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An interesting tidbit: The title term “Obscur” in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 alludes to the initially cryptic nature of the interface systems and gameplay loops.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 places you in the role of a band of magical influencers, spearheaded by the audacious British Daredevil, on a journey to reverse a global affliction that halts the natural aging process. It fuses traditional RPG combat with action-game reflexes reminiscent of challenging titles, all wrapped in a unique aesthetic language.

It has proven to be the biggest titles of the period, having achieved massive sales and won the premier award praise. The experience can feel slightly intimidating initially, but when it clicks, you’ll find a layered and fascinating experience that stands apart from many others. Below are 10 essential early-game strategies for Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.

Change Party Members Often

In Expedition 33, allies who participate in a encounter receive a significant 50% bonus to XP relative to those on the bench. What's more, the campaign will at times force you to use specific characters. The simplest method to these mechanics is to switch members often and try to keep all characters at a roughly equal power level.

The good news is that leveling up is fairly fast. Battles award a sizable amount of XP, sometimes enough for a level up after just a few. You can refresh an zone's monsters by stopping at an expedition flag—these flags are scattered in each area. If you need to power level, simply engage in combat near a flag, use the flag, and repeat.

Change Gear Regularly

You have two primary ways to grant constant buffs to your allies: Picto gems and Luminas.

• Pictos function as gear that grant numerical bonuses and also feature a constant effect. Each character can equip a maximum of three Pictos. When equipped, winning four battles with a Picto grants access to its corresponding Lumina.
• Luminas aren’t physical items but essentially act as equippable passives. Each character has a amount of LP (which grows via consumables). A Lumina has a required LP amount. As long as a character has sufficient LP, multiple characters can use the identical ability, allowing you to stack key bonuses across your full roster.

The smartest tactic is to make sure someone is wearing each fresh Picto you find and wins four encounters to unlock its Lumina. That way you’ll have it for future use.

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

Parrying Isn't Your Only Option

Expedition 33’s key feature is its combination of RPG systems with twitch-based defenses. That said, the opportunity to deflect is notoriously tight on every setting. Instead of struggling endlessly trying to land parries, concentrate on rolling.

While a successful parry restores a resource and deals significant bonus damage, not blocking gives you nothing. Fortunately there are a number of gear and skills that provide resources on a well-timed evade. If you struggle with the timing, equip those evasion-based abilities instead.

The Break Status Is Your Secret Weapon

The Break status effect is a game-changing mechanic that can turn the tide. As you attack a foe, a yellow gauge increases under their life bar. Upon maxing out, you can inflict break, which lowers their defense by a significant amount and skips their turn for an entire round. It is the top-tier condition in the game, but only particular skills can cause it.

Build Characters Intentionally

You have the option to reallocate your build using a scarce resource called a Recoat item. Given its scarcity, it's prudent to plan your build instead of using your skill points. Try out a hero's kit and map out a build strategy in advance.

Don't Forget to Rest At the Save Flag

Stopping at an checkpoint completely restores your all characters and refreshes your supply of consumables, including healing potions and Revive Tints. Remember to stop and heal up!

Checkpoints also act as the closest thing to fast travel in the game. There is no overworld map, waypoint system, or objective markers. Instead, each flag has a name and number. By resting, you can access a log of your progress in that zone under a navigation option. It's a basic yet helpful way to navigate the world.

Paint Cages Are Always Worth the Effort

Paint Cages are effectively locked treasure chests that require you to discover and activate three concealed seals in the nearby environment to claiming the prize. The reward is without fail high-tier, including items like rare resources or powerful weapons. The required seals aren't always obvious, but they are almost always located close by. If you are missing a lock, try exploring thoroughly or looking up.

Go Ahead and, Fight the Vendor

Each shopkeeper stocks a secret, unique item that isn't listed in their normal inventory. To gain access to it, you must pick a champion and beat them in combat in a one-on-one fight. This proves to be rewarding, as these rewards are exceptionally powerful. The earliest vendor you meet, for instance, sells a special accessory that inflicts the damage-increasing condition, which increases damage dealt against the target by a significant margin.

Rely On the Autosave

The game lacks {manual saving