Sci Fi personally, there are very few IPs in movies, games, or books I enjoy that are fantasy based. I dont dismiss them entirely but in general Ive noticed it.
Do you prefer Fantasy or Sci-Fi as a backdrop?
- Thread starter Cosmic Voyager
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I prefer good sci-fi any time of day, but a lot of games that utilize the setting are in genres that don't really interest me. Conversely, I enjoy adventure and RPG games, which more often than not have a fantasy backdrop. So this is a tough pick. For what it's worth, my favorite game of all time is Phantasy Star Online, which would be a mix of both.
It has fantasy elements, but it's still sci-fi, just not hard sci-fi. Yes, it has the Force, but it also has spaceships, droids, aliens, space, planets, space stations, lasers etc.
It's kinda weird how in film sci-fi is way more dominant than fantasy (whuch is basically LotR and Harry Potter and not much else) but in games less so, even though you have Halo, Mass Effect, Destiny Titanfall, Apex Legends, Fallen Order, Metroid, Horizon, No Man's Sky and others.There's Cyberpunk of course, but I'd love to see more space games.
I don't like the ultra clean and elegant sci-fi aesthetics. This is why I like Star Wars but dislike the prequels. The Mandalorian aesthetics are the best IMO. Exactly what I want from space sci-fi. Cyberpunk is also great.
I like fantasy but not generic LOTR-like fantasy. There aren't many games like that but I'd love a game based on The Dresden Files books.
The backdrop is still sci-fi though
I like fantasy but not generic LOTR-like fantasy. There aren't many games like that but I'd love a game based on The Dresden Files books.
The backdrop is still sci-fi though
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Fantasy, preferably sci fantasy
There's something about fantastical, magical and colorful worlds.
When I think scifi I think the same generic genre that hasn't evolved the past 30 years. Same tropes, same recycled stories, but woooow look how good our current year's imagination of giant mecha, hypertech, talking robots, laser beams and flying cars look like. Also neon colors (Cyberpunk) YAWWN.
There's something about fantastical, magical and colorful worlds.
When I think scifi I think the same generic genre that hasn't evolved the past 30 years. Same tropes, same recycled stories, but woooow look how good our current year's imagination of giant mecha, hypertech, talking robots, laser beams and flying cars look like. Also neon colors (Cyberpunk) YAWWN.
Answer is a bit more nuanced. I much prefer fantasy stories but honestly fantasy settings and locales are mostly uninteresting to me. I have not liked that much sci-fi, but the backdrop of a ship in space, exploring planets, weird alien shit etc. is very interesting to me. I just find that sci-fi is often more about... humans and politics and warring governments than the mysteries of space (which is a big chunk of fantasy as well).
One of the problems with fantasy is that so much of it is wizards, magic, dragons, dwarves and elves. It's so fucking boring.
Sci-fi offers way more variety in that regard. Just look at TV series alone: you have The Mandalorian, Westworld, Devs, Black Mirror, Altered Carbon, Dark, Picard, The Expanse, the upcoming Halo...
Films as well. How many landmark fantasy films are there compared to sci-fi? The sheer diversity of the genre is astounding. From Alien to Moon, from District 9 to The Martian, from Ex Machina to The Terminator, from 2001 to Planet of the Apes, from Blade Runner (2049) to Robocop, from The Matrix to Interstellar, it's a friggin' goldmine.
As a genre it tends to tackle more philosophical questions as well, about things like identity, reality, our place in the universe, consciousness, free will (or lack thereof) etc. One of the reasons SOMA really resonated with me, made for a good double-bill with Peter Watts' amazing novel Blindsight (wich was an inspiration for Frictional). SOMA, Prey and Outer Wilds are probably the sci-fi highlights of this gen.
I don't get people who say good fantasy is easier to do than good sci-fi.
Sci-fi offers way more variety in that regard. Just look at TV series alone: you have The Mandalorian, Westworld, Devs, Black Mirror, Altered Carbon, Dark, Picard, The Expanse, the upcoming Halo...
Films as well. How many landmark fantasy films are there compared to sci-fi? The sheer diversity of the genre is astounding. From Alien to Moon, from District 9 to The Martian, from Ex Machina to The Terminator, from 2001 to Planet of the Apes, from Blade Runner (2049) to Robocop, from The Matrix to Interstellar, it's a friggin' goldmine.
As a genre it tends to tackle more philosophical questions as well, about things like identity, reality, our place in the universe, consciousness, free will (or lack thereof) etc. One of the reasons SOMA really resonated with me, made for a good double-bill with Peter Watts' amazing novel Blindsight (wich was an inspiration for Frictional). SOMA, Prey and Outer Wilds are probably the sci-fi highlights of this gen.
I don't get people who say good fantasy is easier to do than good sci-fi.
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If only a choice between the two, sci-fi. However, I prefer science-fantasy a la Star Wars and Destiny to both.
* I know it's technically weird fiction, but I consider that a sub-section of fantasy.
It's one of the reasons I liked Disco Elysium*, since it used its setting to tackle issues that are pretty relatable to a modern audience (which helps by having it setting in a quasi-modern setting), such as class, race, the failures of neoliberal captitalism in the post-Soviet world, etc.
* I know it's technically weird fiction, but I consider that a sub-section of fantasy.
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I think they're both just as capable.
But as of late, popular Sci-Fi has had more to say about the world in my humble opinion. Stuff like Black Mirror shows how diverse and interesting the subject matter can be. I never found a work of fantasy fiction to be quite as compelling.
While fantasy should be just as capable, I think artists tend to use it as a crutch too often to fall back on cliches of the genre to tell their stories. Look at something like GoT. The show runners basically fell back on such cliche's to finish up the white walker arc of the show rather than use the genre to do something unique. Now I don't think that is emblematic of the genre as a whole, I still think there's something more limited about it compared to science fiction as a medium to tell compelling stories.
But as of late, popular Sci-Fi has had more to say about the world in my humble opinion. Stuff like Black Mirror shows how diverse and interesting the subject matter can be. I never found a work of fantasy fiction to be quite as compelling.
While fantasy should be just as capable, I think artists tend to use it as a crutch too often to fall back on cliches of the genre to tell their stories. Look at something like GoT. The show runners basically fell back on such cliche's to finish up the white walker arc of the show rather than use the genre to do something unique. Now I don't think that is emblematic of the genre as a whole, I still think there's something more limited about it compared to science fiction as a medium to tell compelling stories.
Yup. Medieval Europe with orks and wizards is the most boring shit. Done thousands of times. It's actually my least favorite setting because of how painfully unoriginal it is and how it kinda ruins fantasy since everyone goes to that by default. Theres so much more you can do.
I like a mixture of both, like FFVII and VIII for instance, but when it boils down to it then Sci-Fi I suppose.
I'll pretty much take anything as long as it isn't Medieval. I hate Medieval settings so much. Everything looks like it's made of mud, clay or shit.
I'll pretty much take anything as long as it isn't Medieval. I hate Medieval settings so much. Everything looks like it's made of mud, clay or shit.
Sci-fi for me, but I don't hate fantasy either.
...now you mentioned it, good point.
I mean, yes, it's obviously not pure fantasy; but it's no surprise to me that someone who almost exclusively prefers fantasy might still like Star Wars.
I don't think I'd even call it "science-fantasy" but maybe something like "space fantasy".
If I had to pick between the two broad "fantasy" and "sci-fi" genres to place Star Wars, it goes in the fantasy bucket for me.
The fun of both fantasy and sci-fi is that they can break our notions of what is possible and the types of things we'll see. Fantasy does it through magic and non-realistic settings, sci-fi does it through technology and other planets. I think i prefer the fantasy version.
Fantasy is better in every way. There's a sense of adventure to it, compared to the drab, corporate nature of sci fi. Fantasy is about being your own person whereas sci fi is all about doing something to appease someone else.
Also, wood and stone work over metal, lasers, and holograms any day of the week.
Also, wood and stone work over metal, lasers, and holograms any day of the week.
It's space opera, which is a sci-fi subgenre.
Sci-fi has cooler swords though, look at Star Wars and Halo.
A lot of people in this thread generalizing two very cool and diverse genres. Fantasy is not just wizards and dragons, Sci-Fi is not just laser beams and mechs.
My favourite books are fantasy series, my favourite TV shows are Sci-Fi.
My favourite books are fantasy series, my favourite TV shows are Sci-Fi.
Fantasy for sure, though I'm quite fond of sci-fi/fantasy hybrids like FFVII and the Phantasy Star series though obviously they skew mostly towards fantasy.
People might think fantasy is played-out but I don't think it is, as long as people know how to make quality entries in the genre the setting doesn't matter. There's no need to re-invent the wheel every time.
People might think fantasy is played-out but I don't think it is, as long as people know how to make quality entries in the genre the setting doesn't matter. There's no need to re-invent the wheel every time.
My preference is sci-fi. Everything about the property can be essentially fantasy tropes, but I greatly prefer the sci-fi setting. It's like FFVII or Xenoblade Chronicles...the mechanics are really fantasy style for the most part, but the setting is sci-fi.
Well, it has a lot more philosphical themes going on about pre-destination and whatnot; but the framework of the Dune-universe is driven by the technological (and economical) limits of what Herbert created. I think that's one of the hallmarks of sci-fi; that it puts characters in unique situations that would otherwise not be possible.
sure, bet very little 'sci' in that. The inner workings / logic of the Star Wars universe is based on mostly fantasy with no real clear underlying framework or limits; Its much closer to swords & sorcery kinda stuff. Which happens to be set in 'in a galaxy far far away'.
That's the nature of pulp sci-fi (ie Flash Gordon and other inspirations for Lucas). It's still very much science fiction, it's just not hard science fiction or speculative fiction
I think that fantasy has been more explored, so Sci-fi has more potential to surprise. But I think a combination of both is the best way to create original and interesting new worlds that don't adhere to any other expectations. For example Xenoblade Chronicles 2 is a fantasy story with Sci-fi aesthetic and lore and I think the combination really works and the story feels very new.
yeah agreed, its hard to draw a strict line with these kinds of things; but in the big spectrum of all things 'scifi' Star Wars fits best in the "fantasy-set-in-space" corner, hehe.
I like both, but I prefer Fantasy because they don't have to stay grounded in reality like Sci Fi, and they don't really need to explain why things happen the way they do
Just look at nanomachines being the explanation for everything, kinda sucked the fun out of it a little
Just look at nanomachines being the explanation for everything, kinda sucked the fun out of it a little
Sci-Fi.
I dislike fantasy because of all it's witches, dargons, dwarfs, magic etc.
Just not my taste i guess, dunno why :/
I dislike fantasy because of all it's witches, dargons, dwarfs, magic etc.
Just not my taste i guess, dunno why :/
I'm going to say Sci-Fi and not Science Fantasy (e.g. Star Wars). I grew up with Star Wars and Star Trek and I chose Star Trek. I love the idea of the possible future that we can have and Sci-Fi allows for such a vast and imaginary world, no matter where or when it may be.
I do think that scifi suits itself better for more existential topics or 'bigger themes' because a lot of space related things are just mindboggling to comprehend and/or are often one way trips; or you get more into topics like cyber & ethics & evolution ('does a robot have a conscience') or "is a simulated person real?" and that sort of stuff. One of the reasons I like (most) of Black Mirror is how it takes a scifi concept and tries to tell a story about how that would impact us. Most fantasy is still too much 'good vs evil' for my tastes (altough I'm aware that there are some great writers out there who try to push the genre further)
Scifi for me. Fantasy has a lot of issues with stereotypes and just feels like a lot more conservative than other genres.
I'm still looking for a fantasy novel that weaves interpersonal, social, and political problems into the narrative in an interesting way. Fantasy novels feel too similar in archetypes and uninteresting prose, so I shy away from them. I've tried a few series but they all feel geared towards more of a YA audience.
If I had to pick one of the two I would certainly place it in Sci-Fi rather than Fantasy, even though there are some fantastical elements to it.
Philosophy aside, sci-fi also tends to tell a lot about the world we live in and the world we might live in if we continue the way we do. Whether it's Verhoeven's satirical takes with Robocop and Starship Troopers, something like Black Mirror or books like Nick Harkaway's Gnomon (which is about surveillance) or the works of Kim Stanley Robinson who tells stories about the colonization of Mars, generation ships and the effects of climate change with great scientific detail, I tend to gravitate more towards that as I grow older. As a child I was into fantasy more, as an adult it's definitely sci-fi.
Those things are perhaps harder to do in games, but certainly not impossible and I'd love to see more devs tackle these kind of topics.
Those things are perhaps harder to do in games, but certainly not impossible and I'd love to see more devs tackle these kind of topics.