this post was submitted on 29 Jul 2023
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Gaming
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I can understand why fantasy settings are pretty stale, not just in games but in a variety of other media as well. Fantasy can be complex, and using old, familiar tropes (elves are haughty and love nature, dwarves are stubborn and love gold, humans are the world's jack-of-all-trades) lowers the barrier to entry, which is really important when you want something to be easily marketable to as large an audience as possible. People know what to expect from familiar fantasy tropes, which means they can focus on plot and gameplay rather than going "so what's that character supposed to be?"
But it's boring. I love it when a fantasy setting isn't afraid to trust the intelligence and curiosity of its audience and do something weird.
Anime if anything seems to be doing worse at this. Nearly every fantasy or fantasy adjacent anime goes for a knock-off D&D MMO style and it feels so tired. They don't want their audience to need to make the smallest effort to understand the world and the role of the characters in it.
At least some of take a super unique approach... like being reincarnated as a vending machine.
You got a title for that one? Sounds like something I'd enjoy
Reborn as a Vending Machine, I Now Wander the Dungeon. I think there's an anime adaptation.
Jidou Hanbaiki ni Umarekawatta Ore wa Meikyuu wo Samayou
It's actually alright. Not something I'd rewatch though.