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An interesting tidbit: The “Obscur” in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 hints at the somewhat obscure nature of the game's menus and mechanics.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 casts you as a group of glamorous spellcasters, led by the audacious British Daredevil, on a quest to combat a global affliction that halts the natural aging process. It merges turn-based RPG battles with action-game reflexes drawn from Soulslike games, all cloaked in a distinctive artistic lexicon.

It has emerged as the most successful games of the year, having sold millions and secured top honors recognition. The adventure can feel slightly intimidating in the beginning, but after you grasp its systems, you’ll uncover a layered and captivating experience that is quite unique from other games. Here are are a collection of early-game strategies for Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.

Change Characters Often

In Expedition 33, characters who participate in a encounter receive a sizable bonus to Experience Points relative to those in reserve. Additionally, the campaign will periodically mandate you to include particular characters. The most straightforward approach to these challenges is to change your lineup frequently and strive to keep everyone at a similar power level.

The upside is that leveling up is relatively quick. Fights grant a generous amount of XP, sometimes sufficient for a level up after just two or three. You can respawn an area's enemies by resting at an save point—these flags are located across each area. If you need to accumulate XP fast, simply engage in combat near a flag, use the flag, and continue the cycle.

Rotate Accessories Regularly

The game features two main ways to grant constant buffs to your allies: Picto gems and Lumina abilities.

• Pictos are items which grant attribute increases and come with a special ability. Each character can equip three different Pictos. When equipped, winning four encounters with a Picto grants access to its corresponding Lumina.
• Luminas function differently but are similar to unlocked abilities. A party member has a number of Lumina Points (which grows via consumables). A Lumina has a set cost. As long as a character has sufficient LP, there is no limit can equip the same Lumina, allowing you to combine useful effects across your whole party.

The optimal tactic is to ensure a party member is wearing every new Picto and completes the required fights to unlock its Lumina. That way you gain access for when needed.

When you aren't have fresh gear to unlock, simply slot the Pictos with the best stats for your playstyle.

Perfect Guards Are Not Your Sole Defense

Expedition 33’s defining element is its combination of turn-based combat with real-time parries. However, the parry window is incredibly short on all difficulty levels. In place of struggling endlessly trying to master the timing, prioritize evading.

Although a perfect guard refunds one AP and causes massive extra damage, failing to parry yields no benefit. The good news is there are multiple gear and skills that restore Action Points on a well-timed evade. If you can't get the block down, equip those evasion-based perks instead.

Breaking Enemies Is Your Greatest Advantage

Inflicting Break is a battle-altering state that can swing a fight. As you whittle down health, a yellow gauge increases beneath their HP bar. Once charged, you can stun the enemy, which reduces their armor by a fifth and prevents them from acting for one full turn. It is the most impactful debuff in the game, but only particular abilities can trigger it.

Allocate Points With a Plan

You have the option to reallocate your build using a limited consumable called a Recoat. Because it's rare, it's wise to think ahead instead of committing your stat investments. Experiment with a character's playstyle and map out a skill tree path in advance.

Don't Forget to Rest At the Checkpoint Flag

Resting at an expedition flag refills the health of your entire party and refreshes all of your consumables, including healing potions and phoenix down equivalents. Make it a habit to rest at every flag!

Checkpoints also serve as the primary method to navigation in the game. There is no traditional map, GPS, or quest indicators. However, each flag has a name and number. When you interact with one, you can see a menu of all discovered flags in that area under a fast travel menu. It's a basic yet helpful way to see how far you've come.

Glowing Cages Are Always Worth It

Glowing chests are effectively sealed loot boxes that require you to find and hit three concealed seals in the nearby environment before getting the loot. The reward is always worthwhile, often containing Recoats or powerful weapons. The associated mechanisms aren't always obvious, but they are almost always located close by. If you are stuck, try smashing crates or scanning the environment vertically.

Yes, Fight the Shopkeeper

Each shopkeeper stocks a hidden special good that doesn't appear in their regular wares. To get them to sell it, you must choose one character and defeat the merchant in a single combat. This proves to be worth doing, as these items are exceptionally powerful. The initial shopkeeper you meet, for example, sells a special accessory that applies the vulnerability status, which boosts damage against the target by a significant margin.

Have Faith in the Autosave

There is no {manual saving