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A fun fact: The title term “Obscur” in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 hints at the initially cryptic nature of the game's menus and gameplay loops.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 casts you as a band of social media mages, fronted by the bold British Daredevil, on a mission to combat a worldwide curse that halts the natural aging process. It blends strategic role-playing encounters with timed defensive moves drawn from Soulslike games, all wrapped in a distinctive artistic lexicon.

It has emerged as the most successful titles of the year, having garnered a huge player base and earned top honors accolades. The experience can feel a bit off-putting at first, but when it clicks, you’ll uncover a rich and engrossing experience that is quite unique from many others. Below are a collection of beginner's tips for Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.

Change Team Members Regularly

In Expedition 33, allies who are active during a encounter gain a sizable bonus to experience relative to those in reserve. Furthermore, the story will sometimes mandate you to use specific characters. The simplest approach to these challenges is to change your lineup frequently and strive to keep everyone at a roughly equal power level.

The upside is that leveling up is fairly fast. Fights award a substantial amount of XP, sometimes enough for a level up after just two or three. You can respawn an zone's monsters by taking a break at an expedition flag—these markers are scattered throughout each zone. If you need to accumulate XP fast, simply fight enemies near a flag, use the flag, and repeat.

Change Gear Regularly

The game features two primary ways to bestow bonus effects to your party members: Picto accessories and Lumina skills.

• Pictos are items which provide numerical bonuses and include a unique passive skill. Each character can wear a maximum of three Pictos. Once slotted, winning four battles with a Picto grants access to its corresponding Lumina.
• Luminas function differently but can be thought of as skill tree nodes. A party member has a amount of skill points (which can be increased via level-ups). A Lumina has a specific point cost. As long as a character has sufficient LP, multiple characters can benefit from the identical ability, allowing you to stack key bonuses across your entire team.

The smartest tactic is to always a party member equips every new Picto and completes four battles to unlock its Lumina. Doing this you’ll have it for future use.

Should you not have unleveled accessories to unlock, simply slot the Pictos with the highest bonuses for your needs.

Blocking Is Not Your Only Option

Expedition 33’s defining element is its fusion of RPG systems with action-oriented blocks. However, the timing for a perfect block is notoriously tight on any mode. Instead of struggling endlessly trying to master the timing, concentrate on evading.

While a well-timed block refunds one AP and inflicts a huge damage spike, failing to parry yields no benefit. Luckily there are multiple accessories and abilities that provide resources on a perfect roll. If you can't get the block down, use those evasion-based perks instead.

Breaking Enemies Is Your Secret Weapon

Break is a game-changing condition that can swing a fight. As you attack a foe, a special bar increases beneath their HP bar. When full, you can inflict break, which reduces their damage resistance by 20% and skips their turn for an entire round. It is the most impactful debuff in the game, but only particular abilities can trigger it.

Allocate Points Intentionally

You have the option to reallocate your build using a scarce resource called a Recoat. Given its scarcity, it's prudent to think ahead before spending your attribute points. Get a feel for a character's playstyle and chart a skill tree path in advance.

Always Use the Save Flag

Using your tent at an checkpoint completely restores your all characters and replenishes your supply of healing items, including HP restoratives and phoenix down equivalents. Remember to stop and heal up!

Checkpoints also act as the only means to navigation in the game. There is no overworld map, waypoint system, or objective markers. Instead, each flag has a identifier. When you interact with one, you can access a log of your progress in that zone under a fast travel menu. It's a minimalist way to see how far you've come.

Paint Cages Are Invariably Worth the Effort

Glowing chests are effectively sealed loot boxes that need you to discover and activate three hidden locks in the surrounding area prior to claiming the prize. The contents is always high-tier, including items like respec items or unique gear. The required seals aren't always obvious, but they are almost always within the same area. If you are missing a lock, try smashing crates or looking up.

Absolutely, Challenge the Shopkeeper

Every merchant stocks a hidden special good that won't show up in their normal inventory. To gain access to it, you must pick a champion and defeat the merchant in a solo battle. This is always worth doing, as these items are game-changing. The first merchant you meet, for example, provides a special accessory that causes the damage-increasing condition, which amplifies attacks against the affected enemy by a significant margin.

Trust In the Automatic Saving

There is no {manual saving