🔗 Share this article

A fun fact: The title term “Obscur” in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 references the complex nature of the in-game systems and mechanics.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 places you in the role of a band of glamorous spellcasters, led by the daring British Daredevil, on a mission to combat a worldwide curse that stops people from growing old. It fuses turn-based RPG encounters with timed defensive moves inspired by Soulslike games, all wrapped in a unique aesthetic language.

It has become one of the most successful games of the season, having achieved massive sales and secured Game of the Year accolades. The adventure can feel somewhat dense initially, but when it clicks, you’ll discover a rich and engrossing role-playing game that differentiates itself from many others. Listed here are ten crucial starting pointers for Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.

Rotate Characters Regularly

In Expedition 33, party members who participate in a fight receive a significant 50% bonus to XP relative to those in reserve. What's more, the campaign will periodically require you to include particular characters. The most straightforward solution to both issues is to switch members often and try to keep all characters at a roughly equal level.

The positive aspect is that farming experience is fairly fast. Battles provide a generous amount of XP, sometimes sufficient for a character progression after just a few. You can refresh an area's enemies by resting at an checkpoint banner—these flags are located across each level. If you need to power level, simply engage in combat near a flag, use the flag, and repeat.

Rotate Gear Regularly

You have two main ways to bestow constant buffs to your party members: Picto accessories and Lumina abilities.

• Pictos are accessories that give attribute increases and also feature a unique passive skill. A character can equip three different Pictos. After being worn, finishing four encounters with a Picto will unlock its associated Lumina.
• Luminas aren’t physical items but can be thought of as skill tree nodes. Every ally has a amount of skill points (which can be increased via items). A Lumina has a set cost. Provided that a character has sufficient LP, multiple characters can use the same Lumina, allowing you to stack useful effects across your full roster.

The smartest strategy is to make sure one of your characters equips each fresh Picto you find and completes four encounters to reveal its Lumina. That way you’ll have it for when needed.

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

Blocking Is Not Your Sole Defense

Expedition 33’s signature mechanic is its combination of strategic battles with action-oriented blocks. But, the timing for a perfect block is incredibly short on all difficulty levels. In place of frustrating yourself trying to master the timing, concentrate on rolling.

Even though a successful parry grants Action Points and inflicts significant bonus damage, failing to parry yields no benefit. Luckily there are a number of gear and skills that provide resources on a well-timed evade. If you struggle with the timing, equip those roll-centric abilities instead.

Breaking Enemies Is Your Key Tactic

The Break status effect is a game-changing state that can secure victory. As you whittle down health, a yellow gauge increases below their HP bar. When full, you can stun the enemy, which lowers their armor by 20% and prevents them from acting for their next action. It is the single most powerful status effect in the game, but only certain attacks can apply it.

Build Characters Deliberately

You have the option to reallocate attributes and skills using a scarce resource called a Respec token. Given its scarcity, it's wise to think ahead prior to using your skill points. Try out a hero's kit and plan a progression route first.

Don't Forget to Rest At the Checkpoint Flag

Resting at an checkpoint fully heals your entire party and refreshes your supply of healing items, including healing potions and phoenix down equivalents. Remember to stop and heal up!

Expedition flags also act as the closest thing to quick traversal in the game. You won't find a mini-map, waypoint system, or quest indicators. But, each flag has a designation. At a flag, you can view a list of your progress in that level under a navigation option. It's a simple but effective way to navigate the world.

Paint Cages Are Consistently Worth It

Glowing chests are essentially locked treasure chests that need you to discover and activate three scattered mechanisms in the immediate vicinity prior to getting the loot. The contents is consistently high-tier, often containing respec items or powerful weapons. The associated mechanisms aren't in plain sight, but they are usually located close by. If you are missing a lock, try breaking objects or scanning the environment vertically.

Yes, Fight the Vendor

Every merchant carries a one-of-a-kind piece of gear that won't show up in their regular wares. To get them to sell it, you must select a party member and win a duel in a solo battle. This proves to be a worthwhile endeavor, as these items are truly unique. The initial shopkeeper you meet, for reference, provides a special accessory that inflicts the damage-increasing condition, which amplifies attacks against the affected enemy by a significant margin.

Trust In the Auto-Save System

There is no {manual saving