10 Newcomer Strategies to Understand Prior to Starting Clair Obscur: Expedition 33

A curious piece of trivia: The “Obscur” in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 alludes to the initially cryptic nature of the in-game systems and systems.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has you leading a band of social media mages, fronted by the audacious British Daredevil, on a journey to halt a worldwide curse that halts the natural aging process. It merges turn-based RPG combat with real-time parries drawn from challenging titles, all wrapped in a distinctive artistic lexicon.

It has become one of the biggest releases of the season, having garnered a huge player base and secured top honors recognition. The experience can feel somewhat dense at first, but when it clicks, you’ll uncover a deep and fascinating role-playing game that is quite unique from contemporary titles. Here are are a collection of starting pointers for Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.

Rotate Party Members Frequently

In Expedition 33, allies who take part in a battle earn a sizable bonus to experience versus those on the bench. Additionally, the campaign will at times mandate you to include particular characters. The most straightforward solution to these mechanics is to change your lineup frequently and try to keep everyone at a roughly equal strength.

The positive aspect is that farming experience is relatively quick. Encounters grant a generous amount of XP, sometimes enough for a level up after just a few. You can refresh an local foes by stopping at an expedition flag—these flags are placed in each level. If you need to gain levels quickly, simply fight enemies near a flag, refresh, and continue the cycle.

Swap Items Often

You have two primary ways to provide constant buffs to your characters: Picto gems and Lumina skills.

• Pictos function as gear that give attribute increases and come with a constant effect. Each character can wear up to three Pictos. After being worn, finishing four fights with a Picto grants access to its associated Lumina.
• Luminas function differently but can be thought of as equippable passives. A party member has a amount of Lumina Points (which you can raise via level-ups). Every Lumina ability has a required LP amount. Provided that a character has sufficient LP, you are not restricted can use the same Lumina, allowing you to layer useful effects across your whole party.

The most efficient approach is to always a party member equips each fresh Picto you find and wins four encounters to reveal its Lumina. This ensures you’ll have it for future use.

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

Perfect Guards Are Not Your Sole Defense

Expedition 33’s defining element is its marriage of strategic battles with action-oriented blocks. However, the opportunity to deflect is incredibly short on any mode. In place of struggling endlessly trying to master the timing, concentrate on evading.

Although a successful parry restores one AP and causes a huge damage spike, failing to parry yields no benefit. Luckily there are multiple gear and skills that provide resources on a perfect roll. If you can't get the block down, use those evasion-based perks instead.

The Break Status Is Your Secret Weapon

Break is a decisive state that can swing a fight. As you damage an enemy, a special bar charges under their HP bar. Once charged, you can apply the Break status, which lowers their defense by a significant amount and skips their turn for an entire round. It is the single most powerful condition in the game, but only certain attacks can cause it.

Build Characters With a Plan

You have the option to reallocate your build using a rare item called a Recoat. Given its scarcity, it's wise to think ahead prior to spending your attribute points. Try out a hero's kit and plan a progression route first.

Don't Forget to Stop At the Checkpoint Flag

Stopping at an save point refills the health of your all characters and refreshes every potions, including healing potions and revival items. Remember to use each flag you see!

Checkpoints also function as the only means to navigation in the game. There is no traditional map, compass, or floating icons. However, each flag has a designation. At a flag, you can view a list of all discovered flags in that level under a navigation option. It's a minimalist way to see how far you've come.

Glowing Cages Are Always Worth the Effort

Paint Cages are essentially sealed loot boxes that need you to discover and activate three concealed seals in the surrounding area prior to opening them. The treasure inside is consistently valuable, such as rare resources or unique gear. The required seals aren't easy to spot, but they are almost always located close by. If you are missing a lock, try smashing crates or scanning the environment vertically.

Yes, Battle the Vendor

All vendors carries a one-of-a-kind piece of gear that isn't listed in their regular wares. To gain access to it, you must choose one character and defeat the merchant in a one-on-one fight. This is invariably rewarding, as these rewards are game-changing. The initial shopkeeper you meet, for instance, sells a Picto that applies the Defenseless debuff, which boosts damage against the foe by a quarter.

Trust In the Auto-Save System

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