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A fun fact: The “Obscur” in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 references the initially cryptic nature of the game's menus and mechanics.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 places you in the role of a team of social media mages, led by the audacious British Daredevil, on a mission to halt a universal phenomenon that halts the natural aging process. It blends traditional RPG combat with real-time parries reminiscent of Soulslike games, all wrapped in a unique aesthetic language.

It has emerged as the major titles of the year, having sold millions and won Game of the Year recognition. The game can feel a bit off-putting at first, but once you lock in, you’ll discover a layered and engrossing experience that differentiates itself from many others. Here are are ten crucial starting pointers for Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.

Swap Characters Regularly

In Expedition 33, characters who take part in a encounter receive a significant 50% bonus to experience versus those on the bench. What's more, the narrative will periodically mandate you to use specific characters. The simplest approach to both issues is to switch members often and aim to keep all characters at a roughly equal power level.

The upside is that farming experience is not too tedious. Encounters grant a generous amount of XP, frequently enough for a stat increase after just two or three. You can respawn an zone's monsters by taking a break at an save point—these points are located throughout each level. If you need to power level, simply battle monsters near a flag, refresh, and repeat.

Change Accessories Frequently

There are two primary ways to grant bonus effects to your allies: Picto accessories and Luminas.

• Pictos function as gear that grant attribute increases and include a constant effect. Each character can wear a maximum of three Pictos. When equipped, finishing four battles with a Picto grants access to its linked Lumina.
• Luminas aren’t physical items but essentially act as unlocked abilities. A party member has a number of LP (which you can raise via consumables). Every Lumina ability has a required LP amount. As long as a character has sufficient LP, there is no limit can use the same skill, allowing you to layer powerful passives across your full roster.

The smartest strategy is to always a party member equips each fresh Picto you find and wins the required fights to gain its Lumina. That way you’ll have it for later builds.

If you don't have new Pictos to work on, simply slot the Pictos with the most beneficial attributes for your needs.

Blocking Is Not Your Sole Defense

Expedition 33’s signature mechanic is its combination of turn-based combat with real-time parries. However, the opportunity to deflect is incredibly short on every setting. Instead of struggling endlessly trying to hit perfect blocks, prioritize dodging.

Even though a successful parry restores a resource and inflicts significant bonus damage, failing to parry yields no benefit. Luckily there are a number of accessories and abilities that restore Action Points on a perfect roll. If you struggle with the timing, use those dodge-focused abilities instead.

Breaking Enemies Is Your Greatest Advantage

Break is a decisive mechanic that can turn the tide. As you damage an enemy, a gold meter charges under their health bar. Once charged, you can stun the enemy, which slashes their armor by 20% and stuns them for one full turn. It is the top-tier condition in the game, but only specific skills can trigger it.

Build Characters Deliberately

You can reset stat points and abilities using a scarce resource called a Respec token. Because it's rare, it's prudent to plan your build prior to committing your attribute points. Try out a character's playstyle and plan a progression route in advance.

Make Sure to Use the Checkpoint Flag

Resting at an expedition flag completely restores your whole team and replenishes every healing items, including Chroma Elixirs and phoenix down equivalents. Develop the routine to use each flag you see!

Checkpoints also act as the only means to quick traversal in the game. There is no mini-map, compass, or quest indicators. Instead, each flag has a designation. By resting, you can access a log of every flag you've found in that level under a navigation option. It's a basic yet helpful way to navigate the world.

Paint Cages Are Always Rewarding

These special containers are essentially sealed loot boxes that demand you to discover and activate three scattered mechanisms in the nearby environment before opening them. The reward is always worthwhile, including items like rare resources or strong equipment. The required seals aren't easy to spot, but they are usually near the cage. If you are stuck, try breaking objects or scanning the environment vertically.

Absolutely, Challenge the Shopkeeper

Each shopkeeper stocks a hidden special good that doesn't appear in their normal inventory. To unlock it, you must select a party member and defeat the merchant in a one-on-one fight. This is invariably worth doing, as these pieces of gear are game-changing. The first merchant you meet, for example, sells a special accessory that applies the damage-increasing condition, which amplifies attacks against the foe by a quarter.

Have Faith in the Auto-Save System

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