10 Beginner's Pointers to Understand Before Starting Clair Obscur: Expedition 33

An interesting tidbit: The title term “Obscur” in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 references the somewhat obscure nature of the game's menus and mechanics.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 casts you as a team of glamorous spellcasters, led by the daring British Daredevil, on a journey to reverse a worldwide curse that stops people from growing old. It blends strategic role-playing encounters with action-game reflexes reminiscent of Soulslike games, all cloaked in a unique visual style.

It has proven to be the most successful games of the year, having sold millions and secured Game of the Year accolades. The game can feel a bit off-putting at first, but after you grasp its systems, you’ll uncover a layered and fascinating role-playing game that differentiates itself from other games. Here are are a collection of beginner's tips for Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.

Swap Characters Often

In Expedition 33, characters who participate in a battle receive a hefty increase to XP relative to those on the bench. Additionally, the story will periodically force you to include particular characters. The most straightforward solution to these mechanics is to change your lineup frequently and try to keep your roster at a similar level.

The good news is that leveling up is relatively quick. Battles award a generous amount of XP, frequently sufficient for a character progression after just two or three. You can respawn an area's enemies by stopping at an expedition flag—these flags are located throughout each zone. If you need to gain levels quickly, simply battle monsters near a flag, rest, and do it again.

Swap Gear Often

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

• Pictos are items which give numerical bonuses and also feature a constant effect. Each character can equip a maximum of three Pictos. After being worn, winning four battles with a Picto unlocks its associated Lumina.
• Luminas aren’t physical items but can be thought of as unlocked abilities. Every ally has a amount of Lumina Points (which you can raise via level-ups). Every Lumina ability has a required LP amount. As long as a character has sufficient LP, you are not restricted can use the same skill, allowing you to combine useful effects across your full roster.

The smartest tactic is to make sure someone has equipped every new Picto and wins four encounters to gain its Lumina. This ensures the ability will be available for later builds.

If you don't have new Pictos to level up, simply use the Pictos with the most beneficial attributes for your needs.

Perfect Guards Are Not Your Only Option

Expedition 33’s key feature is its combination of strategic battles with twitch-based defenses. That said, the parry window is extremely brief on all difficulty levels. In place of frustrating yourself trying to master the timing, focus on rolling.

Although a perfect guard restores Action Points and inflicts significant bonus damage, missing the timing yields no benefit. Fortunately there are a number of Pictos and Luminas that grant AP on a well-timed evade. If you can't get the block down, equip those roll-centric perks instead.

The Break Status Is Your Key Tactic

The Break status effect is a battle-altering state that can secure victory. As you attack a foe, a yellow gauge fills up under their health bar. Once charged, you can inflict break, which slashes their armor by 20% and stuns them for an entire round. It is the top-tier status effect in the game, but only particular skills can apply it.

Build Characters Intentionally

You have the option to reallocate your build using a scarce resource called a Recoat item. Since they are uncommon, it's prudent to consider your path before using your stat investments. Try out a hero's kit and map out a build strategy in advance.

Don't Forget to Stop At the Expedition Flag

Using your tent at an save point refills the health of your whole team and restocks all of your healing items, including healing potions and revival items. Make it a habit to stop and heal up!

Checkpoints also act as the closest thing to navigation in the game. There is no overworld map, compass, or objective markers. Instead, each flag has a name and number. At a flag, you can access a log of your progress in that area under a teleport list. It's a minimalist way to see how far you've come.

Paint Cages Are Always Worth It

Paint Cages are essentially puzzle caches that require you to discover and activate three concealed seals in the nearby environment to opening them. The treasure inside is consistently valuable, often containing rare resources or strong equipment. The associated mechanisms aren't always obvious, but they are usually near the cage. If you are stuck, try smashing crates or scanning the environment vertically.

Go Ahead and, Fight the Shopkeeper

All vendors has a hidden special good that won't show up in their standard shop. To unlock it, you must pick a champion and beat them in combat in a single combat. This is always rewarding, as these rewards are exceptionally powerful. The earliest vendor you meet, for example, provides a Picto that applies the vulnerability status, which increases damage dealt against the target by a quarter.

Have Faith in the Auto-Save System

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