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An interesting tidbit: The title term “Obscur” in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 references the initially cryptic nature of the in-game systems and systems.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has you leading a group of magical influencers, led by the bold British Daredevil, on a journey to reverse a universal phenomenon that stops people from growing old. It fuses strategic role-playing battles with timed defensive moves drawn from action RPGs, all cloaked in a distinctive aesthetic language.

It has proven to be the major releases of the season, having achieved massive sales and won Game of the Year praise. The adventure can feel somewhat dense in the beginning, but after you grasp its systems, you’ll find a rich and captivating RPG that stands apart from contemporary titles. Below are a collection of beginner's tips for Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.

Rotate Party Members Frequently

In Expedition 33, characters who participate in a battle earn a sizable bonus to XP relative to those on the bench. Additionally, the story will sometimes force you to include particular characters. The most straightforward method to both issues is to change your lineup frequently and aim to keep everyone at a similar power level.

The positive aspect is that grinding is relatively quick. Fights award a generous amount of XP, often enough for a character progression after just two or three. You can refresh an area's enemies by stopping at an save point—these markers are scattered in each zone. If you need to power level, simply fight enemies near a flag, rest, and continue the cycle.

Change Items Regularly

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

• Pictos are items which provide attribute increases and come with a constant effect. Every party member can wear three different Pictos. After being worn, winning four battles with a Picto grants access to its linked Lumina.
• Luminas aren’t physical items but can be thought of as equippable passives. Each character has a number of Lumina Points (which can be increased via items). Every Lumina ability has a set cost. Provided that a character has sufficient LP, multiple characters can benefit from the same Lumina, allowing you to stack powerful passives across your full roster.

The smartest approach is to ensure one of your characters equips any new accessory and fights through four encounters to gain its Lumina. That way you’ll have it for when needed.

When you aren't have new Pictos to level up, simply slot the Pictos with the most beneficial attributes for your needs.

Blocking Is Not Your Only Option

Expedition 33’s key feature is its combination of strategic battles with twitch-based defenses. However, the timing for a perfect block is incredibly short on any mode. Rather than breaking controllers trying to hit perfect blocks, focus on rolling.

Although a perfect guard restores Action Points and inflicts significant bonus damage, missing the timing gives you nothing. Fortunately there are a number of gear and skills that grant AP on a well-timed evade. If you find parrying difficult, equip those evasion-based options instead.

Break Is Your Key Tactic

Break is a battle-altering mechanic that can swing a fight. As you whittle down health, a special bar charges below their HP bar. When full, you can inflict break, which slashes their defense by a fifth and prevents them from acting for their next action. It is the single most powerful debuff in the game, but only particular skills can cause it.

Level Up Deliberately

You are able to re-spec stat points and abilities using a scarce resource called a Respec token. Because it's rare, it's wise to plan your build prior to using your attribute points. Try out a hero's kit and plan a skill tree path first.

Make Sure to Use the Save Flag

Stopping at an checkpoint completely restores your entire party and replenishes your supply of consumables, including HP restoratives and Revive Tints. Remember to stop and heal up!

Expedition flags also function as the closest thing to fast travel in the game. There is no traditional map, GPS, or objective markers. But, each flag has a designation. When you interact with one, 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 track your progress.

Paint Cages Are Always Worth the Effort

Paint Cages are essentially locked treasure chests that need you to find and hit three scattered mechanisms in the immediate vicinity prior to getting the loot. The contents is without fail worthwhile, including items like respec items or powerful weapons. The required seals aren't in plain sight, but they are typically located close by. If you are missing a lock, try exploring thoroughly or scanning the environment vertically.

Go Ahead and, Fight the Shopkeeper

Each shopkeeper has a one-of-a-kind piece of gear that won't show up in their regular wares. To unlock it, you must pick a champion and defeat the merchant in a one-on-one fight. This is always a worthwhile endeavor, as these rewards are exceptionally powerful. The first merchant you meet, for example, provides a special accessory that applies the vulnerability status, which increases damage dealt against the affected enemy by 25%.

Have Faith in the Autosave

The game lacks {manual saving