glowing Cages Are Consistently Worth It

Glowing chests are basically puzzle caches that require you to discover and activate three concealed seals in the nearby environment before opening them. The reward is consistently valuable, often containing Recoats or strong equipment. The associated mechanisms aren't in plain sight, but they are typically within the same area. If you can't find one, try smashing crates or scanning the environment vertically.

Go Ahead and, Battle the Vendor

All vendors carries a hidden special good that isn't listed in their standard shop. To unlock it, you must pick a champion and win a duel in a one-on-one fight. This is invariably a worthwhile endeavor, as these rewards are exceptionally powerful. The initial shopkeeper you meet, for example, sells a special accessory that causes the damage-increasing condition, which increases damage dealt against the affected enemy by a quarter.

Trust In the Auto-Save System

The game lacks {manual saving