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An interesting tidbit: The name “Obscur” in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 alludes to the complex nature of the in-game 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 journey to reverse a worldwide curse that halts the natural aging process. It fuses turn-based RPG battles with action-game reflexes drawn from challenging titles, all presented with a unique aesthetic language.

It has become one of the major releases of the period, having achieved massive sales and earned top honors accolades. The adventure can feel somewhat dense at first, but after you grasp its systems, you’ll uncover a rich and fascinating RPG that differentiates itself from other games. Listed here are 10 essential starting pointers for Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.

Change Party Members Regularly

In Expedition 33, party members who are active during a fight earn a significant 50% bonus to experience relative to those not fighting. What's more, the story will periodically require you to field certain characters. The easiest method to these challenges is to switch members often and try to keep your roster at a roughly equal strength.

The upside is that leveling up is not too tedious. Battles provide a substantial amount of XP, sometimes sufficient for a level up after just two or three. You can refresh an zone's monsters by resting at an checkpoint banner—these flags are scattered throughout each level. If you need to gain levels quickly, simply engage in combat near a flag, rest, and continue the cycle.

Swap Accessories Often

You have two main ways to provide bonus effects to your allies: Pictos and Lumina abilities.

• Pictos are items which grant numerical bonuses and include a special ability. A character can slot up to three Pictos. When equipped, completing four encounters with a Picto will unlock its associated Lumina.
• Luminas are not gear pieces but essentially act as unlocked abilities. A party member has a pool of Lumina Points (which can be increased via items). A Lumina has a set cost. Provided that a character has sufficient LP, you are not restricted can benefit from the identical ability, allowing you to stack key bonuses across your full roster.

The optimal approach is to ensure a party member is wearing each fresh Picto you find and fights through four battles to reveal its Lumina. This ensures you gain access for later builds.

When you aren't have fresh gear to unlock, simply equip the Pictos with the best stats for your current build.

Parrying Isn't Your Single Choice

Expedition 33’s signature mechanic is its marriage of RPG systems with twitch-based defenses. However, the opportunity to deflect is notoriously tight on every setting. Instead of struggling endlessly trying to land parries, concentrate on evading.

Although a successful parry restores one AP and deals massive extra damage, missing the timing gives you nothing. Fortunately there are a number of Pictos and Luminas that restore Action Points on a perfect roll. If you struggle with the timing, focus on those dodge-focused options instead.

Breaking Enemies Is Your Key Tactic

The Break status effect is a game-changing mechanic that can swing a fight. As you damage an enemy, a yellow gauge charges under their HP bar. Once charged, you can apply the Break status, which lowers their damage resistance by a significant amount and stuns them for one full turn. It is the most impactful status effect in the game, but only particular abilities can apply it.

Build Characters Deliberately

You are able to re-spec attributes and skills using a rare item called a Recoat item. Since they are uncommon, it's wise to consider your path prior to using your skill points. Experiment with a party member's role and chart a build strategy first.

Always Stop At the Save Flag

Resting at an save point refills the health of your all characters and replenishes all of your potions, including Chroma Elixirs and phoenix down equivalents. Make it a habit to rest at every flag!

These flags also function as the only means to navigation in the game. There is no mini-map, waypoint system, or floating icons. However, each flag has a name and number. When you interact with one, you can access a log of every flag you've found in that zone under a fast travel menu. It's a simple but effective way to see how far you've come.

Glowing Cages Are Invariably Worth It

Glowing chests are effectively puzzle caches that demand you to locate and shoot three hidden locks in the nearby environment prior to claiming the prize. The treasure inside is always worthwhile, such as respec items or strong equipment. The required seals aren't in plain sight, but they are usually near the cage. If you are missing a lock, try breaking objects or scanning the environment vertically.

Yes, Battle the Shopkeeper

All vendors has a secret, unique item that isn't listed in their standard shop. To gain access to it, you must choose one character and defeat the merchant in a single combat. This proves to be worth doing, as these pieces of gear are game-changing. The first merchant you meet, for instance, sells a special accessory that applies the damage-increasing condition, which increases damage dealt against the target by 25%.

Have Faith in the Auto-Save System

The game lacks {manual saving