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A curious piece of trivia: The name “Obscur” in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 references the somewhat obscure nature of the interface systems and systems.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 places you in the role of a group of glamorous spellcasters, spearheaded by the audacious British Daredevil, on a journey to combat a universal phenomenon that stops people from growing old. It blends strategic role-playing battles with timed defensive moves drawn from challenging titles, all wrapped in a distinctive artistic lexicon.

It has emerged as the most successful titles of the year, having garnered a huge player base and earned top honors accolades. The game can feel a bit off-putting at first, but when it clicks, you’ll uncover a layered and fascinating role-playing game that is quite unique from other games. Below are a collection of early-game strategies for Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.

Swap Characters Frequently

In Expedition 33, allies who are active during a encounter gain a sizable bonus to XP versus those on the bench. Furthermore, the campaign will sometimes require you to use specific characters. The easiest method to these mechanics is to switch members often and aim to keep everyone at a similar strength.

The upside is that farming experience is relatively quick. Fights award a sizable amount of XP, frequently enough for a character progression after just a few. You can respawn an area's enemies by taking a break at an save point—these points are placed throughout each zone. If you need to gain levels quickly, simply engage in combat near a flag, refresh, and repeat.

Swap Items Frequently

You have a couple of key ways to grant passive perks to your characters: Picto accessories and Lumina abilities.

• Pictos are items which grant stat boosts and include a unique passive skill. Every party member can wear a maximum of three Pictos. Once slotted, completing four battles with a Picto will unlock its corresponding Lumina.
• Luminas are not gear pieces but essentially act as unlocked abilities. Each character has a number of Lumina Points (which can be increased via items). Each Lumina has a specific point cost. Provided that a character has enough points, you are not restricted can use the identical ability, allowing you to combine powerful passives across your entire team.

The smartest strategy is to make sure one of your characters equips each fresh Picto you find and fights through four battles to unlock its Lumina. This ensures you’ll have it for future use.

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

Parrying Isn't Your Sole Defense

Expedition 33’s signature mechanic is its combination of strategic battles with real-time parries. However, the timing for a perfect block is notoriously tight on all difficulty levels. In place of frustrating yourself trying to land parries, focus on dodging.

While a successful parry restores one AP and inflicts massive extra damage, missing the timing leaves you vulnerable. Luckily there are a number of Pictos and Luminas that grant AP on a well-timed evade. If you can't get the block down, focus on those dodge-focused abilities instead.

Breaking Enemies Is Your Greatest Advantage

Inflicting Break is a battle-altering mechanic that can swing a fight. As you whittle down health, a yellow gauge charges below their health bar. Once charged, you can inflict break, which reduces their defense by a significant amount and prevents them from acting for their next action. It is the single most powerful status effect in the game, but only particular abilities can cause it.

Level Up With a Plan

You are able to re-spec attributes and skills using a limited consumable called a Recoat. Given its scarcity, it's wise to consider your path before spending your attribute points. Try out a party member's role and map out a progression route first.

Make Sure to Rest At the Save Flag

Resting at an save point fully heals your whole team and replenishes your supply of potions, including Chroma Elixirs and phoenix down equivalents. Make it a habit to stop and heal up!

Checkpoints also function as the only means to navigation in the game. There is no traditional map, GPS, or objective markers. Instead, each flag has a identifier. When you interact with one, you can access a log of your progress in that area under a navigation option. It's a simple but effective way to track your progress.

Glowing Cages Are Consistently Worth It

Paint Cages are basically puzzle caches that need you to discover and activate three scattered mechanisms in the surrounding area before getting the loot. The treasure inside is always worthwhile, including items like Recoats or unique gear. The three locks aren't easy to spot, but they are usually located close by. If you can't find one, try smashing crates or looking up.

Yes, Battle the Shopkeeper

All vendors 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 beat them in combat in a solo battle. This is always worth doing, as these pieces of gear are game-changing. The first merchant you meet, for example, provides a special accessory that applies the damage-increasing condition, which increases damage dealt against the affected enemy by a significant margin.

Trust In the Autosave

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