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A fun fact: The title term “Obscur” in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 hints at the complex nature of the interface systems and gameplay loops.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 places you in the role of a team of glamorous spellcasters, spearheaded by the audacious British Daredevil, on a mission to halt a global affliction that stops people from growing old. It fuses traditional RPG combat with real-time parries drawn from action RPGs, all cloaked in a distinctive aesthetic language.

It has proven to be the biggest titles of the year, having sold millions and secured Game of the Year praise. The game can feel somewhat dense at first, but when it clicks, you’ll discover a deep and captivating RPG that differentiates itself from contemporary titles. Below are 10 essential beginner's tips for Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.

Rotate Party Members Often

In Expedition 33, party members who participate in a fight gain a significant 50% bonus to experience compared to those on the bench. Furthermore, the campaign will at times force you to use specific characters. The easiest approach to these mechanics is to rotate your team and aim to keep all characters at a similar level.

The good news is that grinding is fairly fast. Fights provide a substantial amount of XP, sometimes enough for a stat increase after just several. You can reset an area's enemies by resting at an expedition flag—these points are placed in each zone. If you need to gain levels quickly, simply engage in combat near a flag, use the flag, and continue the cycle.

Rotate Gear Frequently

There are a couple of key ways to bestow bonus effects to your characters: Picto gems and Luminas.

• Pictos are accessories that grant numerical bonuses and also feature a special ability. A character can wear three different Pictos. After being worn, finishing four battles with a Picto will unlock its linked Lumina.
• Luminas are not gear pieces but essentially act as skill tree nodes. Every ally has a amount of LP (which you can raise via consumables). Each Lumina has a set cost. If a character has the required amount, multiple characters can equip the same skill, allowing you to combine powerful passives across your full roster.

The most efficient approach is to always one of your characters equips each fresh Picto you find and completes the required fights to gain its Lumina. That way the ability will be available for when needed.

Should you not have fresh gear to unlock, simply equip the Pictos with the most beneficial attributes for your needs.

Perfect Guards Are Not Your Single Choice

Expedition 33’s signature mechanic is its combination of RPG systems with real-time parries. But, the parry window is incredibly short on any mode. In place of frustrating yourself trying to master the timing, focus on rolling.

Even though a perfect guard restores Action Points and deals a huge damage spike, not blocking gives you nothing. Fortunately there are a number of gear and skills that grant AP on a perfect roll. If you struggle with the timing, focus on those evasion-based abilities instead.

Breaking Enemies Is Your Greatest Advantage

Inflicting Break is a decisive condition that can secure victory. As you whittle down health, a gold meter charges beneath their health bar. Once charged, you can stun the enemy, which reduces their defense by a fifth and prevents them from acting for an entire round. It is the top-tier condition in the game, but only particular attacks can apply it.

Allocate Points Deliberately

You are able to re-spec attributes and skills using a limited consumable called a Recoat item. Because it's rare, it's wise to plan your build before committing your attribute points. Get a feel for a party member's role and map out a progression route in advance.

Always Stop At the Checkpoint Flag

Using your tent at an checkpoint fully heals your all characters and restocks every potions, including healing potions and revival items. Remember to use each flag you see!

These flags also serve as the primary method to navigation in the game. There is no mini-map, GPS, or quest indicators. But, each flag has a name and number. When you interact with one, you can view a list of all discovered flags in that level under a fast travel menu. It's a minimalist way to track your progress.

Paint Cages Are Consistently Rewarding

Paint Cages are basically puzzle caches that require you to discover and activate three scattered mechanisms in the surrounding area prior to getting the loot. The reward is consistently worthwhile, such as respec items or unique gear. The three locks aren't always obvious, but they are usually within the same area. If you are stuck, try smashing crates or scanning the environment vertically.

Absolutely, Challenge the Vendor

All vendors carries a hidden special good that isn't listed in their standard shop. To get them to sell it, you must select a party member and win a duel in a one-on-one fight. This is always worth doing, as these pieces of gear are truly unique. The first merchant you meet, for reference, provides a Picto that applies the damage-increasing condition, which amplifies attacks against the foe by 25%.

Rely On the Automatic Saving

There is no {manual saving