🔗 Share this article

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

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 casts you as a team of social media mages, spearheaded by the daring British Daredevil, on a journey to combat a universal phenomenon that halts the natural aging process. It fuses traditional RPG combat with action-game reflexes drawn from action RPGs, all cloaked in a unique artistic lexicon.

It has become one of the most successful titles of the year, having achieved massive sales and won the premier award accolades. The adventure can feel slightly intimidating in the beginning, but once you lock in, you’ll uncover a deep and captivating role-playing game that is quite unique from many others. Below are 10 essential beginner's tips for Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.

Rotate Characters Frequently

In Expedition 33, party members who are active during a battle gain a hefty increase to XP compared to those not fighting. Additionally, the campaign will periodically require you to use specific characters. The easiest method to both issues is to rotate your team and try to keep everyone at a similar level.

The positive aspect is that leveling up is not too tedious. Battles provide a substantial amount of XP, sometimes enough for a stat increase after just a few. You can respawn an local foes by taking a break at an expedition flag—these markers are scattered throughout each area. If you need to power level, simply fight enemies near a flag, refresh, and repeat.

Change Accessories Regularly

There are two main ways to grant passive perks to your characters: Picto gems and Lumina abilities.

• Pictos are accessories that give stat boosts and include a special ability. A character can slot a maximum of three Pictos. Once slotted, finishing four battles with a Picto unlocks its corresponding Lumina.
• Luminas are not gear pieces but essentially act as unlocked abilities. Every ally has a amount of Lumina Points (which can be increased via consumables). Each Lumina has a set cost. If a character has enough points, you are not restricted can equip the same Lumina, allowing you to combine key bonuses across your full roster.

The optimal tactic is to ensure one of your characters is wearing any new accessory and completes four encounters to reveal its Lumina. Doing this you’ll have it for future use.

Should you not have unleveled accessories to level up, simply equip the Pictos with the most beneficial attributes for your current build.

Blocking Is Not Your Sole Defense

Expedition 33’s signature mechanic is its combination of strategic battles with twitch-based defenses. However, the timing for a perfect block is extremely brief on any mode. Rather than frustrating yourself trying to master the timing, prioritize rolling.

Even though a successful parry grants a resource and inflicts significant bonus damage, not blocking yields no benefit. The good news is there are a number of gear and skills that provide resources on a perfect roll. If you struggle with the timing, equip those dodge-focused perks instead.

Breaking Enemies Is Your Secret Weapon

Break is a battle-altering condition that can swing a fight. As you whittle down health, a special bar fills up below their HP bar. When full, you can inflict break, which lowers their defense by 20% and stuns them for one full turn. It is the top-tier debuff in the game, but only certain abilities can trigger it.

Allocate Points Intentionally

You are able to re-spec stat points and abilities using a limited consumable called a Recoat. Because it's rare, it's wise to consider your path prior to using your skill points. Get a feel for a hero's kit and map out a progression route first.

Make Sure to Use the Save Flag

Stopping at an expedition flag completely restores your entire party and replenishes all of your healing items, including HP restoratives and phoenix down equivalents. Remember to use each flag you see!

Checkpoints also act as the primary method to navigation in the game. The game lacks a overworld map, waypoint system, or floating icons. Instead, each flag has a identifier. When you interact with one, you can view a list of all discovered flags in that zone under a fast travel menu. It's a simple but effective way to track your progress.

Paint Cages Are Consistently Worth It

Paint Cages are basically puzzle caches that require you to locate and shoot three concealed seals in the surrounding area prior to getting the loot. The contents is always high-tier, including items like rare resources or powerful weapons. The three locks aren't in plain sight, but they are almost always near the cage. If you can't find one, try breaking objects or checking elevated spots.

Go Ahead and, Fight the Merchant

Every merchant stocks a secret, unique item that won't show up in their standard shop. To unlock it, you must select a party member and beat them in combat in a one-on-one fight. This proves to be rewarding, as these rewards are truly unique. The first merchant you meet, for example, offers a special accessory that applies the Defenseless debuff, which boosts damage against the affected enemy by 25%.

Rely On the Autosave

The game lacks {manual saving