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A curious piece of trivia: The name “Obscur” in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 hints at the complex nature of the game's menus and gameplay loops.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 casts you as a group of social media mages, spearheaded by the audacious British Daredevil, on a quest to halt a universal phenomenon that stops people from growing old. It fuses traditional RPG battles with action-game reflexes inspired by Soulslike games, all presented with a unique artistic lexicon.

It has become one of the major titles of the season, having sold millions and earned Game of the Year accolades. The game can feel a bit off-putting in the beginning, but when it clicks, you’ll find a layered and fascinating role-playing game that is quite unique from many others. Below are ten crucial beginner's tips for Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.

Swap Party Members Often

In Expedition 33, allies who participate in a battle earn a significant 50% bonus to Experience Points compared to those not fighting. What's more, the story will periodically mandate you to use specific characters. The most straightforward approach to these challenges is to switch members often and aim to keep all characters at a roughly equal strength.

The good news is that grinding is fairly fast. Battles provide a substantial amount of XP, often sufficient for a character progression after just two or three. You can reset an local foes by resting at an checkpoint banner—these points are scattered across each level. If you need to gain levels quickly, simply battle monsters near a flag, use the flag, and do it again.

Change Accessories Frequently

You have a couple of key ways to bestow constant buffs to your party members: Pictos and Lumina abilities.

• Pictos function as gear that give attribute increases and also feature a special ability. A character can wear up to three Pictos. When equipped, winning four encounters with a Picto unlocks its linked Lumina.
• Luminas are not gear pieces but are similar to equippable passives. Each character has a pool of Lumina Points (which can be increased via items). Each Lumina has a set cost. If a character has enough points, there is no limit can equip the same skill, allowing you to combine useful effects across your entire team.

The most efficient approach is to ensure one of your characters equips any new accessory and fights through four encounters to gain its Lumina. That way the ability will be available for future use.

If you don't have new Pictos to unlock, simply use the Pictos with the highest bonuses for your needs.

Parrying Isn't Your Single Choice

Expedition 33’s key feature is its combination of strategic battles with action-oriented blocks. However, the timing for a perfect block is incredibly short on every setting. Instead of frustrating yourself trying to master the timing, prioritize rolling.

While a successful parry restores a resource and deals significant bonus damage, missing the timing leaves you vulnerable. Fortunately there are a number of gear and skills that grant AP on a perfect roll. If you struggle with the timing, equip those dodge-focused perks instead.

Break Is Your Secret Weapon

Inflicting Break is a battle-altering state that can secure victory. As you attack a foe, a special bar charges beneath their health bar. Once charged, you can stun the enemy, which reduces their armor by 20% and stuns them for an entire round. It is the top-tier debuff in the game, but only specific abilities can apply it.

Allocate Points With a Plan

You have the option to reallocate your build using a scarce resource called a Recoat item. Given its scarcity, it's prudent to plan your build prior to committing your stat investments. Try out a character's playstyle and plan a progression route in advance.

Always Rest At the Save Flag

Resting at an save point refills the health of your entire party and restocks every healing items, including healing potions and phoenix down equivalents. Develop the routine to rest at every flag!

Expedition flags also act as the only means to navigation in the game. There is no traditional map, waypoint system, or quest indicators. Instead, each flag has a identifier. At a flag, you can access a log of your progress in that level under a navigation option. It's a simple but effective way to track your progress.

Glowing Cages Are Always Worth the Effort

These special containers are basically locked treasure chests that need you to locate and shoot three concealed seals in the nearby environment prior to getting the loot. The reward is always valuable, including items like respec items or powerful weapons. The three locks aren't in plain sight, but they are typically located close by. If you are missing a lock, try breaking objects or looking up.

Go Ahead and, Fight the Merchant

Every merchant stocks a one-of-a-kind piece of gear that won't show up in their standard shop. To unlock it, you must select a party member and win a duel in a one-on-one fight. This is invariably worth doing, as these pieces of gear are exceptionally powerful. The initial shopkeeper you meet, for example, provides a special accessory that inflicts the vulnerability status, which boosts damage against the foe by a quarter.

Have Faith in the Autosave

The game lacks {manual saving