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A curious piece of trivia: The name “Obscur” in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 hints at the complex nature of the interface systems and systems.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 casts you as a team of glamorous spellcasters, spearheaded by the audacious British Daredevil, on a quest to halt a global affliction that prevents aging. It fuses turn-based RPG battles with real-time parries reminiscent of Soulslike games, all cloaked in a distinctive aesthetic language.

It has proven to be the most successful games of the period, having achieved massive sales and secured Game of the Year praise. The game can feel somewhat dense initially, but when it clicks, you’ll find a rich and captivating experience that is quite unique from contemporary titles. Below are a collection of starting pointers for Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.

Swap Team Members Often

In Expedition 33, characters who are active during a battle earn a significant 50% bonus to experience versus those not fighting. Furthermore, the story will sometimes mandate you to use specific characters. The most straightforward method to these challenges is to switch members often and try to keep your roster at a comparable level.

The good news is that leveling up is not too tedious. Encounters provide a sizable amount of XP, frequently enough for a level up after just two or three. You can respawn an zone's monsters by stopping at an save point—these points are placed in each level. If you need to gain levels quickly, simply fight enemies near a flag, rest, and continue the cycle.

Change Gear Often

You have two primary ways to bestow bonus effects to your characters: Picto accessories and Lumina skills.

• Pictos are items which provide numerical bonuses and include a unique passive skill. Every party member can wear up to three Pictos. When equipped, completing four battles with a Picto grants access to its corresponding Lumina.
• Luminas function differently but essentially act as unlocked abilities. Every ally has a amount of LP (which grows via items). A Lumina has a set cost. Provided that a character has enough points, multiple characters can equip the same Lumina, allowing you to combine powerful passives across your full roster.

The smartest strategy is to make sure a party member has equipped every new Picto and wins the required fights to unlock its Lumina. That way you’ll have it for future use.

Should you not have new Pictos to unlock, simply use the Pictos with the most beneficial attributes for your needs.

Perfect Guards Are Not Your Single Choice

Expedition 33’s defining element is its fusion of turn-based combat with real-time parries. That said, the timing for a perfect block is extremely brief on all difficulty levels. Rather than frustrating yourself trying to land parries, concentrate on rolling.

While a successful parry restores one AP and deals massive extra damage, failing to parry gives you nothing. The good news is there are multiple gear and skills that provide resources on a well-timed evade. If you find parrying difficult, equip those evasion-based abilities instead.

The Break Status Is Your Key Tactic

The Break status effect is a game-changing condition that can turn the tide. As you whittle down health, a gold meter fills up below their health bar. Once charged, you can inflict break, which lowers their damage resistance by 20% and prevents them from acting for their next action. It is the top-tier status effect in the game, but only certain attacks can cause it.

Build Characters With a Plan

You can reset your build using a scarce resource called a Respec token. Since they are uncommon, it's smart to think ahead instead of using your skill points. Experiment with a character's playstyle and plan a progression route beforehand.

Don't Forget to Rest At the Checkpoint Flag

Stopping at an checkpoint completely restores your entire party and restocks your supply of consumables, including healing potions and revival items. Develop the routine to stop and heal up!

These flags also function as the closest thing to fast travel in the game. You won't find a overworld map, GPS, or floating icons. However, each flag has a designation. By resting, you can see a menu of every flag you've found in that level under a teleport list. It's a simple but effective way to navigate the world.

Locked Chests Are Always Worth the Effort

Paint Cages are essentially sealed loot boxes that require you to discover and activate three concealed seals in the nearby environment prior to opening them. The reward is consistently worthwhile, including items like Recoats or powerful weapons. The required seals aren't always obvious, but they are usually within the same area. If you are missing a lock, try breaking objects or scanning the environment vertically.

Go Ahead and, Battle the Merchant

Every merchant carries a secret, unique item that doesn't appear in their normal inventory. To unlock it, you must pick a champion and beat them in combat in a single combat. This is always rewarding, as these rewards are game-changing. The initial shopkeeper you meet, for instance, sells a Picto that causes the vulnerability status, which amplifies attacks against the affected enemy by 25%.

Have Faith in the Autosave

The game lacks {manual saving