🔗 Share this article

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

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 casts you as a group of magical influencers, fronted by the bold British Daredevil, on a mission to reverse a worldwide curse that prevents aging. It merges turn-based RPG battles with real-time parries reminiscent of challenging titles, all wrapped in a idiosyncratic artistic lexicon.

It has become one of the biggest games of the period, having garnered a huge player base and secured Game of the Year accolades. The experience can feel somewhat dense at first, but after you grasp its systems, you’ll discover a rich and engrossing RPG that stands apart from contemporary titles. Below are ten crucial early-game strategies for Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.

Change Characters Often

In Expedition 33, characters who take part in a encounter earn a hefty increase to Experience Points compared to those not fighting. Furthermore, the narrative will at times mandate you to use specific characters. The most straightforward method to these mechanics is to switch members often and try to keep all characters at a roughly equal power level.

The upside is that farming experience is relatively quick. Battles grant a substantial amount of XP, often enough for a character progression after just two or three. You can refresh an zone's monsters by taking a break at an save point—these points are located in each area. If you need to gain levels quickly, simply fight enemies near a flag, use the flag, and continue the cycle.

Change Gear Frequently

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

• Pictos function as gear that provide attribute increases and come with a constant effect. A character can equip a maximum of three Pictos. When equipped, winning four fights with a Picto grants access to its corresponding Lumina.
• Luminas are not gear pieces but can be thought of as unlocked abilities. Each character has a number of skill points (which grows via consumables). Every Lumina ability has a set cost. If a character has enough points, multiple characters can use the identical ability, allowing you to combine powerful passives across your entire team.

The optimal strategy is to always someone has equipped any new accessory and fights through four battles to reveal its Lumina. That way you gain access for when needed.

If you don't have new Pictos to work on, simply use the Pictos with the highest bonuses for your playstyle.

Perfect Guards Are Not Your Sole Defense

Expedition 33’s defining element is its marriage of strategic battles with twitch-based defenses. However, the timing for a perfect block is incredibly short on all difficulty levels. Rather than frustrating yourself trying to land parries, focus on evading.

Even though a well-timed block refunds Action Points and causes significant bonus damage, not blocking leaves you vulnerable. Fortunately there are several gear and skills that provide resources on a well-timed evade. If you can't get the block down, focus on those evasion-based options instead.

The Break Status Is Your Secret Weapon

Break is a decisive state that can swing a fight. As you whittle down health, a gold meter fills up under their HP bar. Upon maxing out, you can stun the enemy, which lowers their armor by a fifth and skips their turn for an entire round. It is the most impactful condition in the game, but only certain skills can apply it.

Level Up With a Plan

You have the option to reallocate attributes and skills using a rare item called a Recoat. Since they are uncommon, it's prudent to consider your path prior to committing your attribute points. Experiment with a hero's kit and chart a progression route first.

Always Use the Expedition Flag

Stopping at an expedition flag completely restores your entire party and restocks all of your potions, including healing potions and phoenix down equivalents. Develop the routine to stop and heal up!

These flags also act as the closest thing to navigation in the game. The game lacks a traditional map, compass, or quest indicators. Instead, each flag has a name and number. By resting, you can access a log of your progress in that zone under a fast travel menu. It's a minimalist way to track your progress.

Locked Chests Are Consistently Rewarding

These special containers are basically puzzle caches that need you to locate and shoot three concealed seals in the immediate vicinity to opening them. The treasure inside is without fail high-tier, including items like Recoats or strong equipment. The required seals aren't always obvious, but they are almost always near the cage. If you are stuck, try smashing crates or checking elevated spots.

Absolutely, Battle the Vendor

All vendors has a one-of-a-kind piece of gear that isn't listed in their regular wares. To get them to sell it, you must pick a champion and beat them in combat in a one-on-one fight. This is always a worthwhile endeavor, as these pieces of gear are exceptionally powerful. The first merchant you meet, for example, provides a special accessory that applies the damage-increasing condition, which amplifies attacks against the target by 25%.

Rely On the Autosave

The game lacks {manual saving