Ten Starter Pointers to Know Prior to Starting Clair Obscur: Expedition 33

A curious piece of trivia: The title term “Obscur” in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 references the complex nature of the interface systems and systems.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 casts you as a group of magical influencers, fronted by the daring British Daredevil, on a quest to halt a global affliction that halts the natural aging process. It merges turn-based RPG battles with action-game reflexes reminiscent of Soulslike games, all wrapped in a unique aesthetic language.

It has emerged as the most successful releases of the period, having achieved massive sales and won Game of the Year praise. The game can feel somewhat dense in the beginning, but after you grasp its systems, you’ll find a rich and captivating RPG that is quite unique from contemporary titles. Here are are ten crucial starting pointers for Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.

Swap Characters Often

In Expedition 33, party members who take part in a battle receive a significant 50% bonus to experience relative to those on the bench. What's more, the narrative will at times require you to include particular characters. The most straightforward solution to these challenges is to rotate your team and strive to keep all characters at a similar strength.

The upside is that farming experience is fairly fast. Battles grant a generous amount of XP, often enough for a character progression after just two or three. You can refresh an area's enemies by taking a break at an expedition flag—these points are located in each zone. If you need to gain levels quickly, simply fight enemies near a flag, refresh, and repeat.

Change Gear Regularly

The game features two main ways to grant passive perks to your allies: Pictos and Luminas.

• Pictos are accessories that grant attribute increases and include a unique passive skill. Every party member can wear up to three Pictos. After being worn, winning four battles with a Picto will unlock its linked Lumina.
• Luminas function differently but can be thought of as skill tree nodes. Every ally has a number of LP (which you can raise via level-ups). Every Lumina ability has a set cost. If a character has sufficient LP, you are not restricted can equip the same skill, allowing you to layer useful effects across your entire team.

The most efficient strategy is to ensure one of your characters equips any new accessory and fights through four battles to gain its Lumina. That way you gain access for future use.

When you aren't have new Pictos to level up, simply equip the Pictos with the best stats for your current build.

Blocking Is Not Your Only Option

Expedition 33’s signature mechanic is its fusion of strategic battles with twitch-based defenses. That said, the opportunity to deflect is incredibly short on every setting. Instead of breaking controllers trying to land parries, concentrate on dodging.

Although a successful parry refunds one AP and inflicts massive extra damage, failing to parry leaves you vulnerable. Luckily there are a number of accessories and abilities that grant AP on a perfect roll. If you find parrying difficult, use those dodge-focused perks instead.

Breaking Enemies Is Your Greatest Advantage

Inflicting Break is a decisive state that can swing a fight. As you damage an enemy, a special bar increases under their life bar. Upon maxing out, you can apply the Break status, which lowers their armor by 20% and skips their turn for their next action. It is the top-tier status effect in the game, but only specific attacks can cause it.

Build Characters With a Plan

You are able to re-spec your build using a limited consumable called a Respec token. Because it's rare, it's wise to consider your path instead of committing your skill points. Get a feel for a party member's role and plan a progression route in advance.

Don't Forget to Stop At the Checkpoint Flag

Resting at an expedition flag refills the health of your whole team and replenishes your supply of potions, including Chroma Elixirs and Revive Tints. Make it a habit to use each flag you see!

These flags also serve as the only means to navigation in the game. You won't find a traditional map, compass, or floating icons. But, each flag has a identifier. At a flag, you can view a list of every flag you've found in that level under a teleport list. It's a basic yet helpful way to navigate the world.

Glowing Cages Are Consistently Worth the Effort

Glowing chests are essentially sealed loot boxes that require you to find and hit three concealed seals in the immediate vicinity to opening them. The contents is consistently valuable, including items like respec items or strong equipment. The three locks aren't in plain sight, but they are almost always located close by. If you are missing a lock, try breaking objects or looking up.

Absolutely, Fight the Vendor

All vendors has a one-of-a-kind piece of gear that won't show up in their normal inventory. To gain access to it, you must choose one character and defeat the merchant in a single combat. This is always worth doing, as these items are game-changing. The earliest vendor you meet, for reference, provides a special accessory that applies the vulnerability status, which increases damage dealt against the foe by a quarter.

Trust In the Auto-Save System

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