🔗 Share this article

An interesting tidbit: The “Obscur” in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 hints at the initially cryptic nature of the game's menus and systems.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has you leading a team of social media mages, spearheaded by the audacious British Daredevil, on a mission to reverse a universal phenomenon that prevents aging. It merges strategic role-playing battles with timed defensive moves inspired by Soulslike games, all cloaked in a distinctive visual style.

It has proven to be the biggest releases of the period, having garnered a huge player base and won the premier award recognition. The game can feel a bit off-putting at first, but once you lock in, you’ll find a layered and fascinating role-playing game that stands apart from many others. Below are a collection of early-game strategies for Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.

Change Characters Regularly

In Expedition 33, allies who are active during a encounter gain a hefty increase to XP versus those in reserve. Furthermore, the story will sometimes require you to field certain characters. The simplest solution to these mechanics is to change your lineup frequently and aim to keep all characters at a roughly equal power level.

The good news is that grinding is fairly fast. Battles award a generous amount of XP, frequently enough for a character progression after just a few. You can reset an local foes by taking a break at an expedition flag—these markers are placed throughout each area. If you need to gain levels quickly, simply engage in combat near a flag, refresh, and repeat.

Change Items Regularly

The game features two primary ways to grant constant buffs to your allies: Picto accessories and Luminas.

• Pictos are items which provide attribute increases and come with a constant effect. A character can wear a maximum of three Pictos. After being worn, completing four encounters with a Picto will unlock its associated Lumina.
• Luminas aren’t physical items but can be thought of as unlocked abilities. Every ally has a number of skill points (which grows via items). Each Lumina has a required LP amount. Provided that a character has sufficient LP, multiple characters can benefit from the identical ability, allowing you to stack key bonuses across your full roster.

The most efficient tactic is to make sure a party member is wearing any new accessory and fights through four battles to gain its Lumina. This ensures you gain access for when needed.

If you don't have fresh gear to level up, simply use the Pictos with the highest bonuses for your current build.

Parrying Isn't Your Sole Defense

Expedition 33’s defining element is its combination of RPG systems with twitch-based defenses. That said, the parry window is extremely brief on every setting. In place of struggling endlessly trying to land parries, prioritize rolling.

While a perfect guard restores one AP and deals massive extra damage, not blocking gives you nothing. Fortunately there are several accessories and abilities that provide resources on a perfect roll. If you struggle with the timing, use those dodge-focused perks instead.

Breaking Enemies Is Your Secret Weapon

The Break status effect is a battle-altering state that can turn the tide. As you whittle down health, a yellow gauge charges beneath their HP bar. When full, you can inflict break, which slashes their armor by a significant amount and skips their turn for one full turn. It is the single most powerful condition in the game, but only specific skills can cause it.

Allocate Points Intentionally

You have the option to reallocate stat points and abilities using a scarce resource called a Recoat item. Since they are uncommon, it's prudent to consider your path before spending your stat investments. Experiment with a character's playstyle and plan a skill tree path in advance.

Always Rest At the Checkpoint Flag

Using your tent at an save point fully heals your entire party and restocks your supply of healing items, including HP restoratives and phoenix down equivalents. Remember to rest at every flag!

These flags also act as the only means to quick traversal in the game. You won't find a mini-map, waypoint system, or floating icons. However, each flag has a designation. By resting, you can access a log of your progress in that zone under a teleport list. It's a minimalist way to track your progress.

Paint Cages Are Always Rewarding

Paint Cages are effectively locked treasure chests that demand you to discover and activate three hidden locks in the surrounding area before opening them. The treasure inside is without fail valuable, including items like Recoats or unique gear. The required seals aren't in plain sight, but they are usually located close by. If you are stuck, try breaking objects or scanning the environment vertically.

Go Ahead and, Fight the Shopkeeper

Each shopkeeper carries a one-of-a-kind piece of gear that isn't listed in their regular wares. To get them to sell it, you must select a party member and beat them in combat in a solo battle. This proves to be worth doing, as these pieces of gear are game-changing. The initial shopkeeper you meet, for example, sells a Picto that causes the damage-increasing condition, which increases damage dealt against the affected enemy by a quarter.

Have Faith in the Autosave

You cannot perform {manual saving