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A fun fact: The name “Obscur” in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 hints at the somewhat obscure nature of the game's menus and systems.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 casts you as a band of magical influencers, fronted by the audacious British Daredevil, on a journey to combat a global affliction that stops people from growing old. It blends strategic role-playing combat with timed defensive moves drawn from challenging titles, all cloaked in a unique visual style.

It has proven to be the most successful games of the season, having garnered a huge player base and won Game of the Year accolades. The game can feel slightly intimidating in the beginning, but once you lock in, you’ll find a rich and fascinating RPG that stands apart from other games. Here are are 10 essential starting pointers for Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.

Swap Team Members Often

In Expedition 33, allies who participate in a battle receive a hefty increase to experience versus those in reserve. What's more, the story will sometimes force you to use specific characters. The easiest solution to these mechanics is to change your lineup frequently and strive to keep all characters at a roughly equal power level.

The upside is that leveling up is not too tedious. Battles award a generous amount of XP, often enough for a character progression after just a few. You can refresh an zone's monsters by taking a break at an checkpoint banner—these markers are scattered in each zone. If you need to gain levels quickly, simply fight enemies near a flag, refresh, and do it again.

Rotate Gear Frequently

You have a couple of key ways to grant bonus effects to your characters: Picto gems and Luminas.

• Pictos function as gear that grant stat boosts and come with a special ability. A character can equip a maximum of three Pictos. When equipped, finishing four battles with a Picto unlocks its corresponding Lumina.
• Luminas function differently but essentially act as skill tree nodes. A party member has a amount of Lumina Points (which grows via level-ups). A Lumina has a required LP amount. Provided that a character has sufficient LP, you are not restricted can use the same Lumina, allowing you to combine powerful passives across your whole party.

The most efficient tactic is to always someone is wearing each fresh Picto you find and wins four battles to unlock its Lumina. That way you gain access for later builds.

If you don't have new Pictos to unlock, simply use the Pictos with the most beneficial attributes for your playstyle.

Blocking Is Not Your Only Option

Expedition 33’s signature mechanic is its combination of strategic battles with twitch-based defenses. That said, the parry window is notoriously tight on any mode. In place of struggling endlessly trying to hit perfect blocks, focus on rolling.

Even though a successful parry grants Action Points and causes massive extra damage, failing to parry yields no benefit. The good news is there are a number of gear and skills that grant AP on a successful dodge. If you find parrying difficult, equip those roll-centric perks instead.

Break Is Your Greatest Advantage

Inflicting Break is a decisive condition that can turn the tide. As you attack a foe, a special bar charges under their health bar. When full, you can apply the Break status, which slashes their armor by a fifth and stuns them for an entire round. It is the top-tier condition in the game, but only certain abilities can trigger it.

Allocate Points Intentionally

You have the option to reallocate your build using a limited consumable called a Respec token. Given its scarcity, it's wise to plan your build prior to spending your attribute points. Experiment with a party member's role and chart a build strategy first.

Make Sure to Rest At the Expedition Flag

Resting at an save point refills the health of your whole team and restocks your supply of consumables, including healing potions and phoenix down equivalents. Develop the routine to stop and heal up!

These flags also serve as the closest thing to fast travel in the game. There is no mini-map, GPS, or objective markers. Instead, each flag has a designation. When you interact with one, you can access a log of every flag you've found in that area under a navigation option. It's a minimalist way to track your progress.

Paint Cages Are Invariably Worth the Effort

Paint Cages are effectively sealed loot boxes that require you to locate and shoot three scattered mechanisms in the surrounding area to opening them. The contents is consistently worthwhile, often containing rare resources or unique gear. The three locks aren't in plain sight, but they are almost always near the cage. If you are missing a lock, try breaking objects or looking up.

Go Ahead and, Fight the Merchant

Every merchant carries a hidden special good that won't show up in their normal inventory. To get them to sell it, you must choose one character and beat them in combat in a one-on-one fight. This is always worth doing, as these pieces of gear are truly unique. The initial shopkeeper you meet, for instance, provides a Picto that applies the vulnerability status, which amplifies attacks against the foe by 25%.

Rely On the Auto-Save System

The game lacks {manual saving