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PaperclipPerfector  7mo ago (text post)   2184 thread views

Friday Fun Thread for May 2, 2025

Be advised: this thread is not for serious in-depth discussion of weighty topics (we have a link for that), this thread is not for anything Culture War related. This thread is for Fun. You got jokes? Share 'em. You got silly questions? Ask 'em.

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Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 https://store.steampowered.com/agecheck/app/1903340/

A French JRPG with French themes made by French Frenchmen from France. I find the premise strangely appealing, ridiculous as it seems when spelled out. I saw the prologue (in French, obivously) and thought "damn, I want to know how it continues". Notably though, the setting and plot are pretty much all I'm interested in. I can't stand JRPGs for the gameplay. Not sure if I want to get into those weeds. Weebs. Weebweeds. That said, this would be just the thing for reactivating my French in anticipation of a visitor I'll host later this Month. But at 30-45€ (depending on where I might get it from), the price is pretty steep. Believe it or not, but I pretty much learned fluent French by playing fully voice-acted text-heavy games in French, many years ago.

The premise, by the way, is that the world has ended 67 years ago, all that's left is a slice of Paris stuck in an ocean, and since then the maximum age for humans has been lowered by one year every year, it's now the year 33, everyone's and the end of their rope one way or another, expeditions have been sent out yearly to try and remedy the situation but so far none have achieved anything. Hence Expedition 33, staffed primarily with 33-year-olds who donate the last year of their lives to giving humanity (or Parisians, anyways) a fighting chance at survival.

It's moving stuff. The game starts of with the festival of erasure, where everyone says goodbye to the 34-year-olds, last gifts are exhanged, some drink, some fuck, some hide, and then all gather to observe as the maximum age gets lowered and their friends, mothers, ex-girlfriends, fathers, brothers, and possibly themselves die on the spot. Newly-made orphans are escorted to orphanages, life continues, at least for the time being.

Above all, it's French. And since I can't stand French filmmaking, French gaming is pretty much the only media I sometimes enjoy in which I can hear French people talk. I'm still debating whether or not that's worth playing a JRPG for, though.

I'll second this. I'm enjoying the game. It offers up the feeling of the Final Fantasy 7 through 10 era of JRPGs without feeling derivative. I've always enjoyed Super Mario RPG style "quick time event" turn battles and am happy to see the mechanic again. The music is great, the visuals are great, the writing is great. I don't totally love the level design but it's not bad, just not my preferred style.

Culture war angle?

I am also enjoying everyone's attempts at naming the putative subgenre. My favorites so far are "Je RPG" and "Final Francetasy."

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