🔗 Share this article

A curious piece of trivia: The name “Obscur” in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 references the complex nature of the game's menus and mechanics.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has you leading a band of social media mages, fronted by the daring British Daredevil, on a journey to combat a worldwide curse that prevents aging. It blends traditional RPG combat with timed defensive moves drawn from challenging titles, all presented with a idiosyncratic artistic lexicon.

It has proven to be the biggest titles of the period, having garnered a huge player base and secured the premier award recognition. The game can feel a bit off-putting at first, but when it clicks, you’ll find a layered and fascinating RPG that is quite unique from contemporary titles. Below are ten crucial beginner's tips for Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.

Rotate Team Members Often

In Expedition 33, party members who are active during a battle earn a significant 50% bonus to experience versus those on the bench. Furthermore, the campaign will periodically mandate you to field certain characters. The simplest approach to both issues is to rotate your team and aim to keep everyone at a roughly equal strength.

The upside is that grinding is fairly fast. Encounters provide a substantial amount of XP, sometimes enough for a level up after just several. You can respawn an local foes by resting at an expedition flag—these points are located throughout each area. If you need to gain levels quickly, simply battle monsters near a flag, refresh, and do it again.

Change Accessories Often

There are a couple of key ways to provide constant buffs to your party members: Picto gems and Luminas.

• Pictos function as gear that grant numerical bonuses and include a special ability. A character can slot three different Pictos. Once slotted, completing four battles with a Picto will unlock its linked Lumina.
• Luminas aren’t physical items but can be thought of as equippable passives. A party member has a amount of LP (which you can raise via consumables). Each Lumina has a specific point cost. If a character has the required amount, multiple characters can benefit from the same Lumina, allowing you to stack powerful passives across your full roster.

The optimal approach is to ensure one of your characters has equipped any new accessory and wins four encounters to gain its Lumina. Doing this the ability will be available for future use.

When you aren't have new Pictos to level up, simply equip the Pictos with the highest bonuses for your current build.

Perfect Guards Are Not Your Only Option

Expedition 33’s signature mechanic is its marriage of turn-based combat with twitch-based defenses. That said, the parry window is notoriously tight on every setting. Instead of struggling endlessly trying to hit perfect blocks, concentrate on rolling.

Although a successful parry grants a resource and causes a huge damage spike, failing to parry leaves you vulnerable. Luckily there are several Pictos and Luminas that grant AP on a well-timed evade. If you can't get the block down, focus on those roll-centric abilities instead.

Breaking Enemies Is Your Greatest Advantage

Inflicting Break is a game-changing condition that can swing a fight. As you whittle down health, a special bar increases under their health bar. When full, you can stun the enemy, which reduces their damage resistance by a significant amount and prevents them from acting for one full turn. It is the most impactful debuff in the game, but only particular attacks can cause it.

Allocate Points With a Plan

You have the option to reallocate your build using a limited consumable called a Recoat. Since they are uncommon, it's prudent to think ahead before using your attribute points. Try out a hero's kit and plan a progression route in advance.

Make Sure to Stop At the Save Flag

Resting at an save point completely restores your entire party and replenishes your supply of consumables, including healing potions and phoenix down equivalents. Develop the routine to stop and heal up!

Expedition flags also serve as the primary method to quick traversal in the game. The game lacks a mini-map, compass, or quest indicators. But, each flag has a designation. When you interact with one, you can access a log of every flag you've found in that zone under a fast travel menu. It's a simple but effective way to see how far you've come.

Glowing Cages Are Invariably Worth the Effort

These special containers are essentially sealed loot boxes that require you to find and hit three hidden locks in the immediate vicinity before opening them. The reward is always valuable, such as rare resources or unique gear. The required seals aren't easy to spot, but they are almost always located close by. If you are missing a lock, try exploring thoroughly or checking elevated spots.

Yes, Fight the Vendor

Each shopkeeper carries a secret, unique item that doesn't appear in their standard shop. To get them to sell it, you must select a party member and win a duel in a single combat. This proves to be worth doing, as these pieces of gear are game-changing. The earliest vendor you meet, for example, offers a special accessory that causes the damage-increasing condition, which amplifies attacks against the foe by a significant margin.

Rely On the Auto-Save System

You cannot perform {manual saving