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A fun fact: The “Obscur” in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 alludes to the somewhat obscure nature of the game's menus and gameplay loops.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 casts you as a team of social media mages, led by the daring British Daredevil, on a quest to halt a worldwide curse that prevents aging. It blends turn-based RPG battles with real-time parries drawn from Soulslike games, all wrapped in a unique artistic lexicon.

It has emerged as the most successful releases of the year, having achieved massive sales and secured top honors accolades. The experience can feel somewhat dense at first, but when it clicks, you’ll find a deep and fascinating RPG that stands apart from many others. Listed here are a collection of early-game strategies for Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.

Change Characters Often

In Expedition 33, allies who take part in a encounter earn a significant 50% bonus to Experience Points versus those on the bench. Additionally, the story will periodically mandate you to use specific characters. The easiest method to these challenges is to switch members often and try to keep everyone at a similar power level.

The upside is that grinding is not too tedious. Encounters award a substantial amount of XP, often enough for a character progression after just a few. You can respawn an local foes by stopping at an checkpoint banner—these markers are placed throughout each zone. If you need to power level, simply engage in combat near a flag, refresh, and do it again.

Swap Gear Frequently

The game features two primary ways to bestow passive perks to your characters: Picto gems and Lumina skills.

• Pictos function as gear that provide attribute increases and come with a unique passive skill. Each character can wear a maximum of three Pictos. Once slotted, completing four encounters with a Picto unlocks its corresponding Lumina.
• Luminas are not gear pieces but are similar to skill tree nodes. A party member has a pool of LP (which you can raise via consumables). A Lumina has a required LP amount. Provided that a character has sufficient LP, there is no limit can use the same Lumina, allowing you to layer useful effects across your full roster.

The smartest strategy is to make sure one of your characters is wearing each fresh Picto you find and wins the required fights to reveal its Lumina. This ensures the ability will be available for when needed.

When you aren't have new Pictos to work on, simply equip the Pictos with the most beneficial attributes for your current build.

Parrying Isn't Your Sole Defense

Expedition 33’s signature mechanic is its combination of turn-based combat with action-oriented blocks. But, the opportunity to deflect is notoriously tight on every setting. In place of breaking controllers trying to master the timing, prioritize dodging.

Although a perfect guard refunds Action Points and causes massive extra damage, not blocking leaves you vulnerable. Fortunately there are a number of Pictos and Luminas that grant AP on a perfect roll. If you struggle with the timing, use those evasion-based options instead.

Break Is Your Key Tactic

The Break status effect is a game-changing condition that can turn the tide. As you damage an enemy, a gold meter fills up below their HP bar. Once charged, you can apply the Break status, which slashes their armor by a fifth and skips their turn for their next action. It is the top-tier status effect in the game, but only particular skills can cause it.

Build Characters Deliberately

You are able to re-spec attributes and skills using a limited consumable called a Respec token. Given its scarcity, it's smart to plan your build prior to using your attribute points. Try out a party member's role and map out a skill tree path beforehand.

Make Sure to Stop At the Checkpoint Flag

Stopping at an save point fully heals your entire party and refreshes all of your potions, including healing potions and Revive Tints. Remember to use each flag you see!

These flags also act as the closest thing to navigation in the game. There is no mini-map, waypoint system, or floating icons. But, each flag has a designation. When you interact with one, you can access a log of all discovered flags in that area under a teleport list. It's a simple but effective way to navigate the world.

Paint Cages Are Always Rewarding

Paint Cages are basically puzzle caches that require you to discover and activate three scattered mechanisms in the surrounding area before claiming the prize. The contents is without fail worthwhile, such as Recoats or unique gear. The required seals aren't in plain sight, but they are typically located close by. If you are stuck, try exploring thoroughly or scanning the environment vertically.

Yes, Battle the Merchant

Every merchant carries a secret, unique item that won't show up in their regular wares. To get them to sell it, you must pick a champion and beat them in combat in a one-on-one fight. This is invariably worth doing, as these items are game-changing. The earliest vendor you meet, for reference, sells a special accessory that causes the Defenseless debuff, which boosts damage against the target by a quarter.

Rely On the Automatic Saving

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