🔗 Share this article

A curious piece of trivia: The title term “Obscur” in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 hints at the somewhat obscure nature of the game's menus and systems.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 casts you as a band of magical influencers, spearheaded by the bold British Daredevil, on a journey to reverse a worldwide curse that stops people from growing old. It blends traditional RPG encounters with real-time parries reminiscent of action RPGs, all presented with a idiosyncratic aesthetic language.

It has become one of the most successful releases of the year, having achieved massive sales and won top honors praise. The adventure can feel a bit off-putting initially, but when it clicks, you’ll find a deep and captivating role-playing game that is quite unique from contemporary titles. Below are 10 essential starting pointers for Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.

Rotate Characters Regularly

In Expedition 33, allies who are active during a battle gain a sizable bonus to Experience Points relative to those in reserve. Additionally, the story will sometimes require you to use specific characters. The simplest method to these mechanics is to switch members often and aim to keep all characters at a roughly equal power level.

The upside is that grinding is fairly fast. Encounters grant a sizable amount of XP, often enough for a stat increase after just two or three. You can respawn an zone's monsters by stopping at an expedition flag—these flags are scattered across each level. If you need to accumulate XP fast, simply engage in combat near a flag, use the flag, and repeat.

Rotate Gear Regularly

The game features a couple of key ways to provide bonus effects to your party members: Picto gems and Lumina skills.

• Pictos are items which give attribute increases and come with a unique passive skill. Every party member can equip a maximum of three Pictos. After being worn, winning four fights with a Picto unlocks its associated Lumina.
• Luminas function differently but can be thought of as unlocked abilities. Each character has a number of Lumina Points (which you can raise via consumables). A Lumina has a set cost. As long as a character has enough points, there is no limit can benefit from the identical ability, allowing you to combine key bonuses across your entire team.

The most efficient tactic is to always a party member equips any new accessory and wins four encounters to reveal its Lumina. Doing this the ability will be available for when needed.

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

Blocking Is Not Your Only Option

Expedition 33’s signature mechanic is its combination of RPG systems with action-oriented blocks. But, the parry window is notoriously tight on every setting. Rather than frustrating yourself trying to master the timing, prioritize rolling.

Although a perfect guard grants Action Points and causes significant bonus damage, not blocking leaves you vulnerable. Fortunately there are several gear and skills that provide resources on a well-timed evade. If you struggle with the timing, equip those roll-centric abilities instead.

The Break Status Is Your Greatest Advantage

The Break status effect is a battle-altering condition that can swing a fight. As you attack a foe, a yellow gauge increases under their HP bar. Upon maxing out, you can inflict break, which lowers their armor by a significant amount and stuns them for one full turn. It is the top-tier status effect in the game, but only specific abilities can apply it.

Build Characters With a Plan

You have the option to reallocate attributes and skills using a rare item called a Recoat item. Given its scarcity, it's smart to plan your build prior to committing your attribute points. Experiment with a party member's role and map out a progression route in advance.

Don't Forget to Rest At the Expedition Flag

Stopping at an save point fully heals your whole team and restocks your supply of potions, including healing potions and revival items. Develop the routine to use each flag you see!

Checkpoints also serve as the only means to navigation in the game. There is no overworld map, waypoint system, or floating icons. However, each flag has a designation. When you interact with one, you can view a list of every flag you've found in that level under a fast travel menu. It's a simple but effective way to track your progress.

Glowing Cages Are Invariably Rewarding

Paint Cages are basically sealed loot boxes that demand you to locate and shoot three scattered mechanisms in the surrounding area before opening them. The contents is without fail high-tier, often containing respec items or unique gear. The required seals aren't in plain sight, but they are usually near the cage. If you are stuck, try exploring thoroughly or looking up.

Go Ahead and, Battle the Merchant

Each shopkeeper has a hidden special good 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 single combat. This is always a worthwhile endeavor, as these rewards are truly unique. The initial shopkeeper you meet, for example, offers a special accessory that inflicts the vulnerability status, which boosts damage against the foe by a significant margin.

Trust In the Automatic Saving

The game lacks {manual saving