Why are French games such a mindfuck?

[Caim]

I think this strain of weird, artsy design in French game development died out in the 2000s. The French are still pretty good at making video games, but it's very standardized now. Could anybody really tell that Dishonored was made in France?

The scene with the woman in the bathtub, where you get a game over when you jump in with her.

 

[Lord of Riva]

I think it's more about the way of speaking than the language itself. The French are charming, it's a cultural obligation. It may look funny from the outside.

If you are in Belgium or Luxembourg in the future, watch how people talk and you will see that they have a completely different "style".

I was just joking, I have french, belgian and friends from luxembourg, I even learned french in school an I can't for the life of me get the nasal parts right as a german. It was just meant as a friendly banter over the border

 

[La vie sexuelle]

name one good french game

I think it's more about the way of speaking than the language itself. The French are charming, it's a cultural obligation. It may look funny from the outside.

If you are in Belgium or Luxembourg in the future, watch how people talk and you will see that they have a completely different "style".

I was just joking, I have french, belgian and friends from luxembourg, I even learned french in school an I can't for the life of me get the nasal parts right as a german. It was just meant as a friendly banter over the border

And I was serious, although in fact, if you know Francophones from the provinces/Benelux, you may not actually know what I'm talking about.

I meant something like this:

 

[PorkyThePaladin]

name one good french game

Arx Fatalis.

 

[J1M]

Their language makes them think inside out.

For example, making a game about assassination primarily about parkour.

 

[Cat Headed Eagle]

At least when it comes to contemporary culture, the auteur cinema movement from the 60's really did a number in the french's minds, coupled with the events of '68. The more imemdiate effect was felt in french comics, which also got a healthy dose of that whole thing. Then you'd assume it translated into other adjacent things like videogames.

Also, a near blinding, seething rage about the english and the german.

 

[Häyhä]

name one good french game

Good list, also add Flashback to these. Oh, and North & South on the Amiga.

 

[Infinitron]

I think this strain of weird, artsy design in French game development died out in the 2000s. The French are still pretty good at making video games, but it's very standardized now. Could anybody really tell that Dishonored was made in France?

The scene with the woman in the bathtub, where you get a game over when you jump in with her.

Yeah, I thought about that scene after posting that.

 

[CHEMS]

La vie sexuelle can you help this guy out?

Some time ago, Lord Potato asked me why the French are so into esotericism, since we emphasize our rationalism so much. I answered him: "You don't realize it, but you've answered your own question. How? Think about it, the French are an elegant (in the sense of being), rational nation that cultivates intellect as a field of style. But a human is more than just style and intelligence. Hypnosis, spiritualism, astrology, tarot, magic are the ways in which the French respond to spiritual needs, while maintaining the imperative of style. It's both shallow and over-intellectualized. Like France". The French love to seduce their intellect with style and in style.

Moreover, the French do not have the restrictions typical of Puritan cultures. Nowadays they may seem dissolute, but deep in their hearts, even the Dutch have a strong sense of cleanliness. "Edgy" is a typically puritanical concept because it refers to attempts to break cultural purity in an extreme way. But when we run away from purity, we still remain in the power of this concept. Romance cultures are mentally Catholic, more emotional, but (pay attention now) more permissive because they are more restrictive. The Putitan is free, but he is alone, in terror of his own purity. The individual morality of a Catholic is blurred in the larger community, and therefore there is less individual responsibility. Think about attitudes towards extramarital sex in France and the USA. In America it always ends with "I am very sorry, on my behalf I apologize to everyone, there is no justification...". In France it's more like: "- Don't worry, honey, I've been sucking our gardener's cock for three years. - Lul. Owned."

In addition to all this, there is the tradition of France as a state patronizing the arts. The French, even the peasants of Provence, like to pretend they know art. There's a lot of posturing and emptiness, but that's a separate story. This posing is both from the side of the creator and the recipient.

Note, however, that "typically French games" ceased to be created with the internationalization of markets. Now, with the exception of Japan, it's the same mush tailored to North American tastes.There are no more "wacky French games" because cultural puritans will not allow them to exist on a wider market (note that the most interesting games nowadays are created by one, several-person teams). Worse yet, it begins to spill over into the rest of your life. Recently, some crazy wench was offended at the Angoulême Festival because the comics presented lacked "diversity", so this year there were only comics by Arabs and feminists.

Eh.

Extremely based

 

[gabel]

name one good french game

Trackmania Nations Forever

 

[janior]

so bunch of point and click stuff(not video games) and an UU clone, got it

 

[PorkyThePaladin]

It's easy to make fun of ze French, or Amuricans, or the West, but the truth is, it's just the natural order of things. Societies that reach the apex of civilization inevitably decay (whether it's the modern West, or ancient Rome, or Babylon or whatever). When people have more than enough to eat and safety and basic comforts, some of them fall into decadence, and others begin to question the world, their existence, their purpose and so on. These questions are almost guaranteed to hurt their country/empire/whatever, because practical entities are much better served by simple ideologies and primitive world-views. That's why armies train soldiers the way they do.

It doesn't mean that barbarians are better, they just have blinders on and focus on the simple shit, while they can. Enough time passes, and the barbarians (Goths, Teutons, Franks, Celts) become the decaying empire (modern West), and the circle of life continues on.

 

[MadMaxHellfire]

Now, with the exception of Japan, it's the same mush tailored to chinese tastes.

ftfy.

 

[Kruyurk]

Peak french culture

 

[toro]

 

[Zed Duke of Banville]

name one good french game

Another World (1991), created by Eric Chahi on a Commodore Amiga in just two years:

 

[Tehdagah]

Ah yes french games

 

[janior]

hm I guess they made Dune, that's a very innovative and impressive game for 1992 with some fantastic music and art... France is saved

 

[Lord of Riva]

I propose Wakfu and Dofus.

 

[lightbane]

Little Big Adventure 1 and 2, gentlemen. There was a remaster where Twinsen was suddenly black for REASONS, but thankfully it seems to have stopped IIRC.

 

[Lord of Riva]

Little Big Adventure 1 and 2, gentlemen. There was a remaster where Twinsen was suddenly black for REASONS, but thankfully it seems to have stopped IIRC.

Had wierd dreams about that one, I saw it as a toddler. Never played it in full though.

 

[Häyhä]

name one good french game

Another World (1991), created by Eric Chahi on a Commodore Amiga in just two years:

Another World is truly a timeless masterpiece and one of the greatest and most influential video games ever made. The game was so much ahead of it's time that it's unbelievable and it hasn't aged a day in over 30 years. Everything from the cinematics to visual and sound design, story telling without a single word of dialogue used to explain things, the feeling of true loneliness being stranded on a completely alien world... And it was made by basically one young guy with some serious talent and vision.

"The game also had a big influence on several other game designers, especially in Japan. Fumito Ueda cited Another World as an inspiration for his creation of Ico.[95] Hideo Kojima, creator of the Metal Gear series, said it was one of the five games that influenced him the most.[96] Video game designer Goichi Suda called it his favourite game"

I'll never forget when I first saw the intro as a kid. I couldn't believe that it was a "video game"

 

[taxalot]

We want to fuck all the time.

 

[La vie sexuelle]

name one good french game

Good list, also add Flashback to these. Oh, and North & South on the Amiga.

I fondly remember this trend of translating BD into games, even "The Black Moon Chronicles". Too bad it all ended with Asterix shovelware.

La vie sexuelle can you help this guy out?

Some time ago, Lord Potato asked me why the French are so into esotericism, since we emphasize our rationalism so much. I answered him: "You don't realize it, but you've answered your own question. How? Think about it, the French are an elegant (in the sense of being), rational nation that cultivates intellect as a field of style. But a human is more than just style and intelligence. Hypnosis, spiritualism, astrology, tarot, magic are the ways in which the French respond to spiritual needs, while maintaining the imperative of style. It's both shallow and over-intellectualized. Like France". The French love to seduce their intellect with style and in style.

Moreover, the French do not have the restrictions typical of Puritan cultures. Nowadays they may seem dissolute, but deep in their hearts, even the Dutch have a strong sense of cleanliness. "Edgy" is a typically puritanical concept because it refers to attempts to break cultural purity in an extreme way. But when we run away from purity, we still remain in the power of this concept. Romance cultures are mentally Catholic, more emotional, but (pay attention now) more permissive because they are more restrictive. The Putitan is free, but he is alone, in terror of his own purity. The individual morality of a Catholic is blurred in the larger community, and therefore there is less individual responsibility. Think about attitudes towards extramarital sex in France and the USA. In America it always ends with "I am very sorry, on my behalf I apologize to everyone, there is no justification...". In France it's more like: "- Don't worry, honey, I've been sucking our gardener's cock for three years. - Lul. Owned."

In addition to all this, there is the tradition of France as a state patronizing the arts. The French, even the peasants of Provence, like to pretend they know art. There's a lot of posturing and emptiness, but that's a separate story. This posing is both from the side of the creator and the recipient.

Note, however, that "typically French games" ceased to be created with the internationalization of markets. Now, with the exception of Japan, it's the same mush tailored to North American tastes.There are no more "wacky French games" because cultural puritans will not allow them to exist on a wider market (note that the most interesting games nowadays are created by one, several-person teams). Worse yet, it begins to spill over into the rest of your life. Recently, some crazy wench was offended at the Angoulême Festival because the comics presented lacked "diversity", so this year there were only comics by Arabs and feminists.

Eh.

Extremely based

I know :D

Now, with the exception of Japan, it's the same mush tailored to chinese tastes.

ftfy.

I know that mass-produced weeb games can obscure the picture a bit, but a good Japanese game is one that draws originality by understanding typical Japanese schmattes. For example, the VenusBlood series:


This game has an amazing Japanese level of complexity. Typical Japanese hentai VN is not the problem here, but the form in which it all works.

Peak french culture

I agree. It's a very good piece of music. But you know what? We can even more frenchier:

We want to fuck all the time.

Yes.

Me anyway.

 

[Harthwain]

Dark Earth is another good one, very strange game.

I found this review to be hilarious: