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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 places you in the role of a team of social media mages, spearheaded by the daring British Daredevil, on a journey to combat a global affliction that prevents aging. It merges traditional RPG encounters with real-time parries drawn from action RPGs, all cloaked in a distinctive aesthetic language.

It has proven to be the most successful releases of the season, having sold millions and won top honors accolades. The adventure can feel a bit off-putting in the beginning, but when it clicks, you’ll discover a deep and fascinating experience that stands apart from other games. Below are 10 essential early-game strategies for Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.

Change Characters Often

In Expedition 33, allies who participate in a encounter earn a significant 50% bonus to experience compared to those not fighting. What's more, the story will periodically force you to use specific characters. The easiest solution to these mechanics is to change your lineup frequently and try to keep all characters at a comparable level.

The upside is that grinding is fairly fast. Battles grant a generous amount of XP, often enough for a level up after just a few. You can reset an zone's monsters by resting at an checkpoint banner—these flags are scattered throughout each area. If you need to gain levels quickly, simply battle monsters near a flag, rest, and repeat.

Change Gear Regularly

The game features two primary ways to grant constant buffs to your party members: Picto accessories and Lumina abilities.

• Pictos function as gear that provide attribute increases and come with a constant effect. Each character can slot up to three Pictos. After being worn, winning four encounters with a Picto grants access to its corresponding Lumina.
• Luminas are not gear pieces but are similar to skill tree nodes. A party member has a number of Lumina Points (which can be increased via items). Each Lumina has a set cost. As long as a character has the required amount, you are not restricted can equip the same Lumina, allowing you to layer powerful passives across your full roster.

The optimal approach is to make sure one of your characters has equipped every new Picto and completes four encounters to gain its Lumina. Doing this you gain access for future use.

When you aren't have new Pictos to unlock, simply use the Pictos with the best stats for your playstyle.

Perfect Guards Are Not Your Sole Defense

Expedition 33’s defining element is its fusion of RPG systems with real-time parries. However, the timing for a perfect block is incredibly short on all difficulty levels. In place of breaking controllers trying to land parries, prioritize dodging.

Although a well-timed block refunds a resource and deals massive extra damage, missing the timing gives you nothing. Luckily there are multiple accessories and abilities that provide resources on a well-timed evade. If you can't get the block down, use those evasion-based perks instead.

Break Is Your Secret Weapon

Inflicting Break is a game-changing mechanic that can turn the tide. As you damage an enemy, a special bar increases under their health bar. Once charged, you can apply the Break status, which lowers their armor by 20% and prevents them from acting for one full turn. It is the single most powerful condition in the game, but only particular abilities can cause it.

Level Up Intentionally

You have the option to reallocate your build using a rare item called a Recoat item. Because it's rare, it's prudent to plan your build instead of committing your attribute points. Try out a character's playstyle and plan a build strategy in advance.

Always Stop At the Save Flag

Resting at an checkpoint fully heals your whole team and restocks all of your potions, including HP restoratives and phoenix down equivalents. Develop the routine to stop and heal up!

Expedition flags also serve as the closest thing to quick traversal in the game. There is no mini-map, compass, or floating icons. Instead, each flag has a designation. At a flag, you can access a log of every flag you've found in that level under a teleport list. It's a basic yet helpful way to see how far you've come.

Glowing Cages Are Always Rewarding

These special containers are essentially sealed loot boxes that need you to find and hit three scattered mechanisms in the surrounding area to opening them. The contents is without fail valuable, often containing respec items or powerful weapons. The required seals aren't in plain sight, but they are usually near the cage. If you can't find one, try exploring thoroughly or checking elevated spots.

Yes, Challenge the Merchant

Every merchant stocks a hidden special good that isn't listed in their regular wares. To unlock it, you must select a party member and win a duel in a single combat. This is invariably a worthwhile endeavor, as these pieces of gear are truly unique. The first merchant you meet, for example, offers a special accessory that causes the vulnerability status, which amplifies attacks against the affected enemy by a quarter.

Rely On the Automatic Saving

There is no {manual saving