10 Beginner's Strategies to Learn Before Beginning Clair Obscur: Expedition 33

A curious piece of trivia: The “Obscur” in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 hints at the complex nature of the interface systems and gameplay loops.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 places you in the role of a team of magical influencers, led by the audacious British Daredevil, on a quest to reverse a worldwide curse that halts the natural aging process. It merges traditional RPG battles with action-game reflexes reminiscent of Soulslike games, all wrapped in a distinctive artistic lexicon.

It has emerged as the major titles of the period, having achieved massive sales and secured the premier award recognition. The adventure can feel slightly intimidating at first, but when it clicks, you’ll uncover a deep and engrossing RPG that stands apart from contemporary titles. Here are are ten crucial early-game strategies for Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.

Change Party Members Often

In Expedition 33, characters who take part in a encounter gain a hefty increase to Experience Points versus those in reserve. Furthermore, the campaign will sometimes mandate you to include particular characters. The easiest method to both issues is to change your lineup frequently and strive to keep everyone at a roughly equal strength.

The upside is that leveling up is fairly fast. Battles provide a generous amount of XP, often enough for a level up after just a few. You can refresh an zone's monsters by taking a break at an expedition flag—these markers are scattered throughout each level. If you need to gain levels quickly, simply battle monsters near a flag, use the flag, and do it again.

Swap Gear Often

The game features two primary ways to provide bonus effects to your allies: Picto gems and Luminas.

• Pictos are items which give attribute increases and come with a special ability. A character can wear a maximum of three Pictos. Once slotted, winning four encounters with a Picto grants access to its linked Lumina.
• Luminas aren’t physical items but are similar to equippable passives. A party member has a pool of skill points (which grows via items). Every Lumina ability has a required LP amount. If a character has sufficient LP, you are not restricted can equip the same skill, allowing you to combine useful effects across your full roster.

The smartest approach is to make sure one of your characters is wearing each fresh Picto you find and fights through four encounters to unlock its Lumina. This ensures the ability will be available for when needed.

When you aren't have fresh gear to work on, simply equip the Pictos with the highest bonuses for your playstyle.

Perfect Guards Are Not Your Sole Defense

Expedition 33’s signature mechanic is its combination of turn-based combat with real-time parries. But, the timing for a perfect block is incredibly short on every setting. Instead of frustrating yourself trying to master the timing, focus on evading.

Although a perfect guard refunds a resource and deals a huge damage spike, failing to parry gives you nothing. Luckily there are a number of gear and skills that restore Action Points on a well-timed evade. If you find parrying difficult, equip those roll-centric options instead.

The Break Status Is Your Greatest Advantage

The Break status effect is a decisive state that can turn the tide. As you damage an enemy, a yellow gauge charges under their HP bar. When full, you can stun the enemy, which reduces their defense by 20% and stuns them for an entire round. It is the most impactful debuff in the game, but only certain attacks can trigger it.

Level Up With a Plan

You can reset attributes and skills using a rare item called a Recoat item. Since they are uncommon, it's prudent to think ahead before spending your skill points. Try out a character's playstyle and map out a skill tree path first.

Always Stop At the Save Flag

Resting at an save point fully heals your entire party and replenishes all of your consumables, including HP restoratives and Revive Tints. Remember to rest at every flag!

Checkpoints also serve as the only means to quick traversal in the game. There is no mini-map, compass, or floating icons. Instead, each flag has a identifier. At a flag, you can see a menu of your progress in that level under a navigation option. It's a basic yet helpful way to navigate the world.

Glowing Cages Are Consistently Worth It

Glowing chests are essentially puzzle caches that need you to discover and activate three scattered mechanisms in the nearby environment prior to claiming the prize. The reward is consistently high-tier, often containing rare resources or unique gear. The required seals aren't in plain sight, but they are almost always located close by. If you are stuck, try smashing crates or looking up.

Go Ahead and, Fight the Vendor

Each shopkeeper stocks a hidden special good that won't show up in their regular wares. To unlock it, you must choose one character and beat them in combat in a one-on-one fight. This proves to be a worthwhile endeavor, as these rewards are exceptionally powerful. The earliest vendor you meet, for instance, provides a Picto that causes the vulnerability status, which boosts damage against the foe by a significant margin.

Trust In the Automatic Saving

The game lacks {manual saving