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

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has you leading a band of glamorous spellcasters, spearheaded by the audacious British Daredevil, on a mission to reverse a global affliction that stops people from growing old. It merges traditional RPG combat with action-game reflexes drawn from Soulslike games, all cloaked in a unique aesthetic language.

It has emerged as the most successful titles of the year, having achieved massive sales and secured Game of the Year praise. The game can feel a bit off-putting in the beginning, but when it clicks, you’ll discover a deep and captivating RPG that stands apart from many others. Listed here are 10 essential beginner's tips for Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.

Rotate Team Members Regularly

In Expedition 33, party members who are active during a battle gain a sizable bonus to Experience Points relative to those on the bench. What's more, the story will sometimes require you to use specific characters. The easiest solution to both issues is to rotate your team and strive to keep everyone at a roughly equal power level.

The good news is that leveling up is relatively quick. Encounters provide a sizable amount of XP, frequently sufficient for a level up after just two or three. You can refresh an zone's monsters by resting at an save point—these flags are placed in each zone. If you need to gain levels quickly, simply fight enemies near a flag, rest, and do it again.

Rotate Items Often

There are two primary ways to provide bonus effects to your characters: Picto gems and Luminas.

• Pictos are accessories that grant attribute increases and include a constant effect. Every party member can wear a maximum of three Pictos. After being worn, winning four encounters with a Picto unlocks its linked Lumina.
• Luminas aren’t physical items but can be thought of as equippable passives. Every ally has a number of skill points (which you can raise via level-ups). Each Lumina has a set cost. Provided that a character has sufficient LP, there is no limit can benefit from the identical ability, allowing you to stack useful effects across your whole party.

The optimal tactic is to ensure a party member has equipped each fresh Picto you find and fights through four encounters to reveal its Lumina. That way you gain access for when needed.

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

Perfect Guards Are Not Your Single Choice

Expedition 33’s defining element is its marriage of RPG systems with real-time parries. However, the parry window is extremely brief on all difficulty levels. In place of breaking controllers trying to master the timing, prioritize evading.

While a perfect guard refunds Action Points and inflicts massive extra damage, missing the timing gives you nothing. Fortunately there are a number of gear and skills that grant AP on a successful dodge. If you find parrying difficult, equip those evasion-based perks instead.

Break Is Your Key Tactic

The Break status effect is a decisive condition that can swing a fight. As you damage an enemy, a yellow gauge increases below their health bar. When full, you can stun the enemy, which slashes their armor by a fifth and prevents them from acting for one full turn. It is the single most powerful status effect in the game, but only certain skills can cause it.

Build Characters Intentionally

You can reset attributes and skills using a limited consumable called a Recoat item. Since they are uncommon, it's prudent to plan your build prior to committing your skill points. Experiment with a party member's role and map out a progression route beforehand.

Make Sure to Use the Save Flag

Resting at an save point refills the health of your whole team and restocks all of your potions, including Chroma Elixirs and Revive Tints. Remember to rest at every flag!

Checkpoints also function as the primary method to navigation in the game. You won't find a traditional map, GPS, or quest indicators. Instead, each flag has a designation. By resting, you can access a log of your progress in that area under a navigation option. It's a basic yet helpful way to track your progress.

Glowing Cages Are Always Worth It

These special containers are essentially sealed loot boxes that demand you to discover and activate three hidden locks in the immediate vicinity before claiming the prize. The treasure inside is consistently worthwhile, such as respec items or unique gear. The required seals aren't easy to spot, but they are almost always within the same area. If you can't find one, try smashing crates or scanning the environment vertically.

Yes, Battle the Shopkeeper

Each shopkeeper has a one-of-a-kind piece of gear that won't show up in their standard shop. To gain access to it, you must pick a champion and beat them in combat in a single combat. This is always worth doing, as these items are truly unique. The initial shopkeeper you meet, for instance, offers a Picto that applies the Defenseless debuff, which boosts damage against the affected enemy by a significant margin.

Have Faith in the Autosave

The game lacks {manual saving