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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 mechanics.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has you leading a group of social media mages, fronted by the daring British Daredevil, on a quest to reverse a global affliction that prevents aging. It fuses traditional RPG battles with action-game reflexes drawn from action RPGs, all wrapped in a idiosyncratic visual style.

It has become one of the biggest titles of the year, having sold millions and secured Game of the Year praise. The game can feel slightly intimidating initially, but when it clicks, you’ll discover a deep and captivating experience that is quite unique from many others. Here are are 10 essential starting pointers for Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.

Change Team Members Often

In Expedition 33, party members who participate in a battle receive a significant 50% bonus to XP compared to those in reserve. Additionally, the story will periodically mandate you to include particular characters. The simplest solution to both issues is to switch members often and strive to keep your roster at a similar level.

The upside is that grinding is not too tedious. Fights grant a substantial amount of XP, sometimes enough for a stat increase after just two or three. You can reset an local foes by taking a break at an checkpoint banner—these markers are scattered throughout each area. If you need to accumulate XP fast, simply battle monsters near a flag, refresh, and do it again.

Change Accessories Regularly

You have a couple of key ways to grant bonus effects to your allies: Picto gems and Lumina abilities.

• Pictos function as gear that give stat boosts and come with a unique passive skill. A character can slot three different Pictos. After being worn, completing four fights with a Picto will unlock its linked Lumina.
• Luminas are not gear pieces but are similar to unlocked abilities. Every ally has a number of skill points (which grows via items). A Lumina has a required LP amount. If a character has enough points, multiple characters can benefit from the identical ability, allowing you to combine useful effects across your full roster.

The most efficient strategy is to ensure one of your characters equips any new accessory and fights through four encounters to reveal its Lumina. Doing this the ability will be available for future use.

Should you not have fresh gear to unlock, simply use the Pictos with the best stats for your needs.

Perfect Guards Are Not Your Only Option

Expedition 33’s key feature is its fusion of strategic battles with twitch-based defenses. But, the opportunity to deflect is extremely brief on every setting. In place of frustrating yourself trying to land parries, concentrate on rolling.

Even though a successful parry grants one AP and inflicts massive extra damage, failing to parry yields no benefit. Luckily there are a number of gear and skills that restore Action Points on a well-timed evade. If you find parrying difficult, equip those roll-centric perks instead.

Breaking Enemies Is Your Key Tactic

The Break status effect is a game-changing state that can swing a fight. As you attack a foe, a yellow gauge increases below their life bar. Upon maxing out, you can apply the Break status, which reduces their armor by 20% and skips their turn for their next action. It is the top-tier status effect in the game, but only specific skills can cause it.

Build Characters Deliberately

You are able to re-spec your build using a limited consumable called a Respec token. Since they are uncommon, it's prudent to consider your path prior to committing your attribute points. Get a feel for a character's playstyle and chart a skill tree path beforehand.

Always Rest At the Checkpoint Flag

Using your tent at an save point fully heals your whole team and refreshes every consumables, including healing potions and Revive Tints. Make it a habit to rest at every flag!

Checkpoints also function as the only means to navigation in the game. You won't find a traditional map, compass, or objective markers. Instead, each flag has a identifier. When you interact with one, you can view a list of every flag you've found in that zone under a fast travel menu. It's a basic yet helpful way to see how far you've come.

Glowing Cages Are Invariably Worth the Effort

Paint Cages are basically locked treasure chests that need you to locate and shoot three concealed seals in the surrounding area prior to claiming the prize. The contents is without fail valuable, often containing Recoats or unique gear. The required seals aren't always obvious, but they are almost always located close by. If you can't find one, try exploring thoroughly or checking elevated spots.

Yes, Challenge the Merchant

All vendors carries a secret, unique item that isn't listed in their normal inventory. To unlock it, you must pick a champion and beat them in combat in a one-on-one fight. This is invariably worth doing, as these items are game-changing. The earliest vendor you meet, for reference, provides a Picto that causes the damage-increasing condition, which amplifies attacks against the target by 25%.

Rely On the Automatic Saving

There is no {manual saving