🔗 Share this article

A curious piece of trivia: The title term “Obscur” in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 alludes to the somewhat obscure nature of the in-game systems and gameplay loops.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 casts you as a group of magical influencers, led by the daring British Daredevil, on a journey to combat a global affliction that halts the natural aging process. It merges traditional RPG combat with real-time parries reminiscent of Soulslike games, all presented with a idiosyncratic visual style.

It has proven to be the biggest releases of the year, having achieved massive sales and won the premier award recognition. The game can feel somewhat dense initially, but after you grasp its systems, you’ll uncover a layered and fascinating role-playing game that stands apart from other games. Here are are 10 essential early-game strategies for Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.

Change Party Members Often

In Expedition 33, party members who take part in a fight earn a hefty increase to XP compared to those not fighting. Furthermore, the narrative will sometimes force you to field certain characters. The easiest solution to these challenges is to switch members often and try to keep your roster at a roughly equal strength.

The positive aspect is that leveling up is relatively quick. Battles provide a generous amount of XP, frequently enough for a character progression after just several. You can refresh an local foes by resting at an save point—these markers are scattered throughout each zone. If you need to accumulate XP fast, simply battle monsters near a flag, use the flag, and repeat.

Swap Accessories Frequently

There are a couple of key ways to provide bonus effects to your allies: Pictos and Lumina abilities.

• Pictos are items which grant numerical bonuses and include a constant effect. Each character can slot a maximum of three Pictos. When equipped, completing four battles with a Picto unlocks its associated Lumina.
• Luminas function differently but are similar to skill tree nodes. Every ally has a number of Lumina Points (which can be increased via level-ups). Each Lumina has a set cost. Provided that a character has the required amount, there is no limit can benefit from the identical ability, allowing you to combine key bonuses across your full roster.

The most efficient tactic is to make sure a party member is wearing any new accessory and completes the required fights to gain its Lumina. This ensures the ability will be available for when needed.

If you don't have unleveled accessories to unlock, simply slot the Pictos with the most beneficial attributes for your current build.

Parrying Isn't Your Sole Defense

Expedition 33’s key feature is its fusion of strategic battles with real-time parries. But, the parry window is incredibly short on all difficulty levels. Rather than struggling endlessly trying to master the timing, prioritize evading.

Even though a well-timed block refunds Action Points and causes a huge damage spike, failing to parry gives you nothing. Fortunately there are a number of Pictos and Luminas that grant AP on a well-timed evade. If you can't get the block down, equip those evasion-based perks instead.

The Break Status Is Your Key Tactic

The Break status effect is a battle-altering condition that can turn the tide. As you whittle down health, a yellow gauge fills up below their health bar. When full, you can stun the enemy, which lowers their defense by a fifth and stuns them for an entire round. It is the most impactful status effect in the game, but only certain skills can cause it.

Build Characters Intentionally

You are able to re-spec stat points and abilities using a limited consumable called a Respec token. Because it's rare, it's prudent to plan your build before using your stat investments. Get a feel for a hero's kit and map out a skill tree path first.

Make Sure to Use the Checkpoint Flag

Stopping at an save point refills the health of your all characters and restocks all of your potions, including HP restoratives and revival items. Remember to use each flag you see!

Checkpoints also function as the primary method to navigation in the game. You won't find a traditional map, GPS, or quest indicators. However, each flag has a name and number. By resting, you can view a list of every flag you've found in that level under a fast travel menu. It's a minimalist way to navigate the world.

Locked Chests Are Consistently Worth It

These special containers are effectively sealed loot boxes that need you to locate and shoot three hidden locks in the nearby environment to opening them. The treasure inside is without fail valuable, often containing rare resources or strong equipment. The three locks aren't easy to spot, but they are usually near the cage. If you are missing a lock, try breaking objects or looking up.

Go Ahead and, Battle the Vendor

Every merchant carries a hidden special good that won't show up in their regular wares. To get them to sell it, you must select a party member and defeat the merchant in a solo battle. This is invariably rewarding, as these pieces of gear are exceptionally powerful. The first merchant you meet, for instance, provides a Picto that inflicts the Defenseless debuff, which boosts damage against the affected enemy by a significant margin.

Have Faith in the Autosave

The game lacks {manual saving