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A curious piece of trivia: The title term “Obscur” in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 alludes to the initially cryptic nature of the interface systems and systems.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has you leading a group of magical influencers, fronted by the audacious British Daredevil, on a quest to reverse a universal phenomenon that stops people from growing old. It fuses strategic role-playing combat with timed defensive moves reminiscent of challenging titles, all cloaked in a unique aesthetic language.

It has proven to be the most successful games of the season, having sold millions and secured Game of the Year praise. The adventure can feel slightly intimidating in the beginning, but after you grasp its systems, you’ll find a layered and fascinating role-playing game that differentiates itself from many others. Listed here are a collection of early-game strategies for Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.

Change Characters Regularly

In Expedition 33, allies who take part in a encounter receive a significant 50% bonus to XP compared to those not fighting. Additionally, the story will periodically mandate you to include particular characters. The simplest approach to these mechanics is to switch members often and try to keep everyone at a similar strength.

The upside is that leveling up is relatively quick. Encounters grant a sizable amount of XP, often sufficient for a stat increase after just two or three. You can refresh an area's enemies by taking a break at an checkpoint banner—these points are placed throughout each level. If you need to power level, simply battle monsters near a flag, refresh, and repeat.

Rotate Gear Often

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

• Pictos are accessories that provide attribute increases and also feature a unique passive skill. A character can slot a maximum of three Pictos. Once slotted, finishing four battles with a Picto will unlock its associated Lumina.
• Luminas are not gear pieces but are similar to equippable passives. A party member has a number of LP (which you can raise via items). Each Lumina has a specific point cost. Provided that a character has sufficient LP, multiple characters can equip the same Lumina, allowing you to combine powerful passives across your entire team.

The optimal tactic is to make sure someone is wearing each fresh Picto you find and completes four encounters to reveal its Lumina. That way you gain access for when needed.

If you don't have unleveled accessories to work on, simply equip the Pictos with the most beneficial attributes for your playstyle.

Parrying Isn't Your Only Option

Expedition 33’s key feature is its fusion of RPG systems with real-time parries. That said, the parry window is extremely brief on all difficulty levels. Instead of breaking controllers trying to land parries, prioritize rolling.

While a successful parry restores a resource and deals a huge damage spike, missing the timing gives you nothing. Fortunately there are multiple Pictos and Luminas that provide resources on a perfect roll. If you can't get the block down, equip those evasion-based abilities instead.

Breaking Enemies Is Your Secret Weapon

The Break status effect is a decisive mechanic that can swing a fight. As you whittle down health, a gold meter fills up under their health bar. When full, you can stun the enemy, which reduces their armor by a fifth and prevents them from acting for their next action. It is the single most powerful debuff in the game, but only specific attacks can trigger it.

Level Up With a Plan

You are able to re-spec attributes and skills using a scarce resource called a Recoat. Because it's rare, it's wise to consider your path before spending your skill points. Experiment with a party member's role and chart a build strategy in advance.

Always Use the Save Flag

Resting at an save point refills the health of your all characters and refreshes all of your potions, including Chroma Elixirs and revival items. Make it a habit to stop and heal up!

These flags also act as the only means to quick traversal in the game. The game lacks a mini-map, waypoint system, or quest indicators. But, each flag has a designation. At a flag, you can see a menu of your progress in that level under a navigation option. It's a basic yet helpful way to see how far you've come.

Locked Chests Are Invariably Worth It

Paint Cages are basically puzzle caches that need you to locate and shoot three scattered mechanisms in the surrounding area before opening them. The treasure inside is always valuable, often containing rare resources or strong equipment. The associated mechanisms aren't easy to spot, but they are typically near the cage. If you are missing a lock, try exploring thoroughly or checking elevated spots.

Go Ahead and, Fight the Merchant

All vendors carries a hidden special good that isn't listed in their standard shop. To gain access to 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 example, offers a Picto that applies the damage-increasing condition, which amplifies attacks against the foe by 25%.

Rely On the Automatic Saving

There is no {manual saving