Sometimes all it takes to make a new subgenre is an apostrophe. With just one hardworking punctuation mark, the newly christened J'RPG describes a refreshingly French spin on Japanese turn-based roleplaying games, and players can't get enough of its irresistible je ne sais quoi.
J'RPG is a particularly brilliant fit for Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. Sandfall Interactive's tale of saving dark-fantasy Paris from a series of increasingly unhappy birthdays boasts whimsical mimes, gilded Belle Epoque architecture, and an English voice cast able to drop merde and putain like they're in a Marseille rap battle. But Sandfall's debut—undeniably, spectacularly, proudly French—is just the latest title to deserve the name J'RPG.
