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An interesting tidbit: The title term “Obscur” in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 alludes to the somewhat obscure nature of the game's menus and gameplay loops.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 casts you as a band of magical influencers, led by the bold British Daredevil, on a quest to combat a universal phenomenon that halts the natural aging process. It blends strategic role-playing combat with timed defensive moves drawn from challenging titles, all cloaked in a idiosyncratic artistic lexicon.

It has become one of the biggest titles of the season, having sold millions and earned the premier award accolades. The game can feel slightly intimidating initially, but after you grasp its systems, you’ll uncover a rich and fascinating RPG that is quite unique from contemporary titles. Below are ten crucial early-game strategies for Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.

Change Team Members Regularly

In Expedition 33, characters who participate in a fight receive a hefty increase to experience compared to those in reserve. Furthermore, the campaign will periodically force you to field certain characters. The simplest approach to both issues is to change your lineup frequently and strive to keep your roster at a roughly equal strength.

The good news is that farming experience is not too tedious. Encounters grant a sizable amount of XP, frequently enough for a level up after just two or three. You can reset an zone's monsters by stopping at an expedition flag—these markers are located across each area. If you need to power level, simply battle monsters near a flag, refresh, and do it again.

Rotate Accessories Frequently

The game features two main ways to bestow constant buffs to your party members: Pictos and Luminas.

• Pictos are items which give stat boosts and include a special ability. A character can equip three different Pictos. When equipped, completing four encounters with a Picto unlocks its corresponding Lumina.
• Luminas aren’t physical items but are similar to skill tree nodes. Each character has a amount of skill points (which you can raise via items). A Lumina has a required LP amount. Provided that a character has the required amount, you are not restricted can benefit from the same Lumina, allowing you to stack powerful passives across your full roster.

The most efficient strategy is to make sure a party member equips each fresh Picto you find and wins four battles to unlock its Lumina. That way you gain access for later builds.

When you aren't have fresh gear to unlock, simply use the Pictos with the highest bonuses for your current build.

Blocking Is Not Your Only Option

Expedition 33’s key feature is its combination of strategic battles with twitch-based defenses. That said, the timing for a perfect block is notoriously tight on all difficulty levels. In place of struggling endlessly trying to hit perfect blocks, focus on rolling.

While a perfect guard grants Action Points and inflicts massive extra damage, failing to parry gives you nothing. The good news is there are several Pictos and Luminas that restore Action Points on a perfect roll. If you can't get the block down, use those roll-centric perks instead.

The Break Status Is Your Greatest Advantage

Inflicting Break is a battle-altering mechanic that can turn the tide. As you whittle down health, a special bar charges beneath their health bar. Once charged, you can inflict break, which slashes their armor by a fifth and skips their turn for one full turn. It is the most impactful status effect in the game, but only specific skills can cause it.

Build Characters Deliberately

You can reset your build using a scarce resource called a Recoat. Since they are uncommon, it's prudent to consider your path instead of using your skill points. Get a feel for a party member's role and map out a build strategy in advance.

Always Use the Expedition Flag

Using your tent at an checkpoint completely restores your all characters and restocks every healing items, including Chroma Elixirs and Revive Tints. Develop the routine to rest at every flag!

Expedition flags also serve as the primary method to navigation in the game. The game lacks a overworld map, waypoint system, or floating icons. But, each flag has a identifier. When you interact with one, you can see a menu of all discovered flags in that zone under a teleport list. It's a simple but effective way to navigate the world.

Locked Chests Are Always Worth It

Glowing chests are basically puzzle caches that demand you to discover and activate three concealed seals in the surrounding area prior to getting the loot. The treasure inside is without fail high-tier, such as Recoats or strong equipment. The three locks aren't easy to spot, but they are almost always located close by. If you are missing a lock, try exploring thoroughly or looking up.

Yes, Battle the Shopkeeper

All vendors stocks a one-of-a-kind piece of gear that isn't listed 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 invariably a worthwhile endeavor, as these pieces of gear are game-changing. The initial shopkeeper you meet, for instance, provides a special accessory that applies the vulnerability status, which increases damage dealt against the target by 25%.

Rely On the Auto-Save System

The game lacks {manual saving