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A curious piece of trivia: The “Obscur” in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 hints at the somewhat obscure nature of the game's menus and gameplay loops.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has you leading a band of glamorous spellcasters, fronted by the bold British Daredevil, on a mission to reverse a global affliction that stops people from growing old. It merges traditional RPG combat with action-game reflexes inspired by Soulslike games, all cloaked in a unique visual style.

It has become one of the major releases of the year, having sold millions and won the premier award accolades. The game can feel a bit off-putting initially, but after you grasp its systems, you’ll uncover a layered and engrossing experience that differentiates itself from contemporary titles. Below are a collection of beginner's tips for Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.

Swap Characters Frequently

In Expedition 33, party members who participate in a encounter earn a significant 50% bonus to experience compared to those on the bench. Additionally, the narrative will at times force you to include particular characters. The simplest approach to both issues is to switch members often and try to keep your roster at a similar strength.

The good news is that farming experience is relatively quick. Battles provide a sizable amount of XP, often sufficient for a character progression after just a few. You can reset an local foes by stopping at an save point—these points are located throughout each area. If you need to gain levels quickly, simply engage in combat near a flag, rest, and do it again.

Rotate Accessories Often

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

• Pictos are accessories that provide stat boosts and include a constant effect. A character can equip up to three Pictos. Once slotted, completing four encounters with a Picto will unlock its associated Lumina.
• Luminas aren’t physical items but essentially act as equippable passives. Each character has a pool of Lumina Points (which can be increased via consumables). Each Lumina has a specific point cost. As long as a character has sufficient LP, you are not restricted can equip the same skill, allowing you to stack powerful passives across your entire team.

The smartest approach is to ensure a party member is wearing each fresh Picto you find and fights through four battles to gain its Lumina. This ensures you’ll have it for when needed.

Should you not have fresh gear to work on, simply use the Pictos with the highest bonuses for your current build.

Blocking Is Not Your Sole Defense

Expedition 33’s defining element is its fusion of RPG systems with real-time parries. However, the parry window is notoriously tight on any mode. In place of breaking controllers trying to land parries, focus on evading.

While a perfect guard grants one AP and inflicts significant bonus damage, not blocking yields no benefit. Luckily there are several gear and skills that grant AP on a successful dodge. If you find parrying difficult, use those evasion-based options instead.

The Break Status Is Your Secret Weapon

Inflicting Break is a game-changing mechanic that can swing a fight. As you damage an enemy, a special bar increases beneath their HP bar. Upon maxing out, you can stun the enemy, which lowers their damage resistance by a fifth and skips their turn for an entire round. It is the most impactful status effect in the game, but only specific skills can apply it.

Build Characters Deliberately

You have the option to reallocate stat points and abilities using a scarce resource called a Recoat. Given its scarcity, it's smart to consider your path prior to committing your attribute points. Try out a hero's kit and plan a progression route first.

Don't Forget to Use the Save Flag

Resting at an checkpoint fully heals your all characters and restocks all of your healing items, including HP restoratives and revival items. Make it a habit to stop and heal up!

Expedition flags also function as the primary method to navigation in the game. There is no overworld map, GPS, or quest indicators. However, each flag has a name and number. When you interact with one, you can see a menu of your progress in that area under a teleport list. It's a simple but effective way to track your progress.

Glowing Cages Are Always Worth the Effort

Glowing chests are effectively sealed loot boxes that require you to find and hit three scattered mechanisms in the surrounding area to opening them. The treasure inside is always high-tier, including items like rare resources or strong equipment. The associated mechanisms aren't always obvious, but they are typically near the cage. If you can't find one, try smashing crates or scanning the environment vertically.

Absolutely, Challenge the Merchant

Each shopkeeper has a secret, unique item that won't show up in their regular wares. To unlock it, you must pick a champion and defeat the merchant in a one-on-one fight. This is invariably a worthwhile endeavor, as these items are exceptionally powerful. The first merchant you meet, for instance, offers a Picto that inflicts the vulnerability status, which boosts damage against the target by a quarter.

Have Faith in the Automatic Saving

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