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A fun fact: The “Obscur” in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 references the complex nature of the game's menus and mechanics.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 casts you as a band of social media mages, led by the bold British Daredevil, on a quest to combat a worldwide curse that halts the natural aging process. It blends strategic role-playing encounters with real-time parries drawn from challenging titles, all cloaked in a idiosyncratic aesthetic language.

It has emerged as the most successful games of the year, having sold millions and secured Game of the Year recognition. The game can feel a bit off-putting at first, but when it clicks, you’ll uncover a layered and engrossing experience that differentiates itself from many others. Below are a collection of beginner's tips for Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.

Swap Characters Regularly

In Expedition 33, allies who participate in a fight gain a sizable bonus to Experience Points versus those in reserve. Furthermore, the narrative will at times force you to include particular characters. The simplest solution to these challenges is to switch members often and aim to keep everyone at a roughly equal strength.

The good news is that grinding is relatively quick. Encounters award a generous amount of XP, frequently sufficient for a stat increase after just several. You can refresh an zone's monsters by stopping at an checkpoint banner—these flags are located throughout each level. If you need to accumulate XP fast, simply fight enemies near a flag, refresh, and do it again.

Change Items Regularly

There are a couple of key ways to provide passive perks to your party members: Picto gems and Luminas.

• Pictos are accessories that give stat boosts and come with a unique passive skill. Each character can wear up to three Pictos. When equipped, completing four battles with a Picto unlocks its associated Lumina.
• Luminas function differently but are similar to unlocked abilities. Each character has a amount of LP (which you can raise via items). Every Lumina ability has a required LP amount. As long as a character has enough points, multiple characters can equip the same skill, allowing you to stack useful effects across your whole party.

The smartest strategy is to make sure someone is wearing every new Picto and wins the required fights to unlock its Lumina. This ensures the ability will be available for future use.

When you aren't have fresh gear to work on, simply slot the Pictos with the best stats for your playstyle.

Blocking Is Not Your Only Option

Expedition 33’s key feature is its marriage of strategic battles with twitch-based defenses. However, the parry window is extremely brief on every setting. In place of breaking controllers trying to hit perfect blocks, focus on rolling.

While a successful parry grants one AP and inflicts massive extra damage, missing the timing yields no benefit. The good news is there are several Pictos and Luminas that restore Action Points on a perfect roll. If you can't get the block down, use those roll-centric perks instead.

Breaking Enemies Is Your Greatest Advantage

Inflicting Break is a game-changing condition that can secure victory. As you attack a foe, a gold meter charges beneath their HP bar. Upon maxing out, you can apply the Break status, which slashes their armor by 20% and skips their turn for their next action. It is the top-tier status effect in the game, but only specific abilities can trigger it.

Allocate Points With a Plan

You are able to re-spec stat points and abilities using a rare item called a Recoat. Given its scarcity, it's prudent to consider your path before committing your stat investments. Experiment with a hero's kit and plan a progression route in advance.

Always Use the Expedition Flag

Using your tent at an expedition flag refills the health of your all characters and restocks your supply of consumables, including healing potions and phoenix down equivalents. Remember to stop and heal up!

Expedition flags also function as the only means to navigation in the game. There is no mini-map, compass, or objective markers. Instead, each flag has a name and number. By resting, you can see a menu of every flag you've found in that zone under a navigation option. It's a minimalist way to track your progress.

Locked Chests Are Invariably Rewarding

Glowing chests are essentially locked treasure chests that demand you to discover and activate three concealed seals in the surrounding area before claiming the prize. The reward is always valuable, such as Recoats or unique gear. The associated mechanisms aren't in plain sight, but they are typically within the same area. If you are stuck, try smashing crates or scanning the environment vertically.

Yes, Battle the Merchant

Every merchant carries a hidden special good that doesn't appear in their normal inventory. To unlock it, you must choose one character and defeat the merchant in a solo battle. This is always a worthwhile endeavor, as these rewards are truly unique. The earliest vendor you meet, for reference, sells a Picto that causes the vulnerability status, which increases damage dealt against the foe by a quarter.

Have Faith in the Auto-Save System

There is no {manual saving