Gamer Culture, MMORPGs, World of WarCraft
Escapism in RPGs: A Matter of Perspective
I’ve always had a soft spot in my heart for role-playing games (that’s what she said?), dating way back to the original Final Fantasy on the NES. There’s just something about embarking on epic quests to far-away lands that really embodies gaming to me. Regardless of the game, RPGs represent escapism in perhaps its purest form, especially those RPGs that have a robust character creation system where you can literally be anyone you want to be. However, like any other genre, there are variations between games that can affect just how “escapist” an RPG can be, perhaps the strongest of which is perspective. The perspective a developer chooses for their game has a huge impact on how the story is presented to the player, whether it’s meant to suck you in and tell “your” story, or whether they already have an engaging story to tell and want you along for the ride.
