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A curious piece of trivia: The title term “Obscur” in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 references the somewhat obscure nature of the game's menus and systems.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has you leading a band of glamorous spellcasters, led by the daring British Daredevil, on a quest to halt a global affliction that prevents aging. It blends turn-based RPG battles with timed defensive moves drawn from action RPGs, all wrapped in a distinctive visual style.

It has become one of the most successful games of the season, having achieved massive sales and won the premier award recognition. The adventure can feel a bit off-putting at first, but once you lock in, you’ll uncover a layered and fascinating experience that differentiates itself from many others. Here are are a collection of beginner's tips for Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.

Rotate Party Members Often

In Expedition 33, allies who participate in a battle receive a hefty increase to experience versus those on the bench. Additionally, the story will sometimes force you to field certain characters. The simplest method to these mechanics is to rotate your team and try to keep all characters at a similar level.

The upside is that leveling up is fairly fast. Fights award a generous amount of XP, often enough for a character progression after just two or three. You can refresh an area's enemies by stopping at an save point—these flags are located in each zone. If you need to gain levels quickly, simply battle monsters near a flag, use the flag, and repeat.

Rotate Gear Regularly

There are two primary ways to bestow bonus effects to your allies: Pictos and Lumina skills.

• Pictos function as gear that give numerical bonuses and include a constant effect. Each character can wear up to three Pictos. Once slotted, finishing four battles with a Picto unlocks its linked Lumina.
• Luminas are not gear pieces but can be thought of as equippable passives. Each character has a number of LP (which can be increased via items). A Lumina has a set cost. If a character has the required amount, you are not restricted can use the same Lumina, allowing you to combine useful effects across your entire team.

The smartest tactic is to ensure one of your characters equips each fresh Picto you find and completes four encounters to reveal its Lumina. Doing this you gain access for when needed.

Should you not have unleveled accessories to work on, simply equip the Pictos with the highest bonuses for your needs.

Perfect Guards Are Not Your Single Choice

Expedition 33’s key feature is its marriage of strategic battles with action-oriented blocks. However, the timing for a perfect block is notoriously tight on any mode. Rather than struggling endlessly trying to hit perfect blocks, focus on rolling.

While a perfect guard refunds a resource and deals massive extra damage, not blocking leaves you vulnerable. Fortunately there are a number of Pictos and Luminas that restore Action Points on a well-timed evade. If you can't get the block down, use those evasion-based abilities instead.

Breaking Enemies Is Your Secret Weapon

The Break status effect is a game-changing state that can swing a fight. As you attack a foe, a yellow gauge fills up under their life bar. When full, you can stun the enemy, which reduces their defense by a significant amount and skips their turn for an entire round. It is the single most powerful debuff in the game, but only particular skills can trigger it.

Level Up Deliberately

You have the option to reallocate your build using a limited consumable called a Recoat. Since they are uncommon, it's wise to plan your build before using your attribute points. Get a feel for a character's playstyle and plan a skill tree path beforehand.

Always Rest At the Expedition Flag

Using your tent at an checkpoint fully heals your all characters and refreshes every potions, including Chroma Elixirs and revival items. Make it a habit to stop and heal up!

Checkpoints also serve as the only means to fast travel in the game. There is no mini-map, GPS, or quest indicators. Instead, each flag has a identifier. By resting, you can see a menu of your progress in that zone under a fast travel menu. It's a basic yet helpful way to see how far you've come.

Paint Cages Are Invariably Worth It

Paint Cages are essentially puzzle caches that demand you to locate and shoot three scattered mechanisms in the surrounding area to claiming the prize. The contents is without fail valuable, often containing Recoats or strong equipment. The required seals aren't always obvious, but they are almost always near the cage. If you can't find one, try exploring thoroughly or looking up.

Yes, Battle the Vendor

All vendors stocks a secret, unique item that isn't listed in their normal inventory. To unlock it, you must select a party member and beat them in combat in a one-on-one fight. This is invariably a worthwhile endeavor, as these pieces of gear are truly unique. The first merchant you meet, for example, provides a special accessory that inflicts the Defenseless debuff, which increases damage dealt against the target by 25%.

Have Faith in the Auto-Save System

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