10 Newcomer Strategies to Know Before Starting Clair Obscur: Expedition 33

A curious piece of trivia: The name “Obscur” in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 alludes to the complex nature of the in-game systems and systems.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 casts you as a band of social media mages, fronted by the bold British Daredevil, on a mission to combat a universal phenomenon that halts the natural aging process. It blends turn-based RPG battles with action-game reflexes inspired by challenging titles, all cloaked in a idiosyncratic aesthetic language.

It has emerged as the most successful releases of the year, having sold millions and earned Game of the Year recognition. The experience can feel somewhat dense in the beginning, but when it clicks, you’ll find a layered and fascinating RPG that differentiates itself from other games. Listed here are ten crucial starting pointers for Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.

Rotate Party Members Regularly

In Expedition 33, characters who take part in a encounter gain a significant 50% bonus to experience relative to those in reserve. What's more, the campaign will at times require you to field certain characters. The most straightforward method to these challenges is to switch members often and strive to keep all characters at a similar strength.

The good news is that leveling up is not too tedious. Fights award a sizable amount of XP, sometimes sufficient for a stat increase after just several. You can respawn an area's enemies by taking a break at an save point—these markers are placed in each level. If you need to gain levels quickly, simply battle monsters near a flag, use the flag, and continue the cycle.

Change Accessories Regularly

You have a couple of key ways to provide passive perks to your party members: Pictos and Lumina skills.

  • Pictos function as gear that give stat boosts and also feature a unique passive skill. A character can equip three different Pictos. After being worn, winning four battles with a Picto unlocks its corresponding Lumina.
  • Luminas function differently but can be thought of as unlocked abilities. A party member has a pool of LP (which you can raise via consumables). Each Lumina has a specific point cost. Provided that a character has the required amount, multiple characters can use the same skill, allowing you to stack useful effects across your entire team.

The smartest tactic is to ensure a party member equips each fresh Picto you find and fights through four battles to unlock its Lumina. This ensures you’ll have it for future use.

When you aren't have new Pictos to work on, simply equip the Pictos with the best stats for your current build.

Blocking Is Not Your Sole Defense

Expedition 33’s signature mechanic is its fusion of strategic battles with action-oriented blocks. But, the parry window is incredibly short on all difficulty levels. In place of struggling endlessly trying to hit perfect blocks, focus on evading.

Even though a perfect guard restores one AP and deals significant bonus damage, not blocking yields no benefit. The good news is there are a number of gear and skills that provide resources on a well-timed evade. If you can't get the block down, use those roll-centric abilities instead.

Break Is Your Greatest Advantage

Break is a battle-altering condition that can turn the tide. As you damage an enemy, a special bar fills up beneath their HP bar. Once charged, you can apply the Break status, which slashes their damage resistance by 20% and stuns them for their next action. It is the top-tier status effect in the game, but only particular attacks can cause it.

Allocate Points Intentionally

You are able to re-spec your build using a rare item called a Recoat item. Since they are uncommon, it's wise to think ahead instead of spending your skill points. Experiment with a character's playstyle and map out a build strategy first.

Make Sure to Rest At the Save Flag

Resting at an checkpoint refills the health of your entire party and refreshes all of your healing items, including healing potions and phoenix down equivalents. Make it a habit to rest at every flag!

Expedition flags also function as the only means to quick traversal in the game. There is no traditional map, GPS, or quest indicators. Instead, each flag has a designation. By resting, you can view a list of your progress in that level under a navigation option. It's a minimalist way to navigate the world.

Locked Chests Are Always Worth It

These special containers are essentially sealed loot boxes that need you to discover and activate three concealed seals in the immediate vicinity before opening them. The treasure inside is without fail valuable, such as respec items or powerful weapons. The associated mechanisms aren't always obvious, but they are usually within the same area. If you can't find one, try breaking objects or scanning the environment vertically.

Absolutely, Challenge the Merchant

All vendors carries a one-of-a-kind piece of gear that won't show up in their standard shop. To unlock it, you must pick a champion and defeat the merchant in a one-on-one fight. This is invariably a worthwhile endeavor, as these items are game-changing. The earliest vendor you meet, for reference, sells a special accessory that applies the damage-increasing condition, which increases damage dealt against the affected enemy by 25%.

Rely On the Auto-Save System

There is no {manual saving

Michael Garcia
Michael Garcia

A passionate tattoo artist with over a decade of experience, specializing in custom designs and client education.