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A curious piece of trivia: The “Obscur” in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 hints at the initially cryptic nature of the game's menus and mechanics.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 places you in the role of a team of magical influencers, fronted by the audacious British Daredevil, on a quest to combat a universal phenomenon that stops people from growing old. It merges turn-based RPG battles with timed defensive moves inspired by Soulslike games, all wrapped in a idiosyncratic visual style.

It has emerged as the biggest titles of the year, having achieved massive sales and won Game of the Year accolades. The adventure can feel somewhat dense at first, but after you grasp its systems, you’ll uncover a deep and engrossing RPG that stands apart from other games. Below are ten crucial starting pointers for Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.

Change Team Members Often

In Expedition 33, characters who take part in a fight receive a sizable bonus to Experience Points compared to those on the bench. What's more, the story will sometimes require you to include particular characters. The most straightforward method to these mechanics is to change your lineup frequently and strive to keep your roster at a similar power level.

The positive aspect is that grinding is not too tedious. Fights provide a generous amount of XP, often sufficient for a stat increase after just two or three. You can refresh an local foes by stopping at an expedition flag—these markers are placed across each level. If you need to accumulate XP fast, simply battle monsters near a flag, use the flag, and do it again.

Rotate Accessories Frequently

The game features two main ways to bestow constant buffs to your characters: Picto accessories and Lumina skills.

• Pictos are accessories that provide stat boosts and include a constant effect. Every party member can slot up to three Pictos. When equipped, finishing four encounters with a Picto grants access to its corresponding Lumina.
• Luminas function differently but are similar to equippable passives. A party member has a amount of Lumina Points (which you can raise via consumables). Each Lumina has a set cost. Provided that a character has sufficient LP, there is no limit can equip the identical ability, allowing you to layer key bonuses across your full roster.

The optimal strategy is to ensure one of your characters has equipped any new accessory and fights through four battles to reveal its Lumina. That way the ability will be available for later builds.

Should you not have unleveled accessories to level up, simply use the Pictos with the most beneficial attributes for your needs.

Blocking Is Not Your Single Choice

Expedition 33’s signature mechanic is its combination of strategic battles with real-time parries. However, the parry window is notoriously tight on any mode. Rather than frustrating yourself trying to hit perfect blocks, focus on rolling.

While a perfect guard restores Action Points and causes a huge damage spike, failing to parry gives you nothing. Fortunately there are a number of Pictos and Luminas that grant AP on a successful dodge. If you struggle with the timing, use those evasion-based options instead.

Break Is Your Secret Weapon

The Break status effect is a decisive mechanic that can secure victory. As you attack a foe, a special bar increases under their health bar. Once charged, you can apply the Break status, which lowers their damage resistance by a fifth and skips their turn for one full turn. It is the top-tier status effect in the game, but only specific attacks can trigger it.

Level Up With a Plan

You have the option to reallocate your build using a scarce resource called a Respec token. Given its scarcity, it's prudent to consider your path before committing your skill points. Get a feel for a party member's role and chart a skill tree path in advance.

Make Sure to Use the Expedition Flag

Using your tent at an expedition flag fully heals your all characters and restocks every consumables, including healing potions and Revive Tints. Develop the routine to rest at every flag!

Checkpoints also serve as the closest thing to fast travel in the game. You won't find a overworld map, GPS, or floating icons. But, each flag has a designation. When you interact with one, you can access a log of every flag you've found in that zone under a fast travel menu. It's a simple but effective way to see how far you've come.

Paint Cages Are Invariably Worth It

Paint Cages are essentially puzzle caches that demand you to locate and shoot three hidden locks in the immediate vicinity to getting the loot. The treasure inside is without fail worthwhile, often containing rare resources or strong equipment. The associated mechanisms aren't in plain sight, but they are almost always within the same area. If you are stuck, try exploring thoroughly or looking up.

Go Ahead and, Fight the Merchant

All vendors carries a secret, unique item that won't show up in their standard shop. To get them to sell it, you must select a party member and win a duel in a one-on-one fight. This is always a worthwhile endeavor, as these items are game-changing. The first merchant you meet, for instance, provides a Picto that inflicts the vulnerability status, which amplifies attacks against the affected enemy by a significant margin.

Trust In the Auto-Save System

There is no {manual saving