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An interesting tidbit: The name “Obscur” in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 hints at the somewhat obscure nature of the in-game systems and gameplay loops.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has you leading a group of glamorous spellcasters, spearheaded by the audacious British Daredevil, on a journey to reverse a global affliction that prevents aging. It blends traditional RPG combat with real-time parries drawn from challenging titles, all presented with a unique aesthetic language.

It has emerged as the major releases of the year, having achieved massive sales and won Game of the Year accolades. The experience can feel somewhat dense initially, but after you grasp its systems, you’ll find a deep and engrossing RPG that is quite unique from other games. Here are are 10 essential beginner's tips for Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.

Swap Characters Regularly

In Expedition 33, allies who are active during a battle earn a sizable bonus to experience relative to those on the bench. Additionally, the story will periodically mandate you to use specific characters. The most straightforward solution to these mechanics is to change your lineup frequently and aim to keep your roster at a roughly equal power level.

The upside is that leveling up is relatively quick. Fights award a substantial amount of XP, frequently sufficient for a level up after just two or three. You can refresh an local foes by stopping at an expedition flag—these points are located across each zone. If you need to accumulate XP fast, simply fight enemies near a flag, rest, and repeat.

Rotate Gear Often

You have a couple of key ways to bestow constant buffs to your characters: Picto accessories and Luminas.

• Pictos function as gear that provide stat boosts and include a constant effect. A character can equip up to three Pictos. When equipped, finishing four battles with a Picto unlocks its linked Lumina.
• Luminas function differently but can be thought of as skill tree nodes. Each character has a amount of skill points (which you can raise via items). Every Lumina ability has a specific point cost. If a character has enough points, multiple characters can use the identical ability, allowing you to stack key bonuses across your whole party.

The optimal strategy is to ensure a party member is wearing every new Picto and completes four encounters to reveal its Lumina. That way you gain access for future use.

If you don't have new Pictos to unlock, simply slot the Pictos with the best stats for your current build.

Parrying Isn't Your Only Option

Expedition 33’s defining element is its marriage of RPG systems with action-oriented blocks. However, the parry window is notoriously tight on any mode. Rather than breaking controllers trying to master the timing, concentrate on dodging.

Even though a well-timed block grants one AP and causes significant bonus damage, failing to parry gives you nothing. Fortunately there are multiple Pictos and Luminas that provide resources on a well-timed evade. If you can't get the block down, focus on those evasion-based options instead.

Breaking Enemies Is Your Greatest Advantage

Inflicting Break is a battle-altering state that can swing a fight. As you attack a foe, a gold meter fills up below their health bar. Once charged, you can inflict break, which reduces their damage resistance by a significant amount and skips their turn for one full turn. It is the single most powerful status effect in the game, but only certain skills can apply it.

Allocate Points Intentionally

You have the option to reallocate attributes and skills using a rare item called a Recoat. Given its scarcity, it's wise to plan your build instead of committing your skill points. Experiment with a character's playstyle and map out a progression route first.

Always Use the Checkpoint Flag

Stopping at an checkpoint completely restores your entire party and restocks every potions, including HP restoratives and revival items. Remember to rest at every flag!

Expedition flags also serve as the closest thing to navigation in the game. There is no overworld map, waypoint system, or objective markers. Instead, each flag has a name and number. At a flag, you can see a menu of your progress in that level under a navigation option. It's a minimalist way to track your progress.

Paint Cages Are Always Worth the Effort

Glowing chests are basically sealed loot boxes that demand you to find and hit three concealed seals in the nearby environment before opening them. The treasure inside is consistently valuable, such as rare resources or strong equipment. The three locks aren't in plain sight, but they are almost always located close by. If you are missing a lock, try breaking objects or scanning the environment vertically.

Absolutely, Challenge the Merchant

All vendors stocks a secret, unique item that doesn't appear in their regular wares. To gain access to it, you must pick a champion and beat them in combat in a single combat. This is always rewarding, as these pieces of gear are exceptionally powerful. The initial shopkeeper you meet, for reference, offers a Picto that causes the Defenseless debuff, which amplifies attacks against the foe by a significant margin.

Trust In the Autosave

The game lacks {manual saving