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

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 casts you as a team of glamorous spellcasters, fronted by the bold British Daredevil, on a journey to halt a global affliction that stops people from growing old. It merges turn-based RPG combat with real-time parries inspired by challenging titles, all presented with a distinctive visual style.

It has proven to be the major games of the period, having sold millions and secured top honors praise. The adventure can feel a bit off-putting initially, but after you grasp its systems, you’ll discover a rich and engrossing RPG that differentiates itself from many others. Here are are a collection of early-game strategies for Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.

Rotate Party Members Often

In Expedition 33, party members who are active during a encounter receive a sizable bonus to experience relative to those on the bench. What's more, the narrative will at times require you to include particular characters. The most straightforward approach to both issues is to change your lineup frequently and try to keep everyone at a comparable level.

The upside is that grinding is not too tedious. Fights provide a generous amount of XP, often enough for a stat increase after just several. You can refresh an area's enemies by taking a break at an expedition flag—these points are placed across each zone. If you need to gain levels quickly, simply fight enemies near a flag, refresh, and do it again.

Change Accessories Regularly

There are two main ways to bestow passive perks to your party members: Picto gems and Lumina abilities.

• Pictos are items which grant stat boosts and include a constant effect. Every party member can equip up to three Pictos. After being worn, completing four battles with a Picto will unlock its corresponding Lumina.
• Luminas are not gear pieces but are similar to skill tree nodes. A party member has a amount of Lumina Points (which grows via items). Each Lumina has a required LP amount. Provided that a character has enough points, multiple characters can use the same Lumina, allowing you to combine key bonuses across your entire team.

The most efficient approach is to make sure someone equips every new Picto and completes four battles to gain its Lumina. Doing this you’ll have it for later builds.

If you don't have fresh gear to unlock, simply slot the Pictos with the best stats for your playstyle.

Parrying Isn't Your Only Option

Expedition 33’s signature mechanic is its fusion of turn-based combat with twitch-based defenses. However, the opportunity to deflect is extremely brief on all difficulty levels. In place of breaking controllers trying to hit perfect blocks, focus on rolling.

Even though a successful parry grants one AP and causes significant bonus damage, not blocking gives you nothing. Luckily there are several gear and skills that restore Action Points on a successful dodge. If you can't get the block down, equip those dodge-focused abilities instead.

Breaking Enemies Is Your Secret Weapon

Inflicting Break is a decisive state that can swing a fight. As you whittle down health, a special bar increases under their life bar. Once charged, you can stun the enemy, which lowers their defense by a fifth and prevents them from acting for an entire round. It is the single most powerful status effect in the game, but only certain attacks can trigger it.

Build Characters With a Plan

You are able to re-spec attributes and skills using a scarce resource called a Recoat item. Since they are uncommon, it's prudent to think ahead before using your attribute points. Experiment with a party member's role and chart a build strategy first.

Don't Forget to Use the Checkpoint Flag

Stopping at an checkpoint refills the health of your whole team and replenishes your supply of consumables, including healing potions and revival items. Remember to rest at every flag!

Expedition flags also function as the primary method to fast travel in the game. The game lacks a traditional map, waypoint system, or quest indicators. Instead, each flag has a name and number. At a flag, you can view a list of every flag you've found in that zone under a navigation option. It's a simple but effective way to navigate the world.

Glowing Cages Are Consistently Rewarding

These special containers are essentially puzzle caches that require you to discover and activate three hidden locks in the nearby environment to getting the loot. The contents is consistently high-tier, including items like Recoats or unique gear. The three locks aren't easy to spot, but they are almost always within the same area. If you are missing a lock, try breaking objects or checking elevated spots.

Go Ahead and, Fight the Shopkeeper

Each shopkeeper stocks a hidden special good that isn't listed in their standard shop. To get them to sell it, you must select a party member and beat them in combat in a one-on-one fight. This proves to be rewarding, as these rewards are truly unique. The earliest vendor you meet, for instance, sells a Picto that applies the damage-increasing condition, which increases damage dealt against the target by a significant margin.

Rely On the Auto-Save System

There is no {manual saving