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A curious piece of trivia: The title term “Obscur” in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 hints at the somewhat obscure nature of the in-game systems and systems.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has you leading a band of social media mages, led by the bold British Daredevil, on a quest to reverse a global affliction that prevents aging. It blends turn-based RPG battles with action-game reflexes drawn from challenging titles, all cloaked in a unique visual style.

It has become one of the biggest games of the period, having sold millions and secured Game of the Year accolades. The adventure can feel slightly intimidating initially, but when it clicks, you’ll uncover a rich and captivating RPG that stands apart from other games. Listed here are a collection of early-game strategies for Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.

Change Party Members Regularly

In Expedition 33, party members who take part in a fight earn a sizable bonus to Experience Points compared to those in reserve. What's more, the campaign will at times mandate you to use specific characters. The simplest solution to these challenges is to switch members often and aim to keep everyone at a roughly equal power level.

The upside is that grinding is not too tedious. Fights award a sizable amount of XP, sometimes enough for a stat increase after just several. You can respawn an zone's monsters by stopping at an checkpoint banner—these points are placed across each level. If you need to gain levels quickly, simply engage in combat near a flag, rest, and continue the cycle.

Change Items Frequently

There are two main ways to provide passive perks to your characters: Picto gems and Luminas.

• Pictos are items which give attribute increases and include a special ability. Every party member can equip three different Pictos. Once slotted, finishing four fights with a Picto will unlock its associated Lumina.
• Luminas are not gear pieces but essentially act as skill tree nodes. Every ally has a amount of LP (which grows via items). Each Lumina has a required LP amount. If a character has the required amount, you are not restricted can benefit from the identical ability, allowing you to combine key bonuses across your whole party.

The smartest strategy is to ensure someone is wearing each fresh Picto you find and fights through four battles to unlock its Lumina. This ensures the ability will be available for future use.

Should you not have fresh gear to work on, simply slot the Pictos with the best stats for your current build.

Perfect Guards Are Not Your Only Option

Expedition 33’s key feature is its fusion of RPG systems with real-time parries. However, the timing for a perfect block is incredibly short on all difficulty levels. In place of breaking controllers trying to hit perfect blocks, focus on dodging.

Even though a successful parry restores one AP and causes a huge damage spike, not blocking gives you nothing. The good news is there are multiple Pictos and Luminas that grant AP on a perfect roll. If you struggle with the timing, use those roll-centric options instead.

Breaking Enemies Is Your Greatest Advantage

Break is a game-changing state that can turn the tide. As you attack a foe, a yellow gauge increases beneath their life bar. When full, you can inflict break, which slashes their defense by 20% and stuns them for an entire round. It is the most impactful debuff in the game, but only specific attacks can trigger it.

Level Up Deliberately

You are able to re-spec attributes and skills using a limited consumable called a Recoat. Because it's rare, it's prudent to think ahead before spending your skill points. Experiment with a hero's kit and plan a build strategy in advance.

Make Sure to Rest At the Expedition Flag

Using your tent at an save point completely restores your all characters and restocks your supply of healing items, including healing potions and Revive Tints. Make it a habit to rest at every flag!

Expedition flags also act as the closest thing to navigation in the game. The game lacks a mini-map, compass, or objective markers. Instead, each flag has a name and number. By resting, you can see a menu of every flag you've found in that level under a fast travel menu. It's a basic yet helpful way to track your progress.

Locked Chests Are Always Worth the Effort

Paint Cages are essentially locked treasure chests that demand you to discover and activate three concealed seals in the nearby environment prior to claiming the prize. The treasure inside is always high-tier, such as rare resources or strong equipment. The associated mechanisms aren't easy to spot, but they are usually within the same area. If you are stuck, try exploring thoroughly or looking up.

Go Ahead and, Fight the Merchant

All vendors carries a one-of-a-kind piece of gear that isn't listed in their standard shop. To gain access to it, you must select a party member and win a duel in a one-on-one fight. This is invariably a worthwhile endeavor, as these items are game-changing. The first merchant you meet, for example, provides a special accessory that inflicts the Defenseless debuff, which amplifies attacks against the affected enemy by a quarter.

Rely On the Automatic Saving

There is no {manual saving