🔗 Share this article

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

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 places you in the role of a team of social media mages, led by the audacious British Daredevil, on a journey to reverse a global affliction that halts the natural aging process. It merges traditional RPG battles with timed defensive moves inspired by action RPGs, all cloaked in a unique artistic lexicon.

It has become one of the biggest games of the season, having sold millions and earned Game of the Year recognition. The adventure can feel slightly intimidating at first, but after you grasp its systems, you’ll find a deep and captivating experience that differentiates itself from contemporary titles. 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 fight gain a significant 50% bonus to Experience Points compared to those not fighting. Additionally, the campaign will sometimes require you to use specific characters. The simplest method to these mechanics is to change your lineup frequently and strive to keep everyone at a similar power level.

The upside is that grinding is fairly fast. Battles provide a substantial amount of XP, frequently sufficient for a level up after just two or three. You can refresh an area's enemies by stopping at an checkpoint banner—these points are placed across each zone. If you need to gain levels quickly, simply engage in combat near a flag, refresh, and repeat.

Swap Gear Often

You have two main ways to grant passive perks to your characters: Picto accessories and Lumina abilities.

• Pictos are accessories that grant numerical bonuses and come with a constant effect. A character can slot three different Pictos. After being worn, winning four fights with a Picto grants access to its linked Lumina.
• Luminas are not gear pieces but can be thought of as unlocked abilities. Every ally has a number of Lumina Points (which grows via level-ups). Every Lumina ability has a required LP amount. If a character has sufficient LP, multiple characters can use the identical ability, allowing you to layer key bonuses across your whole party.

The most efficient tactic is to ensure a party member has equipped any new accessory and completes four battles to reveal its Lumina. That way the ability will be available for future use.

If you don't have unleveled accessories to unlock, simply use the Pictos with the highest bonuses for your needs.

Blocking Is Not Your Single Choice

Expedition 33’s key feature is its combination of turn-based combat with action-oriented blocks. However, the timing for a perfect block is extremely brief on any mode. Instead of breaking controllers trying to hit perfect blocks, focus on dodging.

Even though a well-timed block grants a resource and inflicts significant bonus damage, failing to parry gives you nothing. Luckily there are several gear and skills that grant AP on a perfect roll. If you can't get the block down, focus on those dodge-focused options instead.

Breaking Enemies Is Your Secret Weapon

Break is a game-changing state that can secure victory. As you whittle down health, a yellow gauge increases below their life bar. When full, you can inflict break, which reduces their armor by a fifth and prevents them from acting for an entire round. It is the most impactful condition in the game, but only particular abilities can cause it.

Level Up Intentionally

You are able to re-spec attributes and skills using a limited consumable called a Recoat. Since they are uncommon, it's smart to consider your path instead of committing your stat investments. Get a feel for a character's playstyle and chart a progression route first.

Make Sure to Rest At the Save Flag

Using your tent at an save point refills the health of your entire party and replenishes every consumables, including HP restoratives and phoenix down equivalents. Remember to use each flag you see!

Checkpoints also serve as the closest thing to quick traversal in the game. The game lacks a mini-map, GPS, or objective markers. But, each flag has a designation. By resting, you can view a list of all discovered flags in that area under a teleport list. It's a minimalist way to navigate the world.

Locked Chests Are Always Worth the Effort

Paint Cages are effectively locked treasure chests that demand you to find and hit three scattered mechanisms in the surrounding area prior to claiming the prize. The contents is consistently valuable, including items like Recoats or unique gear. The associated mechanisms aren't in plain sight, but they are usually within the same area. If you are missing a lock, try smashing crates or scanning the environment vertically.

Go Ahead and, Challenge the Shopkeeper

Each shopkeeper has a one-of-a-kind piece of gear that doesn't appear in their regular wares. To get them to sell it, you must pick a champion and win a duel in a one-on-one fight. This is invariably worth doing, as these items are game-changing. The initial shopkeeper you meet, for example, provides a Picto that causes the damage-increasing condition, which boosts damage against the target by 25%.

Have Faith in the Autosave

There is no {manual saving