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A curious piece of trivia: The name “Obscur” in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 hints at the initially cryptic nature of the in-game systems and mechanics.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 places you in the role of a group of magical influencers, fronted by the daring British Daredevil, on a mission to combat a global affliction that halts the natural aging process. It blends strategic role-playing encounters with action-game reflexes drawn from action RPGs, all presented with a unique artistic lexicon.

It has emerged as the most successful releases of the season, having garnered a huge player base and won the premier award accolades. The adventure can feel a bit off-putting in the beginning, but once you lock in, you’ll uncover a deep and fascinating RPG that is quite unique from many others. Here are are a collection of starting pointers for Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.

Change Team Members Regularly

In Expedition 33, characters who are active during a battle gain a hefty increase to XP compared to those not fighting. Furthermore, the story will sometimes mandate you to use specific characters. The most straightforward approach to these mechanics is to switch members often and try to keep everyone at a comparable power level.

The upside is that grinding is relatively quick. Encounters award a sizable amount of XP, frequently sufficient for a stat increase after just several. You can reset an zone's monsters by stopping at an save point—these flags are located throughout each level. If you need to power level, simply fight enemies near a flag, use the flag, and continue the cycle.

Change Accessories Frequently

You have a couple of key ways to provide passive perks to your party members: Picto gems and Luminas.

• Pictos function as gear that provide attribute increases and include a constant effect. A character can slot up to three Pictos. When equipped, completing four encounters with a Picto will unlock its associated Lumina.
• Luminas function differently but essentially act as unlocked abilities. A party member has a amount of LP (which grows via level-ups). Every Lumina ability has a set cost. If a character has enough points, multiple characters can benefit from the same Lumina, allowing you to stack useful effects across your full roster.

The optimal strategy is to ensure someone has equipped each fresh Picto you find and wins four encounters to gain its Lumina. This ensures you’ll have it for future use.

Should you not have new Pictos to level up, simply slot the Pictos with the highest bonuses for your playstyle.

Parrying Isn't Your Only Option

Expedition 33’s key feature is its combination of RPG systems with real-time parries. However, the parry window is incredibly short on every setting. In place of frustrating yourself trying to land parries, focus on rolling.

Even though a well-timed block grants Action Points and inflicts massive extra damage, failing to parry yields no benefit. Fortunately there are multiple accessories and abilities that provide resources on a successful dodge. If you can't get the block down, equip those dodge-focused abilities instead.

Break Is Your Greatest Advantage

The Break status effect is a decisive condition that can secure victory. As you whittle down health, a special bar fills up below their health bar. Once charged, you can inflict break, which lowers their armor by a fifth and stuns them for an entire round. It is the most impactful debuff in the game, but only particular abilities can apply it.

Allocate Points Deliberately

You are able to re-spec stat points and abilities using a rare item called a Recoat. Given its scarcity, it's prudent to consider your path prior to spending your stat investments. Get a feel for a hero's kit and chart a progression route in advance.

Don't Forget to Use the Expedition Flag

Resting at an checkpoint completely restores your entire party and refreshes all of your potions, including healing potions and phoenix down equivalents. Make it a habit to use each flag you see!

These flags also act as the closest thing to fast travel in the game. The game lacks a overworld map, waypoint system, or objective markers. But, each flag has a identifier. By resting, you can view a list of every flag you've found in that area under a navigation option. It's a basic yet helpful way to see how far you've come.

Paint Cages Are Invariably Worth It

These special containers are essentially sealed loot boxes that need you to find and hit three scattered mechanisms in the immediate vicinity before getting the loot. The reward is always high-tier, such as Recoats or powerful weapons. The required seals aren't easy to spot, but they are usually located close by. If you are stuck, try smashing crates or checking elevated spots.

Yes, Challenge the Shopkeeper

All vendors has a one-of-a-kind piece of gear that won't show up in their standard shop. To gain access to it, you must pick a champion and defeat the merchant in a one-on-one fight. This is always rewarding, as these pieces of gear are exceptionally powerful. The earliest vendor you meet, for reference, provides a special accessory that causes the vulnerability status, which increases damage dealt against the affected enemy by 25%.

Trust In the Auto-Save System

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