- Warhorse Studios’ boss says he’s tired of seeing power fantasy RPGs where you are the chosen one.
- Studios recycle the same formulas over and over, citing Ubisoft as an example.
- He urges major RPG developers to take more risks by making protagonists’ struggles and growth feel real.
RPGs have made great strides in recent years with games like Crimson Desert and Expedition 33, but even the most successful titles stick to the power fantasy trope. The urge for a grounded survival RPG is what led to the birth of KCD, and the IP has been a huge success.
Warhorse Studios’ co-founder Martin Klima argues he’s tired of seeing RPGs where you are the ‘chosen one’ meant to save the world.
He assures gamers he’s not hating on Expedition 33 but argues studios stop copying the same formula and take more creative risks for the genre’s future.
Why it matters: The Warhorse executive believes it’s about time other studios create more grounded RPG experiences where you’re forced to survive with no special powers or plot armor through a harsh world.
In an interview with PC Gamer, Martin explains that RPGs with the grand task of saving the universe get boring and repetitive after you play a few of them. He finds there’s still not enough variety in the genre despite the huge number of offerings at this point.
I was really and I still am bored and tired of all the RPGs when you are this chosen one, […] The games that are these really straightforward power fantasies.
-Warhorse Boss, Martin Klima.
It’s because all the major AAA studios play it safe when it comes to multi-million open-world RPGs. Martin singles out Ubisoft as an example, where its RPGs are often repetitive power fantasies despite having excellent craftsmanship.
They are really best at recycling the same formula over and over. When I’m talking about this, I really mean more games like games from Ubisoft, for example.
He urges these studios to use their AAA talent to forge RPGs with ordinary protagonists who are forced to survive in harsh worlds, since they appeal to older audiences instead.
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Shameer Sarfaraz has previously worked for eXputer as a Senior News Writer for several years. Now with Tech4Gamers, he loves to devoutly keep up with the latest gaming and entertainment industries. He has a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science and years of experience reporting on games. Besides his passion for breaking news stories, Shahmeer loves spending his leisure time farming away in Stardew Valley. VGC, IGN, GameSpot, Game Rant, TheGamer, GamingBolt, The Verge, NME, Metro, Dot Esports, GameByte, Kotaku Australia, PC Gamer, and more have cited his articles.
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