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A fun fact: The “Obscur” in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 references the somewhat obscure nature of the game's menus and systems.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 places you in the role of a group of social media mages, spearheaded by the bold British Daredevil, on a quest to halt a global affliction that prevents aging. It merges traditional RPG encounters with real-time parries drawn from challenging titles, all wrapped in a idiosyncratic visual style.

It has proven to be the most successful games of the season, having sold millions and secured top honors accolades. The experience can feel a bit off-putting in the beginning, but after you grasp its systems, you’ll find a deep and captivating experience that stands apart from many others. Here are are a collection of beginner's tips for Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.

Change Party Members Regularly

In Expedition 33, allies who take part in a fight receive a sizable bonus to XP compared to those in reserve. What's more, the campaign will at times force you to field certain characters. The most straightforward approach to these mechanics is to switch members often and try to keep your roster at a similar power level.

The upside is that farming experience is relatively quick. Encounters provide a substantial amount of XP, frequently enough for a level up after just several. You can refresh an zone's monsters by taking a break at an expedition flag—these markers are placed across each area. If you need to power level, simply battle monsters near a flag, refresh, and continue the cycle.

Rotate Gear Regularly

There are a couple of key ways to grant passive perks to your characters: Pictos and Lumina abilities.

• Pictos function as gear that provide stat boosts and include a special ability. Each character can wear three different Pictos. Once slotted, winning four fights with a Picto unlocks its linked Lumina.
• Luminas are not gear pieces but are similar to equippable passives. Every ally has a number of skill points (which you can raise via items). Every Lumina ability has a specific point cost. Provided that a character has sufficient LP, you are not restricted can benefit from the same Lumina, allowing you to layer powerful passives across your full roster.

The most efficient tactic is to always someone is wearing each fresh Picto you find and fights through four battles to reveal its Lumina. That way you gain access for future use.

If you don't have unleveled accessories to work on, simply use the Pictos with the best stats for your playstyle.

Perfect Guards Are Not Your Sole Defense

Expedition 33’s signature mechanic is its fusion of turn-based combat with twitch-based defenses. That said, the timing for a perfect block is incredibly short on every setting. In place of frustrating yourself trying to master the timing, focus on evading.

Even though a successful parry restores one AP and deals massive extra damage, missing the timing gives you nothing. Luckily there are multiple Pictos and Luminas that restore Action Points on a successful dodge. If you can't get the block down, use those dodge-focused perks instead.

The Break Status Is Your Greatest Advantage

The Break status effect is a battle-altering condition that can secure victory. As you attack a foe, a special bar increases beneath their life bar. Once charged, you can apply the Break status, which lowers their defense by 20% and stuns them for an entire round. It is the most impactful status effect in the game, but only specific abilities can trigger it.

Allocate Points With a Plan

You can reset attributes and skills using a rare item called a Respec token. Given its scarcity, it's prudent to plan your build instead of using your attribute points. Get a feel for a character's playstyle and map out a skill tree path in advance.

Make Sure to Rest At the Expedition Flag

Resting at an checkpoint completely restores your whole team and refreshes all of your healing items, including HP restoratives and phoenix down equivalents. Remember to use each flag you see!

These flags also function as the primary method to fast travel in the game. There is no mini-map, compass, or quest indicators. However, each flag has a identifier. By resting, you can see a menu of your progress in that zone under a navigation option. It's a basic yet helpful way to navigate the world.

Glowing Cages Are Invariably Worth It

Paint Cages are effectively puzzle caches that demand you to locate and shoot three concealed seals in the immediate vicinity prior to opening them. The treasure inside is without fail worthwhile, such as respec items or unique gear. The associated mechanisms aren't in plain sight, but they are typically located close by. If you are missing a lock, try breaking objects or looking up.

Absolutely, Challenge the Vendor

All vendors has a one-of-a-kind piece of gear that isn't listed in their normal inventory. To unlock it, you must pick a champion and win a duel in a solo battle. This is invariably a worthwhile endeavor, as these rewards are truly unique. The initial shopkeeper you meet, for instance, offers a special accessory that causes the vulnerability status, which increases damage dealt against the foe by a significant margin.

Rely On the Automatic Saving

There is no {manual saving