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A curious piece of trivia: The name “Obscur” in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 hints at the somewhat obscure nature of the in-game systems and systems.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 places you in the role of a group of social media mages, fronted by the daring British Daredevil, on a mission to reverse a universal phenomenon that prevents aging. It fuses strategic role-playing combat with timed defensive moves reminiscent of challenging titles, all wrapped in a idiosyncratic visual style.

It has proven to be the most successful titles of the season, having sold millions and won Game of the Year praise. The adventure can feel a bit off-putting initially, but when it clicks, you’ll discover a deep and captivating RPG that differentiates itself from contemporary titles. Here are are a collection of early-game strategies for Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.

Rotate Team Members Often

In Expedition 33, party members who participate in a fight gain a hefty increase to experience relative to those on the bench. What's more, the story will at times require you to field certain characters. The simplest approach to these challenges is to switch members often and aim to keep your roster at a similar power level.

The good news is that leveling up is fairly fast. Encounters award a generous amount of XP, frequently sufficient for a stat increase after just several. You can reset an area's enemies by resting at an save point—these points are placed across each level. If you need to gain levels quickly, simply battle monsters near a flag, use the flag, and repeat.

Swap Accessories Often

The game features two primary ways to grant passive perks to your allies: Picto accessories and Lumina skills.

• Pictos are accessories that grant numerical bonuses and come with a constant effect. Each character can wear a maximum of three Pictos. After being worn, completing four fights with a Picto grants access to its corresponding Lumina.
• Luminas function differently but are similar to equippable passives. A party member has a amount of Lumina Points (which grows via items). Every Lumina ability has a required LP amount. If a character has the required amount, you are not restricted can use the identical ability, allowing you to combine key bonuses across your entire team.

The smartest strategy is to ensure a party member equips each fresh Picto you find and wins four battles to unlock its Lumina. Doing this the ability will be available for when needed.

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

Parrying Isn't Your Sole Defense

Expedition 33’s key feature is its combination of RPG systems with twitch-based defenses. But, the parry window is extremely brief on every setting. In place of frustrating yourself trying to land parries, prioritize rolling.

Even though a successful parry restores Action Points and causes massive extra damage, missing the timing yields no benefit. The good news is there are several accessories and abilities that provide resources on a perfect roll. If you find parrying difficult, focus on those dodge-focused abilities instead.

The Break Status Is Your Greatest Advantage

The Break status effect is a decisive mechanic that can secure victory. As you damage an enemy, a gold meter increases under their life bar. When full, you can stun the enemy, which slashes their damage resistance by a significant amount and stuns them for one full turn. It is the most impactful debuff in the game, but only certain abilities can apply 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 smart to plan your build prior to using your stat investments. Experiment with a party member's role and plan a progression route beforehand.

Make Sure to Stop At the Checkpoint Flag

Using your tent at an save point completely restores your all characters and restocks all of your consumables, including HP restoratives and Revive Tints. Remember to stop and heal up!

These flags also serve as the closest thing to quick traversal in the game. You won't find a traditional map, compass, or floating icons. But, each flag has a designation. When you interact with one, you can view a list of your progress in that level under a navigation option. It's a minimalist way to track your progress.

Paint Cages Are Invariably Worth It

Paint Cages are effectively puzzle caches that require you to find and hit three concealed seals in the surrounding area before claiming the prize. The contents is consistently high-tier, often containing respec items or unique gear. The associated mechanisms aren't easy to spot, but they are typically located close by. If you are stuck, try breaking objects or looking up.

Go Ahead and, Battle the Vendor

All vendors stocks a secret, unique item that doesn't appear in their standard shop. To unlock it, you must select a party member and win a duel in a solo battle. This is invariably rewarding, as these pieces of gear are game-changing. The earliest vendor you meet, for example, sells a special accessory that applies the vulnerability status, which boosts damage against the affected enemy by a quarter.

Rely On the Auto-Save System

There is no {manual saving