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A fun fact: The title term “Obscur” in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 alludes to the somewhat obscure nature of the in-game systems and systems.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 places you in the role of a band of magical influencers, fronted by the audacious British Daredevil, on a mission to combat a worldwide curse that prevents aging. It fuses traditional RPG combat with timed defensive moves inspired by action RPGs, all cloaked in a unique aesthetic language.

It has proven to be the biggest titles of the season, having achieved massive sales and won Game of the Year accolades. The adventure can feel somewhat dense in the beginning, but when it clicks, you’ll uncover a layered and captivating experience that is quite unique from contemporary titles. Below are 10 essential starting pointers for Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.

Rotate Characters Frequently

In Expedition 33, characters who take part in a battle receive a hefty increase to Experience Points relative to those not fighting. What's more, the campaign will at times mandate you to include particular characters. The easiest method to these mechanics is to switch members often and strive to keep your roster at a comparable level.

The positive aspect is that leveling up is relatively quick. Encounters grant a substantial amount of XP, frequently sufficient for a stat increase after just several. You can reset an area's enemies by stopping at an expedition flag—these markers are located across each zone. If you need to gain levels quickly, simply battle monsters near a flag, use the flag, and do it again.

Rotate Accessories Frequently

The game features two main ways to provide bonus effects to your party members: Picto gems and Lumina abilities.

• Pictos function as gear that give numerical bonuses and come with a special ability. A character can wear a maximum of three Pictos. After being worn, finishing four battles with a Picto unlocks its corresponding Lumina.
• Luminas aren’t physical items but essentially act as skill tree nodes. Each character has a number of LP (which you can raise via consumables). Every Lumina ability has a required LP amount. If a character has enough points, multiple characters can use the identical ability, allowing you to layer key bonuses across your full roster.

The most efficient strategy is to make sure a party member equips every new Picto and fights through four encounters to reveal its Lumina. This ensures you’ll have it for future use.

Should you not have fresh gear to work on, simply equip the Pictos with the most beneficial attributes for your current build.

Perfect Guards Are Not Your Sole Defense

Expedition 33’s defining element is its fusion of strategic battles with real-time parries. That said, the parry window is notoriously tight on every setting. In place of breaking controllers trying to hit perfect blocks, focus on evading.

Although a well-timed block grants Action Points and causes massive extra damage, missing the timing leaves you vulnerable. Fortunately there are several Pictos and Luminas that restore Action Points on a perfect roll. If you struggle with the timing, use those evasion-based perks instead.

Breaking Enemies Is Your Greatest Advantage

Inflicting Break is a game-changing mechanic that can swing a fight. As you whittle down health, a gold meter fills up below their health bar. Once charged, you can apply the Break status, which reduces their armor by 20% and stuns them for an entire round. It is the single most powerful debuff in the game, but only certain abilities can trigger it.

Build Characters Deliberately

You can reset stat points and abilities using a limited consumable called a Respec token. Since they are uncommon, it's prudent to consider your path before using your stat investments. Get a feel for a character's playstyle and map out a progression route in advance.

Always Rest At the Save Flag

Stopping at an checkpoint completely restores your entire party and refreshes every consumables, including healing potions and phoenix down equivalents. Develop the routine to use each flag you see!

These flags also serve as the primary method to navigation in the game. The game lacks a traditional map, waypoint system, or objective markers. Instead, each flag has a name and number. By resting, you can see a menu of all discovered flags in that level under a fast travel menu. It's a simple but effective way to navigate the world.

Glowing Cages Are Always Worth It

Glowing chests are effectively puzzle caches that require you to find and hit three scattered mechanisms in the surrounding area to opening them. The contents is always worthwhile, including items like rare resources or strong equipment. The required seals aren't easy to spot, but they are almost always near the cage. If you are stuck, try exploring thoroughly or looking up.

Go Ahead and, Fight the Vendor

All vendors carries a secret, unique item that won't show up in their regular wares. To get them to sell it, you must pick a champion and win a duel in a solo battle. This proves to be rewarding, as these rewards are game-changing. The initial shopkeeper you meet, for reference, offers a special accessory that applies the damage-increasing condition, which boosts damage against the target by 25%.

Trust In the Automatic Saving

The game lacks {manual saving