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An interesting tidbit: 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 band of glamorous spellcasters, fronted by the audacious British Daredevil, on a mission to halt a global affliction that halts the natural aging process. It blends turn-based RPG combat with real-time parries reminiscent of action RPGs, all cloaked in a distinctive artistic lexicon.

It has proven to be the most successful releases of the year, having achieved massive sales and secured Game of the Year recognition. The experience can feel somewhat dense at first, but when it clicks, you’ll uncover a layered and captivating experience that stands apart from many others. Here are are ten crucial starting pointers for Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.

Swap Characters Regularly

In Expedition 33, party members who participate in a encounter gain a sizable bonus to XP compared to those on the bench. Additionally, the narrative will periodically mandate you to field certain characters. The easiest method to these challenges is to rotate your team and aim to keep all characters at a comparable level.

The positive aspect is that farming experience is fairly fast. Battles provide a substantial amount of XP, often enough for a level up after just a few. You can refresh an local foes by taking a break at an save point—these markers are placed across each level. If you need to power level, simply fight enemies near a flag, refresh, and continue the cycle.

Swap Accessories Regularly

You have two main ways to provide passive perks to your allies: Picto gems and Luminas.

• Pictos are items which give numerical bonuses and come with a unique passive skill. Each character can wear three different Pictos. After being worn, finishing four fights with a Picto grants access to its associated Lumina.
• Luminas function differently but are similar to skill tree nodes. Each character has a number of skill points (which you can raise via items). Every Lumina ability has a set cost. Provided that a character has the required amount, you are not restricted can benefit from the identical ability, allowing you to layer key bonuses across your entire team.

The optimal tactic is to make sure someone equips every new Picto and completes the required fights to unlock its Lumina. This ensures you gain access for future use.

When you aren't have new Pictos to work on, simply use the Pictos with the best stats for your needs.

Blocking Is Not Your Sole Defense

Expedition 33’s key feature is its combination of RPG systems with twitch-based defenses. That said, the parry window is extremely brief on every setting. In place of struggling endlessly trying to master the timing, focus on dodging.

Even though a successful parry grants a resource and inflicts significant bonus damage, missing the timing gives you nothing. Fortunately there are several gear and skills that provide resources on a perfect roll. If you struggle with the timing, equip those evasion-based perks instead.

Breaking Enemies Is Your Greatest Advantage

Inflicting Break is a game-changing mechanic that can swing a fight. As you attack a foe, a special bar increases under their life bar. Once charged, you can apply the Break status, which lowers their damage resistance by a significant amount and prevents them from acting for one full turn. It is the top-tier condition in the game, but only specific attacks can trigger it.

Level Up Deliberately

You can reset stat points and abilities using a limited consumable called a Respec token. Since they are uncommon, it's wise to plan your build instead of spending your attribute points. Get a feel for a character's playstyle and map out a build strategy first.

Always Rest At the Checkpoint Flag

Using your tent at an save point completely restores your whole team and refreshes your supply of potions, including HP restoratives and phoenix down equivalents. Make it a habit to stop and heal up!

Expedition flags also serve as the only means to fast travel in the game. There is no overworld map, compass, or quest indicators. But, each flag has a designation. At a flag, you can access a log of your progress in that area under a teleport list. It's a basic yet helpful way to track your progress.

Locked Chests Are Consistently Rewarding

Glowing chests are essentially locked treasure chests that demand you to locate and shoot three hidden locks in the surrounding area prior to opening them. The reward is without fail high-tier, including items like respec items or powerful weapons. The associated mechanisms aren't easy to spot, but they are usually within the same area. If you can't find one, try exploring thoroughly or looking up.

Go Ahead and, Battle the Merchant

Each shopkeeper stocks a hidden special good that doesn't appear in their regular wares. To gain access to it, you must pick a champion and win a duel in a one-on-one fight. This proves to be worth doing, as these rewards are exceptionally powerful. The initial shopkeeper you meet, for reference, provides a Picto that inflicts the damage-increasing condition, which amplifies attacks against the target by 25%.

Rely On the Automatic Saving

There is no {manual saving