Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Tips and Tricks

Former Ubisoft developers have given their creativity free rein, and the result is one of the best story-driven games of recent years. In our Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Tips and Tricks, you’ll learn everything you need to know about the turn-based combat, item management, and your party’s abilities.

1) Take on the optional battles at the start

Fighting as many battles as possible is generally not a bad idea in this game. Even during the prologue, you have several opportunities to fight optional battles. At the end of each battle, you’ll be rewarded with valuable equipment and items that will improve your stats.

The spawn points in Expedition 33 are also extremely fair. If you lose a battle, you’ll respawn not far from your last position and can try again. All enemies and your healing items will be reset when you rest at the campsite or an expedition flag. Use this to grind a few levels.

2) Focus on the fights

The turn-based combat system is very reminiscent of games like Persona 5. Indeed, there are many similarities. However, Clair Obscur adds a few active elements to ensure you take less damage and do more.

For example, it’s worth blocking or dodging attacks by performing Quick Time Events at the right moment. If you manage to parry perfectly, your character will counter-attack. It’s even possible to survive entire battles without losing any HP.

Focus on your special attacks and go into battle without fear. Some enemies won’t make it easy for you to defeat them. But thanks to the respawn mechanic, you won’t have to worry about them ruining your progress. If you find an enemy is still too strong for you, simply avoid them on your next attempt and return to them a few levels later.

3) More combat tips

Similar to a shooter, your characters in Expedition 33 can aim and shoot freely. Not only during combat, but also outside of it. You can use this feature to start a fight in a controlled manner or to stun opponents.

You can use this feature even more tactically during combat: Each shot costs one action point, but does not end your turn. Use this to weaken your opponent or take them out. The bottom line is that you can defeat multiple enemies in a single turn.

Target your opponent’s weaknesses and use only as much ammunition as necessary. If you encounter shielded units, each hit will disable a shield icon. Firearms are also useful against flying enemies, as they can evade your melee attacks.

Below your opponent’s health bar is a yellow bar. This fills up as you deal damage and can be triggered by your special abilities. This will stun the unit, making it more vulnerable to further attacks. Use this in boss fights.

4) Follow the lights

Getting lost and straying from the main path is easy during your playthrough. One of our most useful Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 tips and tricks is this: Follow the lights. They are your best navigational aid when you don’t know where you’re going. On the other hand, it can also be helpful to stay away from the lights and thus advance into optional areas. There is plenty to discover, and even dead ends can hold valuable rewards.

5) Expedition 33 tips on items

Especially in the first few hours of the game, you’ll come across many items that you have no idea what they do. At least that’s what happened to us. However, we recommend that you collect them all and keep them. Over time, their significance will become clear, and you can use them to your advantage in many tricky situations.

Search the continent thoroughly to ensure you don’t miss anything in Expedition 33. Many pictos, weapon upgrades, outfits, healing items, and materials can be found in hidden corners away from the main missions. So take your time and search everywhere.

6) Help the Nevrons

Not all Nevrons in Expedition 33 are bad and evil. Some of them have a small task for you, and it’s worth helping them. You can recognize them by their white color. Of course, you could just attack the Nevrons and kill them. But if you complete their short fetch quests, you’ll be rewarded with valuable loot. The items you’re looking for are usually not far away, so the missions can be completed quickly.

7) How the Pictos and Lumina system works

The Pictos and Lumina system in Expedition 33 offers in-depth customization options for your characters, but can initially seem a little complex. Pictos work like equipment items that grant passive bonuses or special effects. These could be extra action points after a dodge or increased damage after a free shot.

Once you’ve won four battles with a Picto, it is considered mastered. Its effect will then be available to all party members, provided they have enough Lumina points.

These can be gained by leveling up or through items. Once you’ve completed the Flying Waters area and unlocked the Curator in the camp, you can increase your party’s Lumina quota. Finally, you can choose which abilities you want to be active in your character menu.

As well as providing effects, Pictos also offer direct stat boosts. Use them to supplement your skill distribution. For example, if you use a health-boosting Picto, you can focus on stats such as Strength or Defence.

It’s best to equip each new Picto you find and replace it with a new one once you’ve mastered it. This way, you’ll gradually build up a versatile repertoire of Lumina abilities. However, keep an eye on the cost-benefit ratio when managing them. Some effects cost as little as one point, while others cost up to ten. Combine inexpensive effects with a few powerful passives to make your builds efficient.

8) Talk to your companions

While there isn’t a deep relationship system like Persona, you can still form bonds with your party members. Spending time with them in the camp will deepen your relationship, leading to nice, personal dialogue and unlocking new abilities.

In most cases, major story events will automatically unlock new camp interactions. So keep your eyes open when you return.

9) Your team should have these abilities

The combat system in Expedition 33 is full of hidden synergies: almost every ability reacts to certain conditions or builds on the individual mechanics of the characters. This can seem confusing and overwhelming at first, but once you understand the connections, the full tactical potential of the game unfolds.

For example, if Lune uses fire spells on all enemies at the start of a fight, Gustave can use his ability to restore health when hitting burning enemies. Or if Gustave marks enemies for higher damage and Maelle follows up with an attack, each hit can be an instant kill. Speaking of Maelle, one of her best and most effective abilities is Percee.

As for your team in general, you have complete freedom to choose which play style you want to follow and which characters you want to focus on. Each of them can become extremely powerful with the right combination of Pictos and Lumina. Each character has different strengths, and the trick is to find synergies between them.

Defeat the paintress with PLITCH!

With the help of our Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 tips and tricks, you’ll be able to uncover the truth behind the Painter and the number on the monolith. Personalize your experience with PLITCH’s Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 cheats. Switch to stealth mode for faster exploration or give yourself infinite action points in combat.

The codes can also affect your health, movement speed, experience points, and each character’s level.

Check out this blog and our YouTube channel to learn more about PLITCH!

Happy Gaming!