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

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has you leading a band of social media mages, fronted by the audacious British Daredevil, on a journey to halt a universal phenomenon that stops people from growing old. It merges turn-based RPG battles with timed defensive moves reminiscent of Soulslike games, all wrapped in a idiosyncratic artistic lexicon.

It has become one of the biggest games of the year, having achieved massive sales and won top honors accolades. The game can feel a bit off-putting in the beginning, but once you lock in, you’ll discover a rich and fascinating role-playing game that stands apart from contemporary titles. Here are are a collection of beginner's tips for Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.

Change Team Members Often

In Expedition 33, party members who participate in a encounter gain a significant 50% bonus to XP relative to those in reserve. What's more, the narrative will sometimes require you to field certain characters. The most straightforward approach to these challenges is to change your lineup frequently and aim to keep all characters at a similar level.

The upside is that grinding is fairly fast. Fights grant a generous amount of XP, sometimes sufficient for a level up after just a few. You can refresh an area's enemies by stopping at an checkpoint banner—these markers are located across each level. If you need to power level, simply engage in combat near a flag, rest, and continue the cycle.

Swap Items Frequently

You have two main ways to provide constant buffs to your allies: Picto accessories and Luminas.

• Pictos are items which give stat boosts and include a special ability. A character can equip a maximum of three Pictos. Once slotted, completing four fights with a Picto unlocks its associated Lumina.
• Luminas aren’t physical items but essentially act as equippable passives. Every ally has a pool of skill points (which grows via items). Every Lumina ability has a set cost. As long as a character has sufficient LP, there is no limit can benefit from the same Lumina, allowing you to combine useful effects across your whole party.

The most efficient approach is to ensure a party member equips each fresh Picto you find and wins four battles to gain its Lumina. This ensures you gain access for when needed.

When you aren't have fresh gear to unlock, simply equip the Pictos with the highest bonuses for your needs.

Perfect Guards Are Not Your Single Choice

Expedition 33’s signature mechanic is its marriage of turn-based combat with twitch-based defenses. However, the parry window is extremely brief on all difficulty levels. Instead of breaking controllers trying to hit perfect blocks, prioritize dodging.

Although a perfect guard refunds one AP and inflicts significant bonus damage, missing the timing yields no benefit. Luckily there are several Pictos and Luminas that restore Action Points on a successful dodge. If you can't get the block down, focus on those roll-centric options instead.

Breaking Enemies Is Your Key Tactic

Inflicting Break is a battle-altering mechanic that can turn the tide. As you whittle down health, a yellow gauge increases beneath their life bar. Upon maxing out, you can stun the enemy, which lowers their armor by a fifth and stuns them for an entire round. It is the single most powerful status effect in the game, but only certain abilities can cause it.

Build Characters With a Plan

You can reset attributes and skills using a scarce resource called a Respec token. Given its scarcity, it's wise to consider your path prior to using your stat investments. Get a feel for a character's playstyle and chart a build strategy in advance.

Make Sure to Use the Expedition Flag

Resting at an checkpoint refills the health of your entire party and restocks every potions, including healing potions and phoenix down equivalents. Remember to rest at every flag!

These flags also act as the primary method to fast travel in the game. There is no overworld map, waypoint system, or floating icons. But, each flag has a designation. When you interact with one, you can see a menu of all discovered flags in that area under a teleport list. It's a basic yet helpful way to see how far you've come.

Paint Cages Are Always Worth It

Glowing chests are essentially sealed loot boxes that require you to discover and activate three hidden locks in the immediate vicinity before claiming the prize. The reward is always high-tier, such as respec items or strong equipment. The associated mechanisms aren't always obvious, but they are typically within the same area. If you are missing a lock, try smashing crates or checking elevated spots.

Go Ahead and, Battle the Merchant

All vendors stocks a hidden special good that isn't listed in their normal inventory. To get them to sell it, you must choose one character and beat them in combat in a single combat. This proves to be worth doing, as these rewards are exceptionally powerful. The earliest vendor you meet, for instance, offers a special accessory that inflicts the vulnerability status, which boosts damage against the affected enemy by 25%.

Have Faith in the Auto-Save System

There is no {manual saving