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

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 places you in the role of a group of glamorous spellcasters, spearheaded by the daring British Daredevil, on a quest to halt a global affliction that stops people from growing old. It fuses strategic role-playing battles with action-game reflexes drawn from challenging titles, all wrapped in a unique artistic lexicon.

It has proven to be the most successful titles of the year, having achieved massive sales and secured top honors accolades. The adventure can feel slightly intimidating at first, but once you lock in, you’ll discover a rich and fascinating experience that stands apart from many others. Listed here are 10 essential starting pointers for Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.

Change Team Members Regularly

In Expedition 33, allies who are active during a battle receive a significant 50% bonus to XP versus those in reserve. Furthermore, the story will periodically mandate you to field certain characters. The easiest solution to both issues is to switch members often and aim to keep all characters at a comparable strength.

The upside is that leveling up is relatively quick. Encounters provide a sizable amount of XP, frequently sufficient for a level up after just two or three. You can reset an area's enemies by stopping at an save point—these flags are scattered across each area. If you need to gain levels quickly, simply fight enemies near a flag, rest, and continue the cycle.

Change Accessories Frequently

There are a couple of key ways to bestow bonus effects to your party members: Pictos and Lumina abilities.

• Pictos are accessories that provide numerical bonuses and also feature a constant effect. Each character can equip a maximum of three Pictos. After being worn, completing four battles with a Picto grants access to its linked Lumina.
• Luminas function differently but essentially act as skill tree nodes. Each character has a pool of LP (which grows via level-ups). Every Lumina ability has a set cost. As long as a character has the required amount, you are not restricted can benefit from the same skill, allowing you to combine useful effects across your entire team.

The smartest tactic is to make sure a party member has equipped any new accessory and fights through the required fights to reveal its Lumina. Doing this you’ll have it for when needed.

Should you not have unleveled accessories to work on, simply use the Pictos with the highest bonuses for your playstyle.

Parrying Isn't Your Single Choice

Expedition 33’s signature mechanic is its marriage of strategic battles with twitch-based defenses. But, the opportunity to deflect is notoriously tight on all difficulty levels. Rather than struggling endlessly trying to land parries, focus on rolling.

Although a perfect guard grants one AP and deals massive extra damage, not blocking yields no benefit. The good news is there are multiple gear and skills that provide resources on a perfect roll. If you can't get the block down, focus on those roll-centric options instead.

The Break Status Is Your Key Tactic

Inflicting Break is a game-changing condition that can turn the tide. As you damage an enemy, a yellow gauge increases below their health bar. Once charged, you can inflict break, which lowers their defense by a fifth and prevents them from acting for their next action. It is the single most powerful condition in the game, but only specific abilities can cause it.

Allocate Points Deliberately

You are able to re-spec attributes and skills using a limited consumable called a Respec token. Given its scarcity, it's wise to consider your path prior to spending your attribute points. Get a feel for a character's playstyle and plan a skill tree path beforehand.

Make Sure to Stop At the Save Flag

Resting at an checkpoint refills the health of your entire party and restocks your supply of healing items, including healing potions and Revive Tints. Develop the routine to use each flag you see!

Checkpoints also serve as the primary method to quick traversal in the game. You won't find a traditional map, waypoint system, or quest indicators. However, each flag has a name and number. By resting, you can see a menu of your progress in that area under a fast travel menu. It's a simple but effective way to navigate the world.

Locked Chests Are Invariably Rewarding

Paint Cages are basically sealed loot boxes that need you to discover and activate three concealed seals in the nearby environment prior to claiming the prize. The reward is always high-tier, including items like Recoats or strong equipment. The required seals aren't always obvious, but they are almost always within the same area. If you are missing a lock, try exploring thoroughly or checking elevated spots.

Absolutely, Challenge the Shopkeeper

Every merchant stocks a secret, unique item that won't show up in their regular wares. To get them to sell it, you must pick a champion and defeat the merchant in a one-on-one fight. This is invariably worth doing, as these pieces of gear are game-changing. The earliest vendor you meet, for instance, offers a Picto that inflicts the vulnerability status, which increases damage dealt against the affected enemy by a quarter.

Rely On the Automatic Saving

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