10 Beginner's Tips to Know Before Beginning Clair Obscur: Expedition 33

A fun fact: The title term “Obscur” in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 references the initially cryptic nature of the in-game systems and gameplay loops.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has you leading a group of social media mages, fronted by the daring British Daredevil, on a journey to combat a global affliction that stops people from growing old. It blends turn-based RPG combat with action-game reflexes reminiscent of action RPGs, all cloaked in a unique aesthetic language.

It has emerged as the biggest releases of the period, having garnered a huge player base and earned top honors accolades. The adventure can feel slightly intimidating initially, but when it clicks, you’ll find a deep and fascinating role-playing game that differentiates itself from other games. Here are are 10 essential early-game strategies for Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.

Swap Characters Often

In Expedition 33, party members who take part in a fight gain a hefty increase to Experience Points compared to those in reserve. Furthermore, the campaign will sometimes force you to use specific characters. The simplest method to both issues is to rotate your team and aim to keep everyone at a similar power level.

The positive aspect is that farming experience is not too tedious. Encounters provide a substantial amount of XP, sometimes enough for a level up after just several. You can refresh an local foes by taking a break at an save point—these markers are scattered across each level. If you need to gain levels quickly, simply fight enemies near a flag, refresh, and repeat.

Rotate Items Frequently

The game features two main ways to bestow constant buffs to your allies: Pictos and Lumina abilities.

• Pictos are items which grant attribute increases and include a unique passive skill. Each character can wear a maximum of three Pictos. When equipped, winning four battles with a Picto will unlock its linked Lumina.
• Luminas are not gear pieces but essentially act as unlocked abilities. Every ally has a number of LP (which you can raise via items). A Lumina has a specific point cost. Provided that a character has enough points, multiple characters can equip the same skill, allowing you to combine useful effects across your full roster.

The smartest tactic is to ensure one of your characters has equipped each fresh Picto you find and wins four battles to reveal its Lumina. That way you’ll have it for when needed.

Should you not have unleveled accessories to level up, simply use the Pictos with the best stats for your current build.

Perfect Guards Are Not Your Only Option

Expedition 33’s signature mechanic is its fusion of strategic battles with real-time parries. But, the timing for a perfect block is notoriously tight on any mode. Rather than breaking controllers trying to hit perfect blocks, prioritize evading.

Although a perfect guard restores one AP and inflicts a huge damage spike, missing the timing yields no benefit. Fortunately there are a number of Pictos and Luminas that restore Action Points on a well-timed evade. If you find parrying difficult, equip those evasion-based perks instead.

Break Is Your Secret Weapon

Inflicting Break is a battle-altering condition that can secure victory. As you whittle down health, a special bar fills up beneath their life bar. Once charged, you can inflict break, which slashes their defense by 20% and skips their turn for their next action. It is the single most powerful condition in the game, but only particular skills can cause it.

Allocate Points Deliberately

You are able to re-spec your build using a limited consumable called a Respec token. Given its scarcity, it's smart to consider your path prior to committing your skill points. Experiment with a hero's kit and map out a progression route beforehand.

Make Sure to Rest At the Save Flag

Resting at an save point refills the health of your all characters and replenishes all of your consumables, including Chroma Elixirs and Revive Tints. Make it a habit to rest at every flag!

Expedition flags also act as the primary method to navigation in the game. The game lacks a overworld map, compass, or objective markers. However, each flag has a designation. By resting, you can access a log of all discovered flags in that level under a navigation option. It's a basic yet helpful way to see how far you've come.

Paint Cages Are Consistently Rewarding

Glowing chests are effectively puzzle caches that need you to find and hit three concealed seals in the surrounding area prior to getting the loot. The treasure inside is always valuable, such as respec items or powerful weapons. The three locks aren't always obvious, but they are typically within the same area. If you are missing a lock, try exploring thoroughly or looking up.

Yes, Challenge the Merchant

All vendors stocks a one-of-a-kind piece of gear that won't show up in their standard shop. To unlock it, you must choose one character and beat them in combat in a one-on-one fight. This is always a worthwhile endeavor, as these pieces of gear are truly unique. The earliest vendor you meet, for instance, provides a Picto that causes the Defenseless debuff, which increases damage dealt against the foe by 25%.

Have Faith in the Automatic Saving

The game lacks {manual saving