Clair Obscur Expedition 33 Beginner Guide Essential Tips and Combat Basics

Ready to dive into the mysterious world of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33? Before you embark on this captivating RPG journey across the Continent, discover the top 10 essential beginner’s tips that will give you a strategic edge-whether it’s mastering combat counters, exploring hidden side quests, or unlocking powerful abilities. These insider tips will help you navigate the game’s unique systems and challenges with confidence from the very start.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 casts you as a group of magical Instagram influencers, fronted by British Daredevil, on a mission to let everyone in the world grow old enough to get gray hairs. It’s a turn-based RPG, but it also has real-time parries inspired by Soulslikes, and wraps up that perplexing mix of gameplay in a lexicon that seems straight out of art school.

It’s a bit off-putting initially, but once you lock in, you’ll find a rich, fascinating RPG that’s unlike many other games around today. Below, see 10 beginner’s tips for Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.

Change party members often

Frequently changing your party members in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is a smart strategy to ensure balanced experience gain and maintain a versatile team. Characters only earn experience points from battles they actively participate in, so rotating your lineup helps keep all members at similar levels. Additionally, the game sometimes requires you to keep specific characters in your party, making it even more important to switch members regularly to adapt to different combat scenarios and enemy weaknesses. This approach also allows you to experiment with various character synergies, skills, and weapons to find the combinations that best suit your playstyle.

In Expedition 33, your party members only earn experience points from a battle if they partook in said battle. (Yes, it’s one of those games.) Further, there are several points where the game forces you to keep certain characters in your party. (It’s one of those games too.) The easiest solution to both of those problems? Change your party members often, and do your best to keep all of them at or near the same level.

The good news is that, if you need to grind, it moves pretty quickly. Battles grant a generous amount of experience, often enough to level up after two or three. And you can reset an area’s enemies by resting at an expedition flag – checkpoints that populate each level – so if you need to rack up a ton of experience points quickly, just fight enemies near a flag, rest at the flag, and repeat the process until you’ve leveled up a few times.

Change accessories often

Changing accessories often in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is a smart strategy to adapt to different combat situations and enemy weaknesses. Since each accessory can provide unique bonuses or effects, regularly swapping them allows you to optimize your party’s performance and better handle the variety of challenges you face. This flexibility can be crucial, especially when encountering tougher foes or when you need to complement your skills and weapons with the right enhancements.

There are two ways to grant passive perks to your party members: Pictos and Luminas.

Pictos are accessories that grant stat boosts but also have a passive skill. Each party member can equip up to three Pictos. When a Picto is equipped, if you win four battles with that Picto equipped, you’ll then unlock its Lumina.
Luminas aren’t accessories, per se, but you might as well think of them like that. Each character has a number of Lumina Points (which you can increase through items and level-ups). Each Lumina has a predetermined Lumina Point cost. So long as a given character has enough Lumina Points to unlock one, there are no limits on how many characters can equip the same Luminas, meaning you can stack passive perks across your entire team.

The most efficient approach here then is, every time you get a new Picto, make sure one of your party members equips it, then win four battles. That’ll unlock its associated Lumina, so at least you’ll be able to use it whenever the need arises.

If you don’t have any new Pictos you want to level up, just equip the Pictos with the best stats.

Forget about parrying

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 features a combat system that combines turn-based strategy with real-time reactions, including parrying enemy attacks. However, the parry window is extremely brief and can be difficult to master, especially for beginners. Instead of focusing on parrying, it is more practical to concentrate on dodging, which has a slightly more forgiving timing and can keep your party safer. Additionally, there are Pictos and Luminas that restore Action Points (AP) when you successfully dodge, helping you maintain offensive capabilities without relying on perfect parry timing. This approach allows you to manage combat more effectively and reduces frustration early in the game.

Expedition 33’s big gimmick is that it pairs turn-based combat with real-time parries. The thing is, no matter the difficult level, the parry window is blink-and-you’ll-miss-it brief. We’re talking 0.00000005 frames at best. If you want your party members (and your controllers) to not die, focus instead on dodging.

When you land a parry, you’ll restore one AP for that character, allowing that party member to use skills, so there’s certainly a benefit to parrying rather than dodging. But there are several Pictos and Luminas you can equip that’ll give you AP when you successfully perform a dodge. If you’re struggling with the parry window, equip Luminas that restore AP on dodging.

Break is your secret weapon

Taking breaks in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is your secret weapon to mastering the game. Resting at Expedition Flags not only replenishes your health and resources but also causes enemies to respawn, giving you the chance to grind and level up your party. Additionally, breaks offer valuable moments to bond with your teammates, unlocking new traversal abilities and skills that can turn the tide of battle. Use these pauses strategically to regroup, plan your next moves, and come back stronger for tougher challenges ahead.

Break is a status effect that can turn the tide of most battles. As you whittle away an enemy’s health bar, you’ll slowly fill up a gold meter underneath that health bar. When it’s full, that means you’re able to inflict break, a status effect that reduces that enemy’s defense by 20% and prevents them from attacking for a whole turn. It’s the single most powerful status effect, but only certain attacks can actually inflict break. See our guide on how to break enemies for more details.

Level up intentionally

To level up intentionally in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, focus on making thoughtful choices with your attribute points and skill unlocks each time your characters gain a level. Each level grants three attribute points and one skill point, and some attributes can boost others, so experiment by adding points across different stats before committing to find the most effective build for your playstyle. Additionally, adapt your skills and weapons based on the enemies you face, targeting their weaknesses and switching tactics if a fight proves difficult. This strategic approach to leveling ensures your party grows stronger in a balanced way, making challenging encounters more manageable as you progress through the game.

You can reset attributes and skills with an item called a Recoat, but it’s a pretty rare item. Before committing your attribute points and skill points, get a feel for how you want to build that party member’s skill tree out, then map out a plan.

Always stop at the expedition flag

Always stop at the expedition flag in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 to save your progress and restore your party’s health and resources. These flags act as checkpoints where enemies respawn, allowing you to grind and level up if needed before moving forward. Taking the time to rest at these points ensures you’re prepared for upcoming challenges and can retry difficult fights without losing significant progress.

Resting at an expedition flag also fully heals your party and restores all of your healing items, including Chroma Elixirs (potions) and Revive Tints (phoenix downs). Every time you see a flag, rest at it!

Expedition flags are also the closest things to waypoints that you’ll find in Expedition 33. There’s no map. There’s no compass. There are no actual waypoints. But each flag has a name and a number. When you reach an expedition flag, you can see a list of all the expedition flags you’ve found so far in the level under the “fast travel” menu. It’s not much, but it can give you a sense of progress.

Paint Cages are always worth it

Paint Cages in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 are always worth the effort because they contain valuable rewards that enhance your gameplay experience. These locked organic containers are scattered throughout the game’s biomes and can be opened by locating and shooting three glowing locks nearby. Successfully unlocking a Paint Cage grants you rare items such as Chroma Elixir Shards, which increase your healing capacity, or unique Tints and Pictos that provide passive bonuses and customization options. Since these cages are not tied to quests but encourage thorough exploration, they serve as rewarding collectibles that boost your party’s strength and versatility, making them a worthwhile target for every player.

Paint Cages are essentially glowy locked chests that require you to find and shoot three hidden locks in the level before you can get the loot inside. That loot, though, is always worth the effort, including items like Recoats or weapons. The three associated locks aren’t always in obvious locations, but they are, in our experience, always relatively close to the Paint Cage. If you can’t find a lock, try smashing some crates nearby – or try looking up!

Yes, fight the merchant

In Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, engaging in combat with merchants is a unique and rewarding challenge. Each merchant has a special, unlisted item that they will only sell if you defeat them in a one-on-one fight. While these battles can be tough, they are well worth the effort, as the items you gain are often powerful and exclusive. For example, the first merchant you encounter offers a Picto that applies a defenseless debuff, increasing damage dealt to enemies by 25%. To unlock these valuable goods, pick a party member and take on the merchant in combat-you can try repeatedly until you succeed, making it a strategic and beneficial part of your early game experience.

Every merchant has an unlisted unique item. To get them to sell the item to you, you’ll need to choose one party member and defeat them in one-on-one combat. Every single time, it’s worth doing so, as these items are one of a kind (and often quite powerful). The first merchant you come across, for instance, will sell you a Picto that applies the defenseless debuff, which increases the damage you’ll deal to an affected enemy by 25%.

Trust in the autosave

In Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, there is no manual save option, so players must rely on the autosave system to preserve their progress. The game automatically saves after nearly every significant action, such as finishing battles, purchasing items, changing equipment, or resting at Expedition Flags, which act as checkpoints. These frequent autosaves, along with a history of the 20 most recent save files, ensure that players rarely lose much progress, even if they make mistakes. Additionally, players can strategically trigger autosaves by switching weapons or outfits before tough encounters, effectively creating their own save points. Trusting this autosave system is key to managing your journey through the game’s challenging and immersive world.

There’s no way to manually save in Expedition 33. However, at least on PlayStation 5, the game autosaves after nearly every action – finishing a battle, buying an item, exiting a menu – and stores the 20 most recent autosave files. When you mess up, you won’t lose that much progress by reverting to your most recent save.

Learn each character’s quirks

Each character in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 brings unique quirks and abilities that shape your gameplay experience. Gustave, the engineer protagonist, excels at building Overcharge with his sword and pistol to unleash powerful lightning attacks. Lune, the pathfinder and spellcaster, wields elemental magic that grows stronger as she gains Stains in combat. Maelle, a young fencer, switches between stances to adapt her damage types, while Sciel uses cards to stack Foretell on enemies, increasing their vulnerability. Monoco, a Gestral warrior, transforms into various enemies using his Bestial Wheel, and Verso remains a mysterious observer with crucial importance to the story. Understanding each character’s distinct combat style and backstory will help you optimize your party and enjoy the rich narrative of Expedition 33.

When you unlock a new party member, you will have one chance – and one chance only – to play through that character’s combat tutorial. Expedition 33 does a decent job at showing you the ropes, but it doesn’t get into the finer details. To that end, we’ll leave you with a lightning round of advice for each party member.

Gustave: Prioritize quantity (of hits) over quality (of hits). If you can fill up his Overcharge meter within two turns, you’ll be able to deal a single but very powerful attack.
Lune: Light stains can stand in for any of the other four elemental stains. So if, for instance, you need to use two ice stains for an attack bonus but don’t like using ice attacks to generate those stains, use light magic to generate all-purpose stains instead.
Maelle: Whatever you do, equip weapons and skills that let you play in Virtuose Stance, which grants Maelle a 200% damage boost for the next turn.
Sciel: Against regular enemies, don’t worry too much about building large stacks of Foretell. Against bosses, try to build Foretell stacks up to at least 10 before using them up.
Verso: It’s futile, so don’t even try to ignore the Clive from Final Fantasy 16 allegations. Oh! Real advice? Use Verso to mark enemies, leaving them susceptible to extra damage on the next attack.
Monoco: Defeat each type of enemy with Monoco in your party at least one time. Every type of enemy you defeat with Monoco will unlock a new skill for him to use.

What hidden systems should I master before facing tough enemies in Clair Obscur

To face tough enemies in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 effectively, you should master several hidden combat systems:

Parrying and Perfect Dodging: Mastering perfect dodges first is recommended since their timing closely matches parries, which are high risk but yield high rewards like bonus AP and powerful counters if timed perfectly. Learning enemy attack patterns is crucial for this skill.
Breaking Enemies: The Break meter fills as you deal damage; when full, using Break skills stuns enemies for a full round, preventing their actions and making them more vulnerable to damage. This is especially key against tough bosses like the Mimes.
Status Effects and Multi-Hit Skills: Applying status effects like burning can automatically reduce enemy shields each turn, while multi-hit skills chip away shields quickly, allowing you to damage enemies sooner.
Shield Management: Enemies often have shields that must be depleted before health can be damaged. Using status effects, multi-hit attacks, or repeated hits to remove shields is essential.
Mastering Pictos and Luminas: Continuously mastering pictos (abilities) even if not immediately useful will pay off later, enabling powerful builds and easier handling of difficult foes.
Observing Enemy Patterns: Early in battles, skipping turns to learn enemy attack combos and timings helps in anticipating and countering their moves effectively.
Utilizing Shields and Gradient Attacks: Shields are valuable in boss fights, and gradient attacks (like Gommage or Sky Break) are essential for dealing heavy damage and managing tough enemies such as secret bosses.

Mastering these systems will significantly improve your chances against the game’s toughest challenges.

How important is mastering parry and dodge systems for tough enemies in Clair Obscur

Mastering the parry and dodge systems in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is crucial for surviving and excelling against tough enemies. Parrying, while challenging due to its precise timing, completely negates incoming damage and rewards you with extra Action Points (AP), which are essential for executing powerful skills. Successfully parrying an entire enemy combo triggers a devastating counterattack, making it a high-risk, high-reward mechanic that can turn the tide of battle.

Dodging offers a more forgiving timing window and is recommended as the starting point to learn enemy attack patterns safely. Perfect dodges can also grant bonus AP, though not as much as parries. Players are advised to master dodging first before transitioning to parrying, as the timing for perfect dodges closely mirrors that of parries.

In late-game encounters, especially against bosses and superbosses, parrying becomes even more critical since many enemy attacks can one-shot party members if left unblocked. While dodging remains useful, parrying is generally more rewarding and often necessary to avoid fatal damage and maintain offensive momentum.

In summary, parrying is a core system that significantly affects difficulty and combat effectiveness. Skillful timing of parries can make you nearly invulnerable during enemy turns and provide the AP needed for your strongest abilities, making it indispensable for tackling the game’s toughest challenges.