Renoir Demo

Noir movies are designed using exaggerated characters and the classic black & white color scheme, which helps to create that specific noir atmosphere. However, a good story is needed to keep the experience from getting stale, because a good soundtrack and bleak environments can only keep you entertained for so long before you get bored.

Renoir is a 2D action-platformer with puzzle elements, in which you have to overcome obstacles and make use of a few interesting gameplay mechanics to stay alive and solve a mystery. In essence, the best thing about the game is the record feature, which allows you to jump into a spirit and control it around the level, while recording its actions. After that, you can switch back and replay the recording while moving around the environment.

The gameplay is not very fluid, which might be a bit of an issue sometimes, especially since you often have to stop and wait for your ghost to perform the actions you already did seconds ago. Timing is important as well, so it can happen that you miss your mark and have to do it all over again. You can get used to this pace, but a lot more could have juiced out of the idea.

The puzzles can be rather repetitive sometimes, mainly because you are constantly flipping switches and running from place to place while avoiding sources of light. More intricate challenges await you later on, on the other hand, so your patience is rewarded in the end. It still feels like you are advancing very slowly, unfortunately, and this is a core component of the game that is not easily fixable.

Thankfully, the artistic components are good enough to make the experience memorable, especially when it comes to graphics and soundtrack. Each level features the classic noir vibe, with dark colors, outlines and bleak environments. On top of that, the music completes the atmosphere and really makes you feel the constant rain.

In spite of its slow gameplay and uninspired choices when it comes to the mechanics, Renoir can still keep you engaged for a while, depending on how patient you are. Hence, it’s certainly a unique experience, as well as an accurate portrayal of noir concepts.