Summarize this content to 2000 words in 6 paragraphs in Arabic Unlock the Editor’s Digest for freeRoula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter.The locals around these parts have two reasons to distrust me. First, the fact that I’m an envoy of a colonising empire — rarely a recipe for popularity. Second, because of the pink mushrooms growing out of my face. In the world of new fantasy role-playing game Avowed, this fungus marks me out as a Godlike, a mortal granted divine powers. Whether the residents of the land have good reason to be suspicious is entirely up to me. I can decide whether to subjugate them by force or exercise compassion. In typical RPG style, the fate of the world is in my hands.This classic set-up never gets old. Gamers are currently living through a golden era for fantasy RPGs, which speaks to a surging interest in fantasy across media more broadly. The nerdy stigma once attached to the genre is fading, as TV shows such as Game of Thrones and The Witcher attract mainstream viewers, and even the tabletop players of Dungeons & Dragons have been tempted out of the basement and given a seat at the cultural table. Economically this makes perfect sense: the complex lore and world-building of fantasy IP is ripe for spinning out stories across multiple formats and timelines.The escape offered by fantasy is perhaps purest in video games, where you can immerse yourself in richly interactive worlds. Avowed, from RPG specialists Obsidian, casts you as an adventurer sent to investigate a plague sweeping the island known as the Living Lands. It offers a world you can lose yourself in for hours, a symphony of lush flora and riotous colour in stark contrast to the drab caves of early fantasy games. Besides the pleasures of exploring its beautiful world, the game also excels in its sharp writing and satisfying combat.All contemporary fantasy RPGs stand on the shoulders of two modern greats that rank among the bestselling games ever. One is 2011’s The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, which set a new standard for immersion by granting players total freedom to roam its vast landscape, where they can tame dragons, battle monsters, or simply stroll along the riverside, picking herbs to brew potions. Fourteen years after release, it remains immensely popular. The other is 2015’s The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, which is beloved for its captivating world and superb storytelling, setting grizzled monster-hunter Geralt on a journey full of memorable characters and pitch-black themes.Both of these games, and all fantasy RPGs, owe an enormous debt to Dungeons & Dragons. The tabletop game pioneered many of the mechanics that operate in video games, such as the dice rolls that in some games determine whether you land a blow with a sword, or talk your way past the castle guards. Two of the best recent RPGs have taken particularly close inspiration from D&D. Baldur’s Gate 3 is a superlative exercise in narrative design, with a branching storyline which can play out in dozens of different ways. Dragon’s Dogma 2 swaps written narrative for stories that emerge from the game’s interlocking systems, resulting in unpredictable adventures where you might accidentally unleash a pestilence that wipes out a whole city or lose your entire party in a surprise griffin attack.The other reigning influence over the genre is The Lord of the Rings, which standardised the European folkloric setting that became the basis for countless fantasy worlds. Despite being set in a supernatural realm, there’s a comforting familiarity to its tropes: emerald mountains, misty forests, perhaps a toxic swamp or two. Curiously, even the separate genre of Japanese RPGs, which includes recent hits Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth and Metaphor: ReFantazio, also lean into distinctly westernised fantasy worlds, where protagonists often have blond hair and blue eyes, while castle designs are based on the European architectural tradition.Combined with their compelling worlds, fantasy RPGs remain popular because of the freedom they offer players. You can design your character’s appearance, strategise how you want to approach combat encounters, but also make moral choices that affect the story. So in Avowed, you must choose whether to snitch on the brothel owner smuggling illegal herbs to help her girls terminate unwanted pregnancies, or to uphold the brutal actions of a paramilitary group that is supposedly on your side. Whatever you decide will change how the story plays out and how the world’s denizens see you. There’s a thrill to this playground of cause and consequence, where you can experiment with good, evil and all the shades in between.The fantasy RPG gold rush shows no sign of slowing down. Due this year is Microsoft’s reboot of the Fable series, as well as action-oriented RPGs Monster Hunter Wilds and Elden Ring: Nightreign. Also in production are The Witcher IV, The Elder Scrolls VI, and Light No Fire, a new fantasy from the creators of sci-fi hit No Man’s Sky. Those last three might be a few years away from release, but gamers’ hunger for fantasy shows no sign of satiation. As long as the real world feels like a place from which we need urgent, regular escape, this genre can only grow.‘Avowed’ is out now on PC and Xbox Series X/S and is currently available on Xbox Game Pass
