Question Of The Month Reader Responses: Issue #250

by Jeff Marchiafava on Jan 07, 2014 at 05:35 AM

A few months back we asked readers if they still enjoy traditional fantasy games. While a few respondents were tired of orcs and elves, most of our readers rejoiced at the thought of going on more fantasy adventures.

Lifelong Fans:

I have always been a huge fan of fantasy games, ever since the original Final Fantasy for NES. It is one of the many reasons I work towards being a game developer myself. I love the feel of being able to customize all aspects of your character, although for whatever odd reason, being able to change the armor my character is wearing and physically seeing the change has always been my favorite feature of any fantasy game.

Caleb Kopitzke
I love traditional RPGs. In fact, I am glad that we have Oblivion and Dragon Age for current-gen that give me an outlet to experience something that I will never experience in reality. My love for these types of fantasies started with The Secret of Mana, Final Fantasy III, Chrono Trigger, and the Breath of Fire series. I hope other game companies continue to make these types of games on a grand level and I am interested in seeing how Destiny comes along, even though it is more sci-fi fantasy.

William Vickers
I love traditional fantasy games with dragons, princesses, etc. They are my favorite games, especially the turn-based RPG ones. I grew up reading fantasy books like The Lord of the Rings, Chronicles of Narnia, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, etc., long before I ever got a game console or a PC capable of playing more than solitaire. Many of my favorite games are in this genre, such as Final Fantasy I and II, Disciples, Dungeons and Dragons games such as Baldur's Gate, Card Hunter (a recently discovered favorite), Dragon Quest, and Lord of the Rings: The Third Age. There is something about these fantasy stories that really appeals to the core of who we are as people. There is romance, danger, daring, humor, horror, and more, even in the oldest of these tales. I think that's what makes them so enduring. Think about it: The Hobbit was written in 1937, before most of us were born, yet it's more popular today than it's ever been. I've played some of the "modern" fantasy games like The World Ends With You, Viewtiful Joe, and some of the newer Final Fantasy games set in modern settings, and didn't really care for them. Give me good, old-fashioned settings with castles, princesses, armor-clad heroes and menacing dragons any day.

John Enfield

Enjoy The Escapism:

I like Fantasy RPG games and one of those reasons is because it's not real. It is nothing you will ever see in real life and with that you can have fun and create your own great immersive story. You can come up with your own language, races, politics, and so on. I love to write different stories and I always have fun creating fantasy stories.

Tiffany Miyashita
I still love playing fantasy games and never get tired of them. There is just something about games with elves and magic and that sort of stuff that brings out one’s imagination and draws us into a world that is otherwise unattainable. Games like Final Fantasy, Zelda, and Skyrim bring out the kid in many adults, and are enjoyable many years after they are released, unlike a lot of games.

Jimmy Avila

Fantasy Goes West:

Yes, I do like fantasy games. When you take a look at western RPGs like Fable, Dragon Age, and The Witcher 2, you see immersive worlds that give you choices for how you react in combat. Whether it’s strategy or cinematic fights, you can feel what it's like to be in a Tolkien or Game of Thrones experience where you choose your own path. These games never get old, in my opinion.

Daniel Guthrie
Some of the best games I have ever played have traditional elves and dragons. Skyrim is the most recent example of a game I really enjoyed. Although I have not played Lord of the Rings game yet, I'm sure I will be playing Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor after reading about it in GI.

Adam Paredes

Better Than FPS:

I think that fantasy games let you step into different and more interesting worlds. They do more to broaden your imagination and let you do different things than Call of Duty or Battlefield.

Vicente
Fantasy games, traditional or otherwise, will always be superior to the FPS genre. There’s more plot, character development, and sense of adventure in any fantasy game than in the best first-person shooters. I'm replaying Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning right now and although I told myself I’d never play it all the way through again after spending 120 hours on the first playthrough, I just couldn’t help but get back into what is truly one of the most amazing games ever, next to Final Fantasy X.

Eric Mahoney

Or Not:

No. Because nothing beats automatic weapons.

Daniel Lewis

Why Don't You Marry Them?:

I am irrevocably in love with traditional high fantasy games – elves and dragons are welcome…nay, embraced! Well-crafted high-fantasy adventures are just so epic. Some people argue all fantasy games are the same and, to some extent, I suppose these naysayers are correct. Many fantasy stories boast the same stereotypical characters and plot twists, but I enjoy jumping into the shoes of a lost soul who cuts his or her teeth on adventure and becomes legend. Cheesy? Yes. Fun? Absolutely! Games are an escape, and I am grateful to all the talented developers out there who give me the opportunity to undertake epic quests through an avatar. Thank you to companies such as Black Isle, Obsidian, Namco Bandai, Bethesda, and Bioware, for offering me so much darned fun. Keep up the great work and, Zenimax, I look forward to Elder Scrolls Online!

David Wild

Been There, Done That:

Actually, no because those generic things have been overused by the gaming industry a lot. Come up with something new people! How about Wagons? (A hybrid between a werewolf and a dragon.)

Mohammed Khan