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A fun fact: The name “Obscur” in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 alludes to the somewhat obscure nature of the in-game systems and mechanics.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 casts you as a team of magical influencers, fronted by the bold British Daredevil, on a journey to halt a worldwide curse that prevents aging. It fuses traditional RPG encounters with real-time parries inspired by action RPGs, all cloaked in a distinctive visual style.

It has become one of the most successful titles of the period, having garnered a huge player base and secured top honors accolades. The game can feel slightly intimidating in the beginning, but when it clicks, you’ll uncover a rich and captivating experience that differentiates itself from other games. Below are ten crucial starting pointers for Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.

Rotate Party Members Regularly

In Expedition 33, characters who are active during a fight gain a significant 50% bonus to experience relative to those on the bench. Furthermore, the narrative will periodically force you to use specific characters. The most straightforward solution to these challenges is to rotate your team and try to keep your roster at a similar power level.

The upside is that grinding is fairly fast. Encounters grant a substantial amount of XP, sometimes sufficient for a character progression after just several. You can refresh an local foes by resting at an expedition flag—these points are scattered in each level. If you need to accumulate XP fast, simply engage in combat near a flag, refresh, and continue the cycle.

Rotate Items Often

You have two main ways to provide bonus effects to your party members: Pictos and Lumina abilities.

• Pictos are items which provide stat boosts and include a special ability. Each character can slot three different Pictos. When equipped, completing four encounters with a Picto will unlock its associated Lumina.
• Luminas are not gear pieces but are similar to unlocked abilities. Each character has a number of Lumina Points (which grows via level-ups). Every Lumina ability has a set cost. If a character has enough points, multiple characters can equip the identical ability, allowing you to layer powerful passives across your full roster.

The most efficient tactic is to ensure one of your characters is wearing every new Picto and completes four encounters to reveal its Lumina. That way the ability will be available for future use.

If you don't have new Pictos to level up, simply equip the Pictos with the highest bonuses for your playstyle.

Parrying Isn't Your Single Choice

Expedition 33’s signature mechanic is its combination of turn-based combat with action-oriented blocks. However, the parry window is notoriously tight on all difficulty levels. Instead of frustrating yourself trying to hit perfect blocks, concentrate on evading.

Even though a perfect guard refunds one AP and causes a huge damage spike, failing to parry yields no benefit. Fortunately there are several Pictos and Luminas that grant AP on a perfect roll. If you find parrying difficult, equip those roll-centric options instead.

Breaking Enemies Is Your Secret Weapon

The Break status effect is a decisive condition that can turn the tide. As you whittle down health, a yellow gauge increases beneath their health bar. When full, you can inflict break, which lowers their armor by 20% and skips their turn for their next action. It is the top-tier condition in the game, but only certain attacks can trigger it.

Level Up With a Plan

You are able to re-spec stat points and abilities using a scarce resource called a Recoat. Given its scarcity, it's prudent to plan your build prior to committing your attribute points. Experiment with a hero's kit and map out a progression route in advance.

Don't Forget to Rest At the Save Flag

Using your tent at an checkpoint fully heals your all characters and replenishes your supply of healing items, including Chroma Elixirs and revival items. Develop the routine to use each flag you see!

Checkpoints also act as the primary method to navigation in the game. You won't find a overworld map, waypoint system, or floating icons. Instead, each flag has a identifier. By resting, you can see a menu of every flag you've found in that area under a navigation option. It's a simple but effective way to track your progress.

Locked Chests Are Consistently Worth It

Paint Cages are essentially sealed loot boxes that require you to find and hit three hidden locks in the nearby environment prior to getting the loot. The contents is without fail worthwhile, often containing Recoats or unique gear. The required seals aren't in plain sight, but they are typically located close by. If you are missing a lock, try breaking objects or scanning the environment vertically.

Go Ahead and, Challenge the Vendor

All vendors carries a secret, unique item that isn't listed in their regular wares. To unlock it, you must select a party member and defeat the merchant in a single combat. This is invariably rewarding, as these rewards are truly unique. The initial shopkeeper you meet, for reference, offers a Picto that applies the damage-increasing condition, which boosts damage against the foe by 25%.

Have Faith in the Auto-Save System

The game lacks {manual saving