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A curious piece of trivia: The “Obscur” in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 hints at the complex nature of the game's menus and gameplay loops.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 places you in the role of a group of magical influencers, led by the bold British Daredevil, on a mission to reverse a global affliction that halts the natural aging process. It blends strategic role-playing encounters with real-time parries reminiscent of action RPGs, all wrapped in a idiosyncratic visual style.

It has become one of the biggest titles of the year, having sold millions and won top honors accolades. The game can feel somewhat dense in the beginning, but once you lock in, you’ll find a rich and captivating RPG that stands apart from other games. Listed here are ten crucial starting pointers for Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.

Rotate Team Members Regularly

In Expedition 33, allies who take part in a encounter gain a hefty increase to experience compared to those not fighting. Additionally, the campaign will at times force you to field certain characters. The easiest solution to these mechanics is to switch members often and aim to keep all characters at a similar power level.

The good news is that leveling up is fairly fast. Fights award a generous amount of XP, sometimes enough for a stat increase after just a few. You can reset an zone's monsters by stopping at an checkpoint banner—these points are located in each area. If you need to gain levels quickly, simply engage in combat near a flag, rest, and repeat.

Change Gear Frequently

You have two main ways to grant bonus effects to your characters: Picto accessories and Lumina skills.

• Pictos are items which grant stat boosts and also feature a special ability. Each character can equip three different Pictos. After being worn, winning four encounters with a Picto unlocks its associated Lumina.
• Luminas function differently but can be thought of as equippable passives. Each character has a amount of LP (which you can raise via consumables). Every Lumina ability has a required LP amount. If a character has enough points, there is no limit can use the same Lumina, allowing you to layer key bonuses across your full roster.

The smartest tactic is to always a party member has equipped each fresh Picto you find and fights through four battles to unlock its Lumina. That way you’ll have it for when needed.

If you don't have unleveled accessories to level up, simply use the Pictos with the best stats for your needs.

Blocking Is Not Your Only Option

Expedition 33’s signature mechanic is its marriage of strategic battles with twitch-based defenses. However, the opportunity to deflect is incredibly short on every setting. Instead of frustrating yourself trying to hit perfect blocks, concentrate on dodging.

While a well-timed block refunds a resource and inflicts significant bonus damage, failing to parry leaves you vulnerable. Luckily there are several gear and skills that provide resources on a successful dodge. If you find parrying difficult, equip those evasion-based abilities instead.

Breaking Enemies Is Your Secret Weapon

Break is a game-changing mechanic that can secure victory. As you attack a foe, a gold meter fills up below their health bar. Upon maxing out, you can apply the Break status, which lowers their defense by a significant amount and prevents them from acting for an entire round. It is the most impactful status effect in the game, but only specific skills can apply it.

Build Characters 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 prudent to plan your build instead of committing your skill points. Try out a hero's kit and map out a build strategy beforehand.

Always Stop At the Checkpoint Flag

Stopping at an checkpoint completely restores your entire party and refreshes all of your consumables, including Chroma Elixirs and Revive Tints. Make it a habit to rest at every flag!

These flags also act as the primary method to navigation in the game. You won't find a mini-map, waypoint system, or quest indicators. Instead, each flag has a name and number. At a flag, you can view a list of all discovered flags in that area under a navigation option. It's a minimalist way to navigate the world.

Paint Cages Are Consistently Worth It

Glowing chests are effectively locked treasure chests that demand you to locate and shoot three scattered mechanisms in the immediate vicinity to claiming the prize. The treasure inside is always worthwhile, including items like rare resources or powerful weapons. The associated mechanisms aren't easy to spot, but they are usually located close by. If you are stuck, try exploring thoroughly or checking elevated spots.

Absolutely, Challenge the Vendor

Every merchant carries a one-of-a-kind piece of gear that isn't listed in their normal inventory. To unlock it, you must pick a champion and win a duel in a one-on-one fight. This is invariably rewarding, as these pieces of gear are game-changing. The earliest vendor you meet, for instance, offers a special accessory that inflicts the damage-increasing condition, which increases damage dealt against the affected enemy by 25%.

Rely On the Automatic Saving

The game lacks {manual saving