French Studies 352 - Intro/French Video Games

The main objective of this course is to allow you discover some recent French and French-speaking video games. Event 0 and Life is Strange are two adventure games (cinematic) with puzzles to solve, while Valiant Hearts is more of an action-platformer that requires combat and strategy. Our class discussions and your assignments will focus on your progression through these games, which have varying degrees of immersion, as well as their cultural specificities. This course will also look closely at the figure of the hero in these video games, as well as the treatment of violence and the epic nature of some form of heroization and the transmission of its values.