A curious piece of trivia: The “Obscur” in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 references the complex nature of the game's menus and systems.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has you leading a team of glamorous spellcasters, led by the audacious British Daredevil, on a quest to combat a universal phenomenon that prevents aging. It fuses strategic role-playing combat with action-game reflexes reminiscent of Soulslike games, all wrapped in a idiosyncratic visual style.
It has proven to be the most successful titles of the season, having achieved massive sales and secured Game of the Year recognition. The adventure can feel a bit off-putting initially, but once you lock in, you’ll find a rich and fascinating role-playing game that differentiates itself from other games. Listed here are ten crucial starting pointers for Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.
Change Characters Often
In Expedition 33, allies who are active during a fight receive a hefty increase to XP compared to those in reserve. Additionally, the campaign will periodically mandate you to use specific characters. The simplest method to both issues is to switch members often and aim to keep everyone at a comparable strength.
The good news is that leveling up is fairly fast. Fights award a sizable amount of XP, frequently enough for a character progression after just a few. You can reset an zone's monsters by resting at an expedition flag—these markers are placed in each level. If you need to power level, simply fight enemies near a flag, use the flag, and continue the cycle.
Change Gear Often
There are two main ways to bestow passive perks to your allies: Pictos and Lumina skills.
- Pictos function as gear that provide stat boosts and come with a unique passive skill. A character can wear up to three Pictos. Once slotted, finishing four encounters with a Picto unlocks its linked Lumina.
- Luminas aren’t physical items but can be thought of as equippable passives. Every ally has a pool of Lumina Points (which grows via items). Each Lumina has a set cost. If a character has the required amount, multiple characters can equip the same Lumina, allowing you to layer powerful passives across your entire team.
The optimal approach is to make sure a party member has equipped each fresh Picto you find and completes four battles to gain its Lumina. This ensures you gain access for later builds.
When you aren't have new Pictos to work on, simply use the Pictos with the highest bonuses for your current build.
Parrying Isn't Your Only Option
Expedition 33’s defining element is its fusion of turn-based combat with real-time parries. However, the parry window is incredibly short on any mode. Rather than breaking controllers trying to hit perfect blocks, focus on evading.
While a well-timed block grants a resource and deals massive extra damage, not blocking yields no benefit. Fortunately there are a number of gear and skills that restore Action Points on a well-timed evade. If you struggle with the timing, equip those evasion-based options instead.
The Break Status Is Your Greatest Advantage
Inflicting Break is a decisive mechanic that can swing a fight. As you whittle down health, a special bar increases beneath 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 their next action. It is the most impactful status effect in the game, but only certain abilities can trigger it.
Allocate Points Intentionally
You are able to re-spec your build using a rare item called a Recoat. Because it's rare, it's prudent to consider your path instead of spending your stat investments. Experiment with a character's playstyle and plan a skill tree path in advance.
Make Sure to Rest At the Checkpoint Flag
Stopping at an save point completely restores your all characters and refreshes all of your potions, including HP restoratives and revival items. Make it a habit to use each flag you see!
Checkpoints also act as the closest thing to quick traversal in the game. You won't find a traditional map, waypoint system, or floating icons. Instead, each flag has a name and number. At a flag, you can see a menu of all discovered flags in that zone under a navigation option. It's a minimalist way to navigate the world.
Glowing Cages Are Always Worth It
Paint Cages are effectively locked treasure chests that need you to discover and activate three concealed seals in the nearby environment prior to claiming the prize. The contents is without fail valuable, such as respec items or powerful weapons. The three locks aren't easy to spot, but they are usually located close by. If you can't find one, try exploring thoroughly or checking elevated spots.
Absolutely, Fight the Vendor
Each shopkeeper has a secret, unique item that isn't listed in their regular wares. To gain access to it, you must select a party member and defeat the merchant in a solo battle. This proves to be rewarding, as these rewards are truly unique. The earliest vendor you meet, for example, offers a special accessory that inflicts the damage-increasing condition, which increases damage dealt against the foe by 25%.
Rely On the Autosave
There is no {manual saving
