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A fun fact: The name “Obscur” in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 references the somewhat obscure nature of the interface systems and mechanics.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 places you in the role of a group of magical influencers, spearheaded by the bold British Daredevil, on a quest to reverse a worldwide curse that prevents aging. It fuses strategic role-playing battles with timed defensive moves reminiscent of Soulslike games, all wrapped in a distinctive aesthetic language.

It has emerged as the most successful titles of the period, having sold millions and won top honors recognition. The game can feel somewhat dense initially, but once you lock in, you’ll discover a rich and engrossing role-playing game that is quite unique from other games. Below are a collection of starting pointers for Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.

Swap Team Members Often

In Expedition 33, allies who are active during a fight earn a sizable bonus to XP versus those on the bench. Additionally, the narrative will at times mandate you to include particular characters. The easiest approach to these mechanics is to switch members often and strive to keep your roster at a roughly equal level.

The positive aspect is that grinding is fairly fast. Fights grant a substantial amount of XP, frequently sufficient for a character progression after just several. You can reset an local foes by taking a break at an save point—these points are placed in each zone. If you need to accumulate XP fast, simply fight enemies near a flag, use the flag, and repeat.

Rotate Gear Frequently

There are two main ways to bestow passive perks to your allies: Picto gems and Luminas.

• Pictos are items which give attribute increases and include a unique passive skill. A character can equip three different Pictos. After being worn, winning four fights with a Picto unlocks its associated Lumina.
• Luminas function differently but are similar to equippable passives. A party member has a amount of LP (which you can raise via items). Every Lumina ability has a required LP amount. As long as a character has sufficient LP, multiple characters can use the same skill, allowing you to layer key bonuses across your entire team.

The smartest approach is to make sure a party member equips every new Picto and completes four battles to gain its Lumina. This ensures you gain access for future use.

Should you not have fresh gear to level up, simply use the Pictos with the highest bonuses for your playstyle.

Blocking Is Not Your Sole Defense

Expedition 33’s signature mechanic is its marriage of strategic battles with action-oriented blocks. That said, the parry window is incredibly short on every setting. Rather than frustrating yourself trying to master the timing, concentrate on evading.

Although a successful parry refunds a resource and deals significant bonus damage, missing the timing yields no benefit. The good news is there are a number of gear and skills that restore Action Points on a perfect roll. If you struggle with the timing, focus on those evasion-based options instead.

Breaking Enemies Is Your Greatest Advantage

Inflicting Break is a decisive mechanic that can secure victory. As you attack a foe, a gold meter charges beneath their HP bar. When full, you can inflict break, which slashes their armor by a fifth and skips their turn for their next action. It is the most impactful status effect in the game, but only particular skills can apply it.

Allocate Points Deliberately

You are able to re-spec attributes and skills using a rare item called a Recoat item. Because it's rare, it's wise to think ahead instead of committing your stat investments. Experiment with a character's playstyle and map out a skill tree path in advance.

Make Sure to Stop At the Save Flag

Using your tent at an save point fully heals your entire party and replenishes every healing items, including healing potions and Revive Tints. Develop the routine to stop and heal up!

These flags also function as the only means to quick traversal in the game. You won't find a overworld map, waypoint system, or floating icons. However, each flag has a name and number. At a flag, you can access a log of your progress in that area under a navigation option. It's a simple but effective way to track your progress.

Glowing Cages Are Invariably Rewarding

Paint Cages are essentially puzzle caches that demand you to locate and shoot three hidden locks in the immediate vicinity to getting the loot. The contents is without fail valuable, such as respec items or unique gear. The three locks aren't in plain sight, but they are almost always near the cage. If you are stuck, try breaking objects or looking up.

Go Ahead and, Challenge the Vendor

Every merchant carries a one-of-a-kind piece of gear that won't show up in their regular wares. To unlock it, you must choose one character and beat them in combat in a solo battle. This is invariably rewarding, as these items are game-changing. The initial shopkeeper you meet, for instance, provides a Picto that inflicts the Defenseless debuff, which boosts damage against the target by a quarter.

Trust In the Auto-Save System

There is no {manual saving