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A curious piece of trivia: The “Obscur” in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 references the initially cryptic nature of the game's menus and gameplay loops.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has you leading a team of glamorous spellcasters, led by the audacious British Daredevil, on a mission to combat a universal phenomenon that prevents aging. It blends turn-based RPG battles with action-game reflexes drawn from Soulslike games, all presented with a distinctive visual style.

It has emerged as the biggest games of the year, having sold millions and secured Game of the Year recognition. The adventure can feel a bit off-putting in the beginning, but after you grasp its systems, you’ll find a deep and engrossing RPG that is quite unique from other games. Below are 10 essential beginner's tips for Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.

Change Characters Often

In Expedition 33, party members who are active during a battle receive a sizable bonus to experience versus those not fighting. Furthermore, the campaign will periodically require you to include particular characters. The simplest method to these mechanics is to rotate your team and try to keep all characters at a roughly equal power level.

The upside is that leveling up is fairly fast. Encounters grant a substantial amount of XP, frequently sufficient for a level up after just a few. You can reset an zone's monsters by stopping at an expedition flag—these markers are located across each area. If you need to accumulate XP fast, simply fight enemies near a flag, rest, and do it again.

Change Gear Regularly

You have a couple of key ways to grant passive perks to your characters: Pictos and Luminas.

• Pictos are items which give stat boosts and include a constant effect. Every party member can slot up to three Pictos. After being worn, winning four fights with a Picto unlocks its associated Lumina.
• Luminas aren’t physical items but essentially act as skill tree nodes. Every ally has a number of Lumina Points (which grows via level-ups). A Lumina has a set cost. As long as a character has sufficient LP, there is no limit can benefit from the same skill, allowing you to layer useful effects across your full roster.

The smartest approach is to ensure someone equips every new Picto and wins four encounters to reveal its Lumina. This ensures you’ll have it for future use.

Should you not have new Pictos to work on, simply use the Pictos with the best stats for your playstyle.

Parrying Isn't Your Only Option

Expedition 33’s key feature is its marriage of turn-based combat with action-oriented blocks. That said, the timing for a perfect block is notoriously tight on every setting. In place of frustrating yourself trying to master the timing, focus on rolling.

While a perfect guard restores one AP and causes massive extra damage, failing to parry leaves you vulnerable. Luckily there are a number of gear and skills that grant AP on a well-timed evade. If you find parrying difficult, use those dodge-focused perks instead.

Break Is Your Secret Weapon

The Break status effect is a decisive state that can secure victory. As you damage an enemy, a gold meter charges beneath their life bar. When full, you can inflict break, which slashes their defense by a significant amount and stuns them for one full turn. It is the single most powerful status effect in the game, but only particular attacks can trigger it.

Level Up Intentionally

You have the option to reallocate attributes and skills using a rare item called a Recoat. Given its scarcity, it's wise to think ahead prior to using your stat investments. Experiment with a character's playstyle and map out a build strategy in advance.

Make Sure to Use the Expedition Flag

Resting at an save point completely restores your whole team and restocks every potions, including healing potions and phoenix down equivalents. Remember to stop and heal up!

Expedition flags also function as the only means to navigation in the game. There is no mini-map, waypoint system, or objective markers. Instead, each flag has a identifier. When you interact with one, you can see a menu of all discovered flags in that zone under a navigation option. It's a basic yet helpful way to track your progress.

Locked Chests Are Always Worth It

These special containers are effectively sealed loot boxes that require you to discover and activate three scattered mechanisms in the surrounding area to getting the loot. The reward is without fail valuable, often containing Recoats or unique gear. The three locks aren't always obvious, but they are almost always near the cage. If you are missing a lock, try smashing crates or checking elevated spots.

Yes, Challenge the Vendor

Each shopkeeper has a secret, unique item that won't show up in their regular wares. To unlock it, you must choose one character and win a duel in a solo battle. This is invariably worth doing, as these rewards are exceptionally powerful. The initial shopkeeper you meet, for reference, sells a special accessory that causes the vulnerability status, which amplifies attacks against the foe by a quarter.

Rely On the Autosave

There is no {manual saving