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A fun fact: The “Obscur” in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 references the complex nature of the game's menus and mechanics.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 places you in the role of a group of social media mages, fronted by the bold British Daredevil, on a quest to combat a universal phenomenon that stops people from growing old. It blends strategic role-playing battles with timed defensive moves reminiscent of Soulslike games, all wrapped in a unique aesthetic language.

It has proven to be the most successful games of the year, having achieved massive sales and won the premier award accolades. The adventure can feel somewhat dense in the beginning, but once you lock in, you’ll find a rich and captivating experience that stands apart from contemporary titles. Below are ten crucial starting pointers for Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.

Change Party Members Regularly

In Expedition 33, party members who participate in a encounter receive a sizable bonus to Experience Points versus those in reserve. Furthermore, the story will sometimes require you to include particular characters. The simplest method to these mechanics is to rotate your team and aim to keep your roster at a roughly equal power level.

The upside is that grinding is relatively quick. Battles grant a generous amount of XP, sometimes enough for a stat increase after just two or three. You can reset an zone's monsters by resting at an save point—these points are scattered in each zone. If you need to gain levels quickly, simply engage in combat near a flag, use the flag, and do it again.

Rotate Accessories Regularly

The game features two primary ways to provide passive perks to your party members: Pictos and Lumina skills.

• Pictos are items which provide attribute increases and also feature a special ability. Every party member can wear three different Pictos. Once slotted, finishing four encounters with a Picto will unlock its associated Lumina.
• Luminas aren’t physical items but can be thought of as skill tree nodes. A party member has a amount of skill points (which you can raise via consumables). Each Lumina has a set cost. As long as a character has the required amount, there is no limit can equip the same Lumina, allowing you to layer useful effects across your whole party.

The smartest strategy is to always someone has equipped each fresh Picto you find and completes four battles to reveal its Lumina. That way you gain access for when needed.

When you aren't have new Pictos to unlock, simply use the Pictos with the highest bonuses for your needs.

Perfect Guards Are Not Your Only Option

Expedition 33’s key feature is its combination of turn-based combat with twitch-based defenses. That said, the parry window is incredibly short on every setting. Instead of breaking controllers trying to master the timing, prioritize evading.

Even though a well-timed block refunds Action Points and causes a huge damage spike, missing the timing yields no benefit. The good news is there are multiple Pictos and Luminas that provide resources on a perfect roll. If you struggle with the timing, focus on those evasion-based perks instead.

Break Is Your Secret Weapon

Break is a battle-altering condition that can swing a fight. As you whittle down health, a yellow gauge increases beneath their HP bar. When full, you can inflict break, which reduces their armor by 20% and prevents them from acting for an entire round. It is the single most powerful debuff in the game, but only particular abilities can apply it.

Build Characters With a Plan

You can reset stat points and abilities using a scarce resource called a Recoat item. Since they are uncommon, it's wise to plan your build instead of committing your stat investments. Get a feel for a hero's kit and chart a skill tree path in advance.

Always Stop At the Expedition Flag

Using your tent at an checkpoint completely restores your entire party and restocks all of your healing items, including healing potions and phoenix down equivalents. Develop the routine to use each flag you see!

Expedition flags also function as the closest thing to quick traversal in the game. You won't find a mini-map, GPS, or quest indicators. However, each flag has a designation. By resting, you can see a menu of your progress in that level under a navigation option. It's a basic yet helpful way to track your progress.

Paint Cages Are Invariably Rewarding

Glowing chests are effectively puzzle caches that demand you to find and hit three concealed seals in the nearby environment before opening them. The contents is consistently valuable, including items like rare resources or powerful weapons. The three locks aren't easy to spot, but they are usually located close by. If you are stuck, try breaking objects or scanning the environment vertically.

Yes, Challenge the Shopkeeper

Every merchant carries a one-of-a-kind piece of gear that won't show up in their standard shop. To gain access to it, you must choose one character and defeat the merchant in a one-on-one fight. This proves to be rewarding, as these pieces of gear are exceptionally powerful. The initial shopkeeper you meet, for example, provides a Picto that applies the Defenseless debuff, which amplifies attacks against the affected enemy by 25%.

Trust In the Auto-Save System

The game lacks {manual saving