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An interesting tidbit: The title term “Obscur” in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 hints at the somewhat obscure nature of the interface systems and mechanics.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has you leading a team of magical influencers, fronted by the bold British Daredevil, on a quest to combat a worldwide curse that prevents aging. It merges traditional RPG encounters with action-game reflexes drawn from action RPGs, all cloaked in a idiosyncratic artistic lexicon.

It has become one of the major titles of the year, having sold millions and earned Game of the Year praise. The game can feel a bit off-putting at first, but when it clicks, you’ll find a deep and engrossing role-playing game that differentiates itself from other games. Here are are a collection of beginner's tips for Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.

Rotate Party Members Frequently

In Expedition 33, characters who are active during a encounter receive a significant 50% bonus to XP versus those in reserve. Furthermore, the narrative will periodically require you to include particular characters. The easiest method to these mechanics is to rotate your team and try to keep all characters at a comparable power level.

The upside is that farming experience is relatively quick. Battles provide a generous amount of XP, sometimes enough for a stat increase after just two or three. You can respawn an area's enemies by resting at an checkpoint banner—these flags are located in each area. If you need to accumulate XP fast, simply fight enemies near a flag, refresh, and repeat.

Swap Gear Frequently

There are two primary ways to provide passive perks to your allies: Picto gems and Lumina skills.

• Pictos function as gear that give stat boosts and also feature a special ability. Each character can equip a maximum of three Pictos. After being worn, winning four battles with a Picto will unlock its associated Lumina.
• Luminas aren’t physical items but can be thought of as skill tree nodes. Each character has a pool of LP (which you can raise via level-ups). Every Lumina ability has a required LP amount. If a character has sufficient LP, there is no limit can equip the identical ability, allowing you to layer powerful passives across your full roster.

The smartest approach is to always someone has equipped each fresh Picto you find and wins four battles to reveal its Lumina. Doing this you’ll have it for future use.

If you don't have new Pictos to level up, simply equip the Pictos with the best stats for your playstyle.

Parrying Isn't Your Sole Defense

Expedition 33’s defining element is its fusion of strategic battles with twitch-based defenses. But, the opportunity to deflect is notoriously tight on all difficulty levels. Instead of frustrating yourself trying to land parries, focus on dodging.

While a well-timed block refunds a resource and inflicts massive extra damage, failing to parry gives you nothing. Luckily there are a number of Pictos and Luminas that restore Action Points on a successful dodge. If you struggle with the timing, use those roll-centric perks instead.

Breaking Enemies Is Your Key Tactic

Inflicting Break is a decisive state that can swing a fight. As you damage an enemy, a gold meter increases beneath their life bar. Once charged, you can apply the Break status, which slashes their defense by 20% and skips their turn for an entire round. It is the single most powerful status effect in the game, but only particular skills can cause it.

Level Up Intentionally

You are able to re-spec your build using a rare item called a Recoat. Since they are uncommon, it's prudent to consider your path prior to committing your attribute points. Try out a character's playstyle and chart a progression route first.

Make Sure to Stop At the Checkpoint Flag

Using your tent at an expedition flag completely restores your entire party and refreshes all of your potions, including healing potions and phoenix down equivalents. Remember to stop and heal up!

Expedition flags also serve as the closest thing to navigation in the game. The game lacks a traditional map, GPS, or floating icons. However, each flag has a designation. At a flag, you can see a menu of every flag you've found in that zone under a teleport list. It's a basic yet helpful way to track your progress.

Locked Chests Are Consistently Worth It

Glowing chests are essentially sealed loot boxes that require you to locate and shoot three scattered mechanisms in the immediate vicinity to claiming the prize. The reward is always valuable, including items like respec items or strong equipment. The associated mechanisms aren't easy to spot, but they are usually located close by. If you are missing a lock, try smashing crates or checking elevated spots.

Absolutely, Fight the Shopkeeper

Every merchant carries a secret, unique item that isn't listed in their regular wares. To get them to sell it, you must choose one character and win a duel in a solo battle. This proves to be worth doing, as these pieces of gear are game-changing. The first merchant you meet, for reference, sells a special accessory that causes the damage-increasing condition, which boosts damage against the foe by a significant margin.

Rely On the Automatic Saving

There is no {manual saving