10 Starter Tips to Learn Prior to Beginning Clair Obscur: Expedition 33

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

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 places you in the role of a group of magical influencers, fronted by the audacious British Daredevil, on a journey to combat a global affliction that stops people from growing old. It fuses traditional RPG battles with action-game reflexes reminiscent of action RPGs, all wrapped in a distinctive aesthetic language.

It has emerged as the biggest games of the period, having sold millions and earned the premier award praise. The adventure can feel a bit off-putting in the beginning, but after you grasp its systems, you’ll uncover a deep and fascinating experience that stands apart from other games. Below are a collection of early-game strategies for Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.

Rotate Party Members Often

In Expedition 33, party members who participate in a fight gain a sizable bonus to experience relative to those not fighting. What's more, the story will at times force you to field certain characters. The most straightforward solution to both issues is to change your lineup frequently and try to keep everyone at a roughly equal power level.

The upside is that grinding is fairly fast. Fights award a substantial amount of XP, frequently sufficient for a character progression after just a few. You can respawn an local foes by resting at an expedition flag—these flags are scattered in each area. If you need to power level, simply engage in combat near a flag, refresh, and repeat.

Change Accessories Often

The game features two main ways to provide bonus effects to your party members: Picto gems and Lumina abilities.

• Pictos are items which provide attribute increases and also feature a special ability. A character can wear up to three Pictos. After being worn, completing four encounters with a Picto grants access to its linked Lumina.
• Luminas function differently but are similar to equippable passives. Each character has a number of skill points (which can be increased via level-ups). Every Lumina ability has a set cost. If a character has the required amount, there is no limit can equip the same Lumina, allowing you to combine key bonuses across your entire team.

The smartest approach is to always one of your characters is wearing each fresh Picto you find and completes the required fights to gain its Lumina. That way you’ll have it for when needed.

Should you not have new Pictos to unlock, simply equip the Pictos with the highest bonuses for your playstyle.

Parrying Isn't Your Sole Defense

Expedition 33’s signature mechanic is its marriage of strategic battles with twitch-based defenses. But, the opportunity to deflect is extremely brief on any mode. In place of breaking controllers trying to master the timing, focus on evading.

Even though a perfect guard restores one AP and causes significant bonus damage, failing to parry yields no benefit. The good news is there are multiple accessories and abilities that restore Action Points on a successful dodge. If you find parrying difficult, focus on those evasion-based options instead.

Breaking Enemies Is Your Key Tactic

Inflicting Break is a battle-altering mechanic that can secure victory. As you attack a foe, a yellow gauge fills up under their health bar. When full, you can stun the enemy, which reduces their damage resistance by a significant amount and prevents them from acting for an entire round. It is the top-tier status effect in the game, but only particular skills can cause it.

Level Up Deliberately

You can reset your build using a limited consumable called a Recoat. Because it's rare, it's wise to think ahead instead of committing your stat investments. Experiment with a hero's kit and map out a progression route first.

Always Rest At the Save Flag

Resting at an checkpoint refills the health of your all characters and replenishes your supply of consumables, including HP restoratives and phoenix down equivalents. Develop the routine to stop and heal up!

These flags also function as the primary method to fast travel in the game. You won't find a traditional map, compass, or objective markers. But, each flag has a name and number. At a flag, you can access a log of every flag you've found in that level under a fast travel menu. It's a basic yet helpful way to see how far you've come.

Glowing Cages Are Consistently Worth It

These special containers are essentially locked treasure chests that demand you to discover and activate three concealed seals in the immediate vicinity before claiming the prize. The reward is always high-tier, often containing Recoats or unique gear. The required seals aren't easy to spot, but they are almost always located close by. If you are stuck, try smashing crates or looking up.

Yes, Fight the Vendor

All vendors has a secret, unique item that doesn't appear in their regular wares. To get them to sell it, you must select a party member and defeat the merchant 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 Picto that inflicts the Defenseless debuff, which amplifies attacks against the foe by a quarter.

Rely On the Auto-Save System

There is no {manual saving