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

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 casts you as a team of social media mages, spearheaded by the daring British Daredevil, on a quest to halt a worldwide curse that prevents aging. It blends traditional RPG battles with action-game reflexes drawn from challenging titles, all wrapped in a idiosyncratic artistic lexicon.

It has emerged as the most successful games of the season, having garnered a huge player base and earned the premier award praise. The game can feel a bit off-putting initially, but once you lock in, you’ll discover a layered and captivating RPG that stands apart from contemporary titles. Here are are a collection of beginner's tips for Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.

Swap Party Members Regularly

In Expedition 33, characters who are active during a battle receive a sizable bonus to Experience Points versus those on the bench. What's more, the story will periodically force you to include particular characters. The simplest approach to these challenges is to switch members often and strive to keep all characters at a comparable level.

The good news is that grinding is fairly fast. Fights grant a substantial amount of XP, sometimes sufficient for a stat increase after just a few. You can refresh an area's enemies by resting at an checkpoint banner—these markers are located throughout each zone. If you need to accumulate XP fast, simply battle monsters near a flag, use the flag, and repeat.

Rotate Items Often

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

• Pictos are accessories that give numerical bonuses and also feature a unique passive skill. A character can equip up to three Pictos. Once slotted, winning four battles with a Picto grants access to its linked Lumina.
• Luminas function differently but are similar to unlocked abilities. Every ally has a number of Lumina Points (which grows via level-ups). Every Lumina ability has a set cost. Provided that a character has enough points, you are not restricted can use the identical ability, allowing you to layer key bonuses across your entire team.

The optimal strategy is to make sure someone equips any new accessory and fights through four battles to unlock its Lumina. Doing this you gain access for when needed.

If you don't have unleveled accessories to unlock, simply use the Pictos with the best stats for your needs.

Perfect Guards Are Not Your Sole Defense

Expedition 33’s signature mechanic is its marriage of strategic battles with action-oriented blocks. However, the opportunity to deflect is incredibly short on any mode. Rather than frustrating yourself trying to land parries, concentrate on dodging.

Although a successful parry grants Action Points and deals significant bonus damage, failing to parry yields no benefit. Fortunately there are several Pictos and Luminas that restore Action Points on a well-timed evade. If you can't get the block down, equip those roll-centric options instead.

The Break Status Is Your Secret Weapon

Break is a game-changing condition that can swing a fight. As you attack a foe, a special bar charges beneath their health bar. Upon maxing out, you can stun the enemy, which slashes their armor by a fifth and skips their turn for their next action. It is the single most powerful debuff in the game, but only certain attacks can apply it.

Allocate Points Deliberately

You can reset your build using a rare item called a Recoat item. Because it's rare, it's prudent to plan your build instead of committing your attribute points. Try out a hero's kit and map out a build strategy first.

Don't Forget to Stop At the Save Flag

Stopping at an save point fully heals your all characters and replenishes every potions, including healing potions and Revive Tints. Make it a habit to rest at every flag!

Expedition flags also serve as the primary method to fast travel in the game. You won't find a traditional map, GPS, or objective markers. Instead, each flag has a designation. When you interact with one, you can access a log of all discovered flags in that level under a fast travel menu. It's a simple but effective way to navigate the world.

Paint Cages Are Consistently Worth It

These special containers are basically locked treasure chests that require you to locate and shoot three hidden locks in the immediate vicinity to getting the loot. The contents is always worthwhile, often containing respec items or unique gear. The three locks aren't easy to spot, but they are usually located close by. If you can't find one, try breaking objects or looking up.

Yes, Battle the Merchant

Each shopkeeper has a secret, unique item that doesn't appear in their normal inventory. To gain access to it, you must choose one character and beat them in combat in a solo battle. This is always rewarding, as these rewards are exceptionally powerful. The first merchant you meet, for reference, sells a Picto that applies the damage-increasing condition, which boosts damage against the affected enemy by a quarter.

Rely On the Automatic Saving

There is no {manual saving