# The Long Save
> Notes on years of games, books, films and journeys.
Public Ghost content for AI and LLM tooling. This file includes a bounded export of public pages first, then recent public posts.
Append `.md` to any post or page URL to get the content in Markdown (for example, `/example-post.md`).
## Pages
### About The Long Save
URL: https://www.thelongsave.com/about/
Last updated: 2026-07-05T15:18:16.000Z
### Still curious.

Although blogging has lost its popularity over the years, I haven't lost my love of writing. If anything, it's become even more important to me over the years. While the internet is flooded with more content than ever before, it has become increasingly difficult for amateur writers who simply enjoy sharing their thoughts to create interesting spaces. I started writing over fifteen years ago, both as a blogger and as a contributor to various media outlets. I wrote exclusively in French, my mother tongue, and mostly wrote reviews of video games, movies, comic books and the occasional talk show, stream or podcast, where I shared my love of all things that caught my interest. I do not believe that things were better in the past, when we were kids. I still find immense joy in discovering new novels, games and films that can still make me feel things.

The name comes from a simple idea: imagining my life as one long save file, built one story at a time. Every book I finish, every game I complete, every film that stays with me becomes another entry in that journey. It's a record of where I've been and it's a reminder that there's always another page to read, another world to explore, another story waiting around the corner. As a Frenchman of half-Syrian heritage who's spent more than half of his life abroad (I'm currently writing this from the United Arab Emirates), stories have often felt like a home, a way of belonging. They're one of the few things that travelled with me wherever I went. 

> Why "**The Long Save**"? I wanted to express the idea of a long and ongoing record of my life spent exploring stories through games, books, and films, a journey still in progress, preserved one entry at a time, just like one of these games we have been playing forever, on the same save, without getting bored. 

I find this important. I want to maintain this mindset and continue to be curious about pop culture without becoming the typical jaded old geeky guy who constantly talks about the things he loved as a child. As a Frenchman of half-Syrian heritage who's spent more than half of his life abroad (I'm currently writing this from the United Arab Emirates), stories have often felt like a home, a way of belonging. They're one of the few things that travelled with me wherever I went. I find peace and happiness in the fantasy worlds that amazingly talented individuals share with us.

So what will you find on **The Long Save**? Short reviews mostly. They will be about the games I've been playing and the books I have been reading. I will not be constrained by anything new or trendy; I will just follow what I really enjoy at the moment. There will also be the occasional few words on films I've liked or broader subjects I'd like to mention. There may be the occasional piece on travelling if I find anything interesting to share, or the inevitable rant as a leftist who's exhausted by this world.

Don't expect any complaints or irony about the current state of pop culture; instead, expect positivity and optimism from a guy in his thirties who's still a kid at heart. You might also be wondering why I've decided to launch this new blog in English after writing in French all my life. It's a purely self-centred decision: as a Frenchman living abroad who uses English daily with my wife, at work and with friends, I'd love to finally be able to express my feelings about the games and novels I like in English. Please bear with me if it often feels unnatural. I promise I'll improve!

In the meanwhile, you can also find me on [Bluesky](https://bsky.app/profile/hachim0n.bsky.social?ref=thelongsave.com), and the French-speaking audience can read my articles regularly on [Pod'culture](https://podculture.fr/?ref=thelongsave.com) and [JeuxOnLine](https://www.jeuxonline.info/?ref=thelongsave.com).
## Posts
### The Devil's Flute Murders, discovering Japanese murder mysteries
URL: https://www.thelongsave.com/the-devils-flute-murders-discovering-japanese-murder-mysteries/
Last updated: 2026-09-11T07:54:19.000Z
I'm always looking for new universes and authors. I bought this book purely because the cover art looked amazing (thanks to the Pushkin Vertigo English edition), and because I wanted to discover Japanese murder mystery authors. As I couldn't find any books by Edogawa Rampo at the time, I ended up looking at *The Devil's Flute Murders* by Seishi Yokomizo, about whom I knew nothing. But oh boy, here's further proof that some of the best reads are the most unexpected.

*The Devil's Flute Murders* tells the story of a once-noble family in post-war Tokyo who are still trying to cling to their wealthy and powerful past while the city lies in ruins and the people are taking power (or at least some of it) away from the old noble families. But things get worse when the old Viscount Tsubaki, the family's head, is found dead. Then another family member dies during a divination ceremony where they tried to conjure up bad spirits with the help of a shady character. This is when Kosuke Kindaichi, the hero of all the murder mysteries written by Seishi Yokomizo, comes on the scene. He's not the kind of detective you would expect. Eccentric and scruffy, he completely defies the stereotype of the brilliant master detective, but he's great at what he does. Despite his appearance, he can sense and deduce things that others cannot, especially the police detective he's working with. Being in the presence of a locked-room murder case arouses his senses like a spider's sense of danger. He clearly enjoys toying with those around the murder, setting them up in their own lies to find out the truth, and this is what makes the book such a lovely read. There is a certain burlesque to it: the nobles are much more foolish than they realise, clinging to a status that no longer means anything, and they can barely grasp why anyone would try to harm them.

As such, it offers an interesting insight into post-war Japan. The country is in ruins, society is undergoing major changes in its relationship with nobility, and the streets are no longer as safe as they used to be. While some people are clinging to their wealthy past, others are trying to survive, and a murder in a noble family fails to sadden anyone around them. The family comes across as idiotic, which is an effective way of setting up the later revelations about what really happened. As I can see from this novel, the author loves to defy expectations, which is what makes the book a successful murder mystery. Not only because of the investigation itself or the revelations about the murders, but also because the author understands how to create the right atmosphere and exploit the post-war setting.

It has its issues, such as the author's failure to properly justify some deductions, which makes it seem as though his star detective gets ideas out of nowhere. However, these rare occurrences do not distract from the enjoyment of a well-rounded story with memorable characters, all of whom seem to have something to hide, thanks to excellent characterisation and some very well-written dialogue. Despite some very long descriptions and chapters where the story feels a bit too narrated, the English translation does a great job of keeping the pace and interest alive. This is probably due to Seishi Yokomizo's style of telling the story as if an acquaintance of his had explained it to him. This can make things overly complicated when they are not actually complicated, but I suppose it can also be explained by the fact that it is a Japanese book written in 1947 with its own style and era. On the other hand, there's something very modern about the investigation, which makes it an easy and fun read. It has definitely made me want to read more from this author. I did just that, going straight to *The Honjin Murders*, the first story in which Kosuke Kindaichi appears. I found it a tad underwhelming as the investigation wasn't particularly well executed, but it was fun nonetheless thanks to its atypical detective and setting. I recently bought *The Inugami Curse* and will surely read it soon enough. But in the meantime, I finally found some Edogawa Rampo books and cannot wait to get into it.
### The Odyssey, finding my own way back to Ithaca
URL: https://www.thelongsave.com/the-odyssey-finding-my-own-way-back-to-ithaca/
Last updated: 2026-08-23T16:00:56.000Z
A few books have had a significant impact on my life, and the Odyssey is one of them. It's not because I relate to it in some weird way, but I ended up having a kind of love-hate relationship with Homer's epic poem thanks to high school. During my final year of high school in France, I had to read and study the famous poem, which tells the story of Odysseus. It was a difficult read for the young, literature-loving but dumb teenager that I was. I could see all the qualities of a story imbued with a sense of adventure, the struggle to come home, Penelope's unwavering devotion and the desire for vengeance. It is a tale of loyalty and intellect, as Odysseus manages to overcome all threats through his ability to deceive rather than through sheer strength and finally making it home back to Ithaca after the Trojan War. However, Homer's masterful storytelling didn't entirely charm me as a young reader, partly because I didn't particularly like poems in general, but mostly because it was a compulsory read during my final year of school before university, rather than something I had chosen to read for pleasure. However, the story of Odysseus's adventures stayed in my mind, and I have often thought about going back to it and trying to read it again with a more (hopefully) mature point of view. I didn't get to do it yet, but Christopher Nolan has finally released his own depiction of the Odyssey, and all the memories came flooding back, enhanced by time, and reinforcing the desire to dive back in Odysseus' adventure again.

While I am not Nolan's biggest fan and I despise the importance he gives to 70mm film when hardly anyone in the world can enjoy his films in this format, I am always curious when he releases something, even more so when he tackles such an important piece of literature. As an epic poem, The Odyssey deserves huge emotional commitment, which was one of my concerns as I sometimes find Nolan's films a bit cold; he often focuses more on the devotion of some men than on the warmth of human nature. Moreover, his female characters are usually lacking, whereas Penelope's role is extremely important. However, my doubts were dispelled by a film that embodies an idea of grandeur, transmitting a passion that is almost overwhelming. In tackling this story, Nolan has unsurprisingly made Odysseus more human than in Homer's writing, setting aside or hiding many of the fantastical elements, such as the Sirens, who are merely suggested, and Charybdis and Scylla, who are less terrifying than expected. Circe is also portrayed as more humane and less witchy, despite some unexpected scenes of body horror.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d7/7e/d77ea67c-cae5-4b4f-afe7-1a04c2d448a2/content/images/2026/08/the-odyssey-2.webp)

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d7/7e/d77ea67c-cae5-4b4f-afe7-1a04c2d448a2/content/images/2026/08/the-odyssey-3.webp)

© Universal Studios. All Rights Reserved.

This could have been a terrible choice, but it turned out to be a fantastic perspective on The Odyssey. Focusing on the humanity of the story intensified its emotional impact, particularly in the final act, when I experienced a range of emotions that can only be found in cinema. I expected The Odyssey to be just another random Nolan blockbuster, but it turned out to be a film that encapsulates why I love cinema. There are raw emotions, pure commitment to telling an epic story and beautiful interpretations by actors who embody characters that are out of this world, both physically and mentally. I was worried about Nolan's take on Penelope, but Anne Hathaway brought passion and love and she was fantastic. Even when the film strays from the original story, as with Sinon, played beautifully by Elliot Page, who becomes a tragic character, it works wonderfully. As for the main character, Odysseus, Matt Damon probably gives one of his best performances. 

And it's okay if the film sometimes felt a little too long. The few moments that felt a bit drawn out were part of an adventure that made perfect sense in the final act. Without this final act, or if it hadn't been executed so skilfully, I might have had a very different opinion of the film. But when Odysseus reaches Ithaca, discovers what happened to all the suitors and reunites with his son Telemachus, the film reaches new heights. The epic story becomes a tragedy and the emotions kick in.

Cinema is such a beautiful thing.
### Where the Body Was, the quirky Brubaker's murder mystery
URL: https://www.thelongsave.com/where-the-body-was-the-quirky-brubakers-murder-mystery/
Last updated: 2026-08-09T15:19:06.000Z
I have been a fan of Ed Brubaker's comics ever since *The Fade Out* was released in 2016\. This incredible film noir mystery won the Eisner Award and tells the story of a rising Hollywood starlet who is murdered and the subsequent investigation. As it was the first Brubaker comic I had read, and I knew nothing about him, I was blown away. Since then I've always been excited to discover a new comic by him. A couple of weeks ago, I had the pleasure of reading *Where the Body Was* (2023), a comic that embodies everything I love about Brubaker's writing and features an intriguing twist in how he deals with his usual thematics.

The plot revolves around a murder mystery set in the suburbs in the summer of 1984\. This nostalgia-filled story is told from the perspective of characters living in a charming neighbourhood where nothing ever happens, except for that summer, when a body is found in the street, seemingly the victim of a brutal killing. Different yet similar to his previous works, Brubaker tells the story of the murder from the perspective of people who are as broken as you would expect in that type of story. There is the cheating housewife who is excited by the new neighbour, a man pretending to be a police officer. There's a lady who stands watch in front of her house and observes everyone's lives. There's also a little girl who pretends to be a superhero (who seems to be the healthiest character, mentally), teenagers trying to escape authority and a suspicious detective. They are all characters who will suddenly find themselves linked by a murder that no one can explain, yet everyone got quickly a fairly good idea of who's responsible (ideally, someone they don't like).

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d7/7e/d77ea67c-cae5-4b4f-afe7-1a04c2d448a2/content/images/2026/08/where-the-body-was-4.jpg)

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d7/7e/d77ea67c-cae5-4b4f-afe7-1a04c2d448a2/content/images/2026/08/where-the-body-was-3.jpg)

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d7/7e/d77ea67c-cae5-4b4f-afe7-1a04c2d448a2/content/images/2026/08/where-the-body-was-1.jpg)

Pages from Where the Body Was #1

Beyond the multiple points of view, what makes it interesting is that Brubaker finds something quirky in his writing. It's something new and unexpected that makes his murder mystery almost comedic. Despite the apparent brutality of what happened, it's difficult not to laugh at times at the absurdity of it all. The writer's cynicism is transformed into comedic relief, resulting in an ending that is both unexpected and absolutely perfect, one that I would hate to spoil for you. This is probably one of Brubaker's most interesting comics, and his long-standing collaboration with artist Sean Phillips once again provides some beautiful illustrations that let us feel the overwhelming heat covering the suburbs where the unthinkable has happened. It's beautiful to look at, lovely to read, and full of surprises.

While not as brilliant as *The Fade Out*, it's still one of his best independent works of recent years, alongside the stunning *Reckless* series. What made it even better was reading it right after *Houses of the Unholy* (2024), a very dark and gritty comic dealing with the Satanic Panic that swept the United States in the 1980s. Reading these two comics, released a year apart, back-to-back probably reinforced the unexpected nature of *Where the Body Was*.
### Mieko Kawakami's 'Breasts and Eggs', a quest for boredom
URL: https://www.thelongsave.com/mieko-kawakamis-breasts-and-eggs-a-quest-for-boredom/
Last updated: 2026-08-14T13:20:03.000Z
Here's a case of a book I picked up in Kinokuniya Abu Dhabi (probably one of my favorite bookshop, and a mandatory stop when I pass by) because the cover looked nice. It turns out that, unfortunately, the cover is way better than the book itself. I don't know if *Mieko Kawakami*'s style was lost in translation, but this is probably one of the most boring books I've read in years. This is not exclusively because of the story (and its second part is hardly worth reading), but mainly because of the writing, which is terribly bland and evokes nothing but a gentle *ennui*.

Initially, I was enthusiastic with *Breasts and Eggs* when we got to know Natsuko, an aspiring writer in Tokyo trying to get her life together, who starts questioning her desires as a woman when her sister from Osaka comes to stay with her, bringing her niece, who hasn't spoken to her mum in months. What should have been a nice little holiday turns into an interrogation about life choices when her sister, Makiko, tells her that she came to Tokyo seeking breast augmentation. Behind her sister's desire to change her body, Natsuko wonders what could drive someone to this, whether it's social pressure on women or a fear of losing her youth. This first part lacks any kind of impressive writing (once again, it might be because of the translation), but it is thought-provoking thanks to Natsuko's bold character, which is unusual in Japanese society for a woman who is expected to be cute and quiet. Even more as a young woman in Tokyo, who's trying to fit in as she struggles to get her career as a writer going.

But then the second part of the book starts, which is much longer (about two-thirds of the book) and looks like it has nothing to do with the beginning. This is probably partly true, as the first part was originally a standalone novella written by Mieko Kawakami and was later included in this two-part book. The second story still follows Natsuko and tries to tie its events to the first part by referencing her sister and niece, but their characters have changed so much that they're barely recognisable. Now, we follow Natsuko as she embarks on a quest to become pregnant through an anonymous donor. It turns out that she cannot have sex due to a lack of desire and physical discomfort. While this could have been interesting, Mieko Kawakami barely knows what to do with it. We don't really understand Natsuko's desire to get pregnant - she barely mentions what she would do with a child, what brought her to this desire. This could have formed the basis of an interesting conversation with a woman towards the end of the book, who attempts to understand Natsuko. However, Kawakami avoids addressing this issue. This doesn't help, given that Natsuko is an unthrilling narrator who can barely make any choices or decisions, always going with the flow without any opinion or input (which is completely different from the first part of the story, as if the character were not the same). 

Behind the mystery, it's a vain attempt at thought-provoking literature that fails to provoke any thoughts. The second part lacks substance, merely adding random events on Natsuko's daily life, in which she meets people who were born thanks to anonymous donations. Most of them turned out to be completely lost without a father, building some weird support group, raising one question: what is Mieko Kawakami trying to say? Is she taking a stance against artificial insemination through anonymous donation? Or is she exploring whether a woman should bring a child into the world alone? Who knows, because she ends the book with a happy ending that makes no sense in light of what has gone before. She seems to have forgotten everything that happened in the first part of her story, written a couple years earlier. Initially, Natsuko's character was very modern: a Japanese woman who went against what society expected of her. However, she ultimately makes a life-changing choice that is, in reality, very conformist and as bland as the writing.
### (Re)playing Samurai Western, he's a poor lonesome samurai
URL: https://www.thelongsave.com/re-playing-samurai-western-hes-a-poor-lonesome-samurai/
Last updated: 2026-07-13T10:40:21.000Z
Exploring PS2 games that I missed back in the day has led me to discover some unexpected experiences. This is not only because some of them are "hidden gems", but also because even the average games of that time could be surprisingly enjoyable. *Samurai Western* (2005) is one of them. I came across the game in the seemingly endless PS2 catalogue by pure luck. I knew absolutely nothing about it, yet the title was enough to get my attention. Who wouldn't want to play as a samurai in the Wild West?

Developed by *Acquire*, the team behind the *Tenchu*, *Shinobido* and *Way of the Samurai* series, and more recently *Octopath Traveler*, *Samurai Western* boasts a gameplay style that is both appealing and unique. Perhaps I liked it so much because I played it right after finishing a terrible game, but the fast-paced action and dynamic sword fighting certainly hit the spot. The game does not have a combo system per se, but it does require players to react quickly thanks to the characters' fast actions: attacking and dodging in a ballet of bullets and explosions, the difficulty comes from the variety of attacks that players have to sustain without catching a breath. It's challenging, but very rewarding when we finally enter the flow that the game wants us to achieve. Tied to its lovely Wild West atmosphere, it is so satisfying to go through each level and slowly learn how to defeat every type of enemy. The game can be repetitive due to its limited number (but interesting) of environments and enemy types, but it manages to reinvent itself with a variety of weapons that can be unlocked and used, with very different gameplay style for each. The character's statistics progression, as we can spend points earned through missions on health, defence or power, also helps overcome the various levels that the game presents to the player.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d7/7e/d77ea67c-cae5-4b4f-afe7-1a04c2d448a2/content/images/2026/06/Samurai-Western_SLUS-21187_20260622174830.png)

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d7/7e/d77ea67c-cae5-4b4f-afe7-1a04c2d448a2/content/images/2026/06/Samurai-Western_SLUS-21187_20260623122148.png)

The Wild West and unfriendly cowboys, it's all **Samurai Western* is about.

Story-wise, *Samurai Western* is set in America in the 1800s. The main character, Gojiro, has come from Japan to find and kill his brother, Rando. Upon arriving, Gojiro discovers that the region is under the tyrannical influence of a gold tycoon named Goldberg. He decides to help the locals free themselves from their tyrant. While the story is very classical, it works quite well thanks to catchy dialogue, very clichéd yet funny characters with strong American accents, a couple twists and an overall unserious vibe that makes its sixteen levels fun to go through. I'll admit that I didn't manage to finish the extra five or six levels, which are unlocked under specific conditions, as the required skill level became a bit too high for me. However, it didn't hinder my enjoyment, as the main story campaign was exactly what I was hoping for: a "mid" game that is neither too ambitious nor too poor, revolving around a smart gameplay idea, a genre that was plenty during the 128-bit era but has become rare these past ten or fifteen years due to rising development costs.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d7/7e/d77ea67c-cae5-4b4f-afe7-1a04c2d448a2/content/images/2026/06/Samurai-Western_SLUS-21187_20260623113237.png)

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d7/7e/d77ea67c-cae5-4b4f-afe7-1a04c2d448a2/content/images/2026/06/Samurai-Western_SLUS-21187_20260623123047-1.png)

**Samurai Western* fights are dynamic, with a little bit of unfairness at times.

Yet Samurai Western can be unforgiving at times, with a level of difficulty that can sometimes feel unfair, which is the game's main issue. Most levels are really satisfying, with a fair progression curve. The bonus points spent on defence and health help a lot when it comes to overcoming most challenges. However, a few sequences, particularly boss fights, can feel overwhelmingly unfair due to some enemy designs. For example, one boss can deflect all attacks, and the only way to damage him is to attack from behind. However, the window of opportunity to get behind him is very short. If we are not perfectly aligned behind his back, the attack is deflected and our character takes counter damage. This makes combat more frustrating than it should, with a difficulty to overcome that feels more artificial than rewarding. The same applies to another boss who would be fairly easy to kill if he wasn't accompanied by waves of fast-shooting cowboys, forcing the player to dodge non-stop with very short windows of opportunity to attack the boss. This makes the fight lengthy and leaves little room for error. However, I persevered and enjoyed every minute of the game, which was a lovely surprise as I usually am not a big fan of score-oriented *beat them all*. The music is good, the art is surprisingly well done, and I smiled every time all the enemies in a saloon shouted "Hot dang!" when they saw the hero evade and dance between bullets. What more could I ask for?
### Detective Comics #1090-1106, and the return of mystery storytelling
URL: https://www.thelongsave.com/detective-comics-1090-1106-and-the-return-of-mystery-storytelling/
Last updated: 2026-07-05T17:27:42.000Z
I have recently been catching up on Tom Taylor's run on *Detective Comics*, and it has been great fun. I haven't been a fan of Batman comics in recent years because I couldn't find what I loved about the character. It's not the action, the gadgets or the confrontations with the Joker's devious plans or Cobblepot's latest conspiracies. What drew me to the character was his status as the '*World's Greatest Detective*': a character so smart that he could solve seemingly unsolvable crimes. However, writing a good detective story is difficult, and often writers end up telling another action-blockbuster-type story. So it definitely caught my attention when Tom Taylor took over *Detective Comics* right after Ram V's run, which was nice overall despite some concerns. After all, Taylor wrote some of my favourite DC pieces in the past four or five years, such as *Superman: Son of Kal-El*, *Tita*ns and the incredible *Nightwing*.

And, once again, I have not been disappointed. Taking on the Dark Knight, the Aussie writer has adopted a detective approach, bringing the character closer to the traditional Batman than the raw and uncompromising brute we have seen in some comics (please, no more *Batman Metal*). The two main cases so far have involved a cult seeking immortality, which made Batman question his own mortality, an easy trick, but an effective way of making him seem more human, and a suspicious virus that could be unleashed on Gotham, making people fearless. Both cases are written very well, depicting a Batman who is not overpowered, but rather smarter than his adversaries. He still struggles here and there while discovering their plans, make mistakes, gets confused and questions himself, but this is what makes the story so enticing. We get to cheer him on, discover clues at his pace and slowly piece the puzzle together. And with Mikel Janin's beautiful artwork, it's a great success.

That's why I loved it so much. Batman does not always need to be raw, fearless and brutal; he does not need to be a killing machine like he was in Scott Snyder's stories. It's being a detective that makes him different from other DC superheroes, and it's his humanity that makes him better than the GCPD. It justifies the respect he got from the Bat-family. The reason it works so well is that Tom Taylor is a great writer who knows how to write a mystery and deliver surprising endings without compromising cohesion. Everything makes sense, and we can see a real evolution in his character between his first take on *Detective Comics* released at the end of 2024 and the latest issues released this spring. We can see his character growing and getting smarter while also embracing his weaknesses, which is important for a hero who inspires kids and teens all over the world.

That doesn't mean that everyone has been failing with Batman lately. Ram V has produced some good work, and there's certainly a certain appeal in viewing Batman as a powerful brute, as despite my aversion to everything Scott Snyder did with the character before, I've been enjoying his *Absolute Batman* series. However, there's something about this *Detective Comics* that I immediately connected with, and it's something that I relate to and wished to see again in the character, something that made me fall in love with its detective side ever since the first time I read The *Long Halloween*.
### Still curious.
URL: https://www.thelongsave.com/still-curious/
Last updated: 2026-07-05T17:27:25.000Z
Although blogging has lost its popularity over the years, I haven't lost my love of writing. If anything, it's become even more important to me over the years. While the internet is flooded with more content than ever before, it has become increasingly difficult for amateur writers who simply enjoy sharing their thoughts to create interesting spaces. I started writing over fifteen years ago, both as a blogger and as a contributor to various media outlets. I wrote exclusively in French, my mother tongue, and mostly wrote reviews of video games, movies, comic books and the occasional talk show, stream or podcast, where I shared my love of all things that caught my interest. I do not believe that things were better in the past, when we were kids. I still find immense joy in discovering new novels, games and films that can still make me feel things

The name comes from a simple idea: imagining my life as one long save file, built one story at a time. Every book I finish, every game I complete, every film that stays with me becomes another entry in that journey. It's a record of where I've been and it's a reminder that there's always another page to read, another world to explore, another story waiting around the corner. As a Frenchman of half-Syrian heritage who's spent more than half of his life abroad (I'm currently writing this from the United Arab Emirates), stories have often felt like a home, a way of belonging. They're one of the few things that travelled with me wherever I went. 

> Why "**The Long Save**"? I wanted to express the idea of a long and ongoing record of my life spent exploring stories through games, books, and films, a journey still in progress, preserved one entry at a time, just like one of these games we have been playing forever, on the same save, without getting bored. 

I find this important. I want to maintain this mindset and continue to be curious about pop culture without becoming the typical jaded old geeky guy who constantly talks about the things he loved as a child. As a Frenchman of half-Syrian heritage who's spent more than half of his life abroad (I'm currently writing this from the United Arab Emirates), stories have often felt like a home, a way of belonging. They're one of the few things that travelled with me wherever I went. I find peace and happiness in the fantasy worlds that amazingly talented individuals share with us.

So what will you find on **The Long Save**? Short reviews mostly. They will be about the games I've been playing and the books I have been reading. I will not be constrained by anything new or trendy; I will just follow what I really enjoy at the moment. There will also be the occasional few words on films I've liked or broader subjects I'd like to mention. There may be the occasional piece on travelling if I find anything interesting to share, or the inevitable rant as a leftist who's exhausted by this world.

Don't expect any complaints or irony about the current state of pop culture; instead, expect positivity and optimism from a guy in his thirties who's still a kid at heart. You might also be wondering why I've decided to launch this new blog in English after writing in French all my life. It's a purely self-centred decision: as a Frenchman living abroad who uses English daily with my wife, at work and with friends, I'd love to finally be able to express my feelings about the games and novels I like in English. Please bear with me if it often feels unnatural. I promise I'll improve!

In the meanwhile, you can also find me on [Bluesky](https://bsky.app/profile/hachim0n.bsky.social?ref=thelongsave.com), and the French-speaking audience can read my articles regularly on [Pod'culture](https://podculture.fr/?ref=thelongsave.com) and [JeuxOnLine](https://www.jeuxonline.info/?ref=thelongsave.com).