You've probably seen the trailer by now. A guy in a mask, looking like he stepped straight out of a high-end French perfume ad, starts painting in the middle of a battlefield. This is Renoir. He isn't just a boss; he’s basically the "vibes" check for Sandfall Interactive’s upcoming RPG, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. Honestly, the first time I saw the Renoir fight footage, I thought I was watching a cutscene. Then the UI popped up.
It's turn-based. But it isn't.
If you grew up on Final Fantasy or Dragon Quest, you know the drill. You pick a command, you sit back, and you watch a sprite wiggle. Expedition 33 isn't doing that. During the Renoir fight in Expedition 33, the game demands you actually pay attention to the screen. If Renoir swings that oversized brush or fires a projectile, you don't just take the hit. You dodge. You parry. You jump. It’s a reactive system that feels more like Sekiro got tangled up with Lost Odyssey.
The Paint-Stained Mechanics
Renoir is a member of the Paintborn. In the lore of Expedition 33, everything revolves around the Paintress—a god-like figure who wakes up once a year to paint a number on a monolith. Everyone that age? They turn to smoke. It’s grim. Renoir seems to be the guardian of this aesthetic nightmare.
When you engage him, the first thing you notice is the "Rhythm." Most turn-based games are about math. This is about timing. Renoir has these sweeping AOE attacks where he splashes ink across the arena. If you miss the parry window, your health bar evaporates. But if you nail the timing, you open up a window for a counter-attack.
It's stressful. It's beautiful.
Breaking the Turn-Based Boredom
Sandfall Interactive is a French studio. You can tell. The art direction in the Renoir encounter is heavily influenced by the Belle Époque. It’s all gold filigree, flowing capes, and a haunting orchestral score that swells when Renoir enters his second phase.
👉 See also: Finding the Right Words That Start With Oc 5 Letters for Your Next Wordle Win
Most people get this wrong: they think the real-time elements are just "quick-time events." They aren't. They are foundational. During the Renoir fight, the protagonist, Gustave, has to manage his AP while simultaneously reacting to Renoir’s "Pointillism" multi-hit attacks. You can actually "Perfect Guard" every single hit in a combo. If you've got the twitch reflexes of a fighting game player, you can theoretically take zero damage from one of the hardest bosses in the early game.
That’s a huge shift for the genre.
The strategy isn't just "hit it until it dies." You have to watch Renoir’s hand. When he reaches for his palette, he's about to buff his defense. When he raises the brush high, it's a vertical strike you need to dodge sideways. It’s a dance. A very violent, artistic dance.
Why the Renoir Fight Matters for Expedition 33
The gaming community is currently split. Half of us want the cozy, slow-paced strategy of traditional JRPGs. The other half wants the adrenaline of an action-RPG. The Renoir fight in Expedition 33 is the developers’ manifesto saying, "Why not both?"
Sandfall has been vocal about their influences. They've cited Persona for the style and Devil May Cry for the "feel" of the combat. It sounds like a mess on paper. In practice? The Renoir footage shows it works. The transitions between the menu-based command selection and the active dodging are seamless. It doesn't feel like two different games stitched together; it feels like a natural evolution.
What We Know About the Difficulty
Renoir isn't a pushover. This isn't a "tutorial boss" you breeze through by spamming the 'A' button. Based on the gameplay previews shown at events like the Xbox Games Showcase, Renoir utilizes a "Stagger" system.
✨ Don't miss: Jigsaw Would Like Play Game: Why We’re Still Obsessed With Digital Puzzles
- You chip away at his composure by parrying attacks.
- Once the meter fills, he enters a "Break" state.
- This is when you unload your "Finisher" moves.
If you fail to parry, he gains momentum. The AI actually seems to change its behavior based on how well you're defending. If you're a parry god, Renoir gets more aggressive, forcing you to change your timing. If you're struggling, he might back off to "paint," giving you a second to heal. It’s sophisticated.
Actually, let's talk about the healing. In Expedition 33, you can’t just hide behind a healer. Because Renoir has attacks that can hit your entire party at once, one bad dodge from your support character can end the run. The stakes are high.
The Mystery of the Paintborn
Who is Renoir, though? We know he’s a Paintborn, but his dialogue—delivered with that velvety, menacing tone—suggests he was once part of an Expedition himself. He talks about the futility of the journey. He mocks the "33" on Gustave's back.
There's a theory circulating in the community that the bosses in this game are actually former Expedition members who gave up and were corrupted by the Paintress. If that's true, the Renoir fight in Expedition 33 isn't just a combat milestone; it’s a narrative mirror. You’re fighting what you might become.
The environmental storytelling is top-tier here. The arena is littered with half-finished statues and canvases. It’s a graveyard of creativity. It makes the fight feel personal, even if you’ve only just met the guy.
Technical Marvels on Unreal Engine 5
We have to mention the visuals. Expedition 33 is running on Unreal Engine 5, and the Renoir fight is the "showpiece" for the engine's capabilities. The way the light bounces off the wet ink on the floor? Incredible. The fabric physics on Renoir’s coat as he spins? It’s buttery smooth.
🔗 Read more: Siegfried Persona 3 Reload: Why This Strength Persona Still Trivializes the Game
But it’s not just about the "pixels." It’s about the clarity. Even when the screen is filled with particles and ink splashes, you can still read Renoir’s silhouette. That’s crucial for a game that relies on visual cues for parrying. If the art was too busy, the gameplay would suffer. Sandfall seems to have found that "sweet spot" where the game looks like a painting but plays like a precision tool.
Getting Ready for the Encounter
When the game finally drops, you shouldn't go into the Renoir fight in Expedition 33 expecting a standard RPG experience. You need to train your brain.
- Watch the brush, not the health bar. Renoir’s tells are all in his upper body.
- Don't over-commit. It’s tempting to burn all your AP on a big attack, but if you don't save enough for a defensive maneuver, Renoir will punish you.
- Listen to the music. The soundtrack often signals a change in his attack patterns before the animation even starts.
Honestly, it's refreshing. We've had a lot of "soulslikes" lately, and we've had a lot of "retro-inspired" JRPGs. We haven't had many games trying to be this specific thing. A high-budget, turn-based, reactive action-fantasy.
The Renoir encounter proves that turn-based combat doesn't have to be static. It doesn't have to be a "relic" of the 90s. It can be as intense as any boss fight in Elden Ring, provided the mechanics are tight and the presentation is world-class.
Final Strategic Insights
To survive the Renoir fight, you’ll need to master the "Free Look" camera during his AOE phases. Unlike other turn-based games where the camera is fixed, Expedition 33 lets you shift your perspective to track incoming projectiles from off-screen. This is a literal lifesaver when Renoir summons "Ink Phantoms" to flank you.
Also, keep an eye on the elemental synergy. Renoir appears weak to "Lumen" based attacks—which makes sense, given his dark, ink-based nature. Equipping Gustave with the right "Stones" (the game's version of materia) before the fight starts is the difference between a 20-minute slog and a 5-minute victory.
Next Steps for Players:
- Practice the parry window on lower-level "Legion" enemies before reaching Renoir’s gallery.
- Invest in "Reaction Time" upgrades in the skill tree to widen your perfect guard window.
- Study the "Pointillism" animation; it’s a three-hit combo with a delayed final strike that catches most players off guard.
- Ensure your party has at least one character with a "Cleanse" ability, as Renoir’s ink can apply a "Slow" debuff that makes parrying almost impossible.
The Renoir fight is going to be the "Waterfowl Dance" of turn-based gaming—a skill check that will separate the casual fans from the Expedition masters. Get your timing down now. You're going to need it.