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A curious piece of trivia: The “Obscur” in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 references the somewhat obscure nature of the game's menus and mechanics.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 casts you as a band of glamorous spellcasters, fronted by the audacious British Daredevil, on a quest to combat a global affliction that stops people from growing old. It merges turn-based RPG encounters with timed defensive moves drawn from Soulslike games, all cloaked in a distinctive visual style.

It has emerged as the most successful games of the season, having garnered a huge player base and secured Game of the Year recognition. The adventure can feel somewhat dense in the beginning, but once you lock in, you’ll uncover a deep and fascinating experience that differentiates itself from contemporary titles. Here are are a collection of starting pointers for Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.

Rotate Characters Regularly

In Expedition 33, party members who participate in a fight receive a significant 50% bonus to Experience Points compared to those not fighting. Additionally, the narrative will at times require you to field certain characters. The easiest approach to both issues is to rotate your team and strive to keep all characters at a roughly equal strength.

The good news is that leveling up is not too tedious. Encounters provide a generous amount of XP, often sufficient for a stat increase after just several. You can reset an local foes by resting at an expedition flag—these points are placed throughout each area. If you need to accumulate XP fast, simply battle monsters near a flag, refresh, and continue the cycle.

Rotate Accessories Regularly

There are two main ways to bestow bonus effects to your characters: Picto gems and Lumina abilities.

• Pictos are accessories that give stat boosts and come with a special ability. Each character can equip up to three Pictos. Once slotted, winning four encounters with a Picto unlocks its associated Lumina.
• Luminas are not gear pieces but can be thought of as skill tree nodes. A party member has a number of skill points (which you can raise via consumables). A Lumina has a specific point cost. As long as a character has sufficient LP, there is no limit can use the same skill, allowing you to stack key bonuses across your full roster.

The smartest tactic is to make sure someone has equipped every new Picto and wins four encounters to gain its Lumina. Doing this you’ll have it for future use.

If you don't have new Pictos to level up, simply use the Pictos with the most beneficial attributes for your playstyle.

Parrying Isn't Your Sole Defense

Expedition 33’s key feature is its combination of strategic battles with action-oriented blocks. But, the parry window is incredibly short on any mode. Instead of breaking controllers trying to master the timing, prioritize evading.

While a successful parry refunds Action Points and causes massive extra damage, missing the timing gives you nothing. The good news is there are multiple Pictos and Luminas that grant AP on a perfect roll. If you can't get the block down, focus on those dodge-focused abilities instead.

Break Is Your Secret Weapon

The Break status effect is a battle-altering state that can secure victory. As you attack a foe, a gold meter fills up below their life bar. Upon maxing out, you can stun the enemy, which slashes their armor by a significant amount and skips their turn for one full turn. It is the single most powerful status effect in the game, but only particular attacks can apply it.

Build Characters Intentionally

You have the option to reallocate your build using a limited consumable called a Recoat item. Because it's rare, it's smart to consider your path before spending your skill points. Experiment with a character's playstyle and plan a skill tree path in advance.

Don't Forget to Rest At the Save Flag

Stopping at an save point fully heals your entire party and refreshes your supply of consumables, including HP restoratives and phoenix down equivalents. Remember to use each flag you see!

These flags also act as the closest thing to fast travel in the game. You won't find a mini-map, compass, or floating icons. But, each flag has a designation. By resting, you can view a list of every flag you've found in that level under a navigation option. It's a basic yet helpful way to navigate the world.

Glowing Cages Are Consistently Worth the Effort

Paint Cages are basically sealed loot boxes that demand you to locate and shoot three hidden locks in the nearby environment before opening them. The reward is without fail valuable, such as respec items or powerful weapons. The required seals aren't always obvious, but they are almost always near the cage. If you are missing a lock, try smashing crates or scanning the environment vertically.

Go Ahead and, Challenge the Vendor

Each shopkeeper has a hidden special good that isn't listed in their standard shop. To unlock it, you must pick a champion and defeat the merchant in a one-on-one fight. This is invariably rewarding, as these rewards are truly unique. The initial shopkeeper you meet, for instance, sells a special accessory that causes the vulnerability status, which increases damage dealt against the foe by a quarter.

Trust In the Autosave

The game lacks {manual saving