The Dark, Wild Worlds of Pulp Fantasy
A Realm of Unimaginable Wonders
Ladies and gentlemen, one of the oldest and most beloved genres in the world of role-playing games is fantasy. With Worlds of Pulp: Savage Twilight™ set to release in 2024, I want to take a few moments to discuss three of the most popular sub-genres of Pulp Fantasy: Dark Fantasy, Low Fantasy, and Sword and Sorcery.
The Enigmatic Realms: Three Immaculate Forms of Fantasy”
Dark Fantasy is a sub-genre of Fantasy that incorporates horror elements, a sense of dread, and a bleak world where evil often triumphs over good. This genre often features anti-heroes, who may do terrible things, but are still the “good guys” in the story. In Dark Fantasy, heroes face challenges that are often insurmountable, such as Lovecraftian horrors, apocalyptic events, or ancient evils. The worlds of Dark Fantasy are often filled with danger, shadowy conspiracies, and fraud. The heroes in these stories must often resort to violence, betrayal, or magic to survive.
In contrast to Dark Fantasy, Low Fantasy shares a lot of commonalities, but places more emphasis on a gritty and realistic world. In Low Fantasy, magic is often less elaborate and mystic and instead is more raw and unpredictable. The heroes in Low Fantasy are often much more grounded than their counterparts in Dark Fantasy. They face real-world problems like disease, starvation, and political corruption. They often suffer brutal violence and physical pain. Unlike in Dark Fantasy, the villains in Low Fantasy are often not as powerful and may not be motivated by ancient cosmic evil but by greed or hubris.
Another sub-genre of fantasy is Sword and Sorcery, which features a lone, often muscle-bound hero who must overcome insurmountable odds. Sword and Sorcery stories are full of action and battle scenes with martial strength, agility with weaponry and magical prowess at the same time. The heroes in Sword and Sorcery are often driven by their own desires or loyalty, instead of a sense of duty or the quest for justice. They face challenging and complex problems that can only be solved by sheer force of will. The worlds of Sword and Sorcery are often full of exotic lands, hidden treasure, and fierce creatures.
In these sub-genres of fantasy, the characters all share different traits that identify them as heroes. They all have a sense of loyalty or duty that drives them toward their goals, however, their motivations are not purely altruistic. They still deal with worldly desires and struggles despite fighting against evil forces. These characters are also survivors, they must be able to weather and endure tragedies that would disable normal people. This is the beaty of where these magnificent genres come together. It is in the heroes’ perseverance and their willingness to challenge unspeakable evil and otherworldly power with common tools and sensibilities. This combination of genres paints a portrait of human ingenuity and mankind’s willingness to survive.
Early pioneers of these sub-genres, such as H.P. Lovecraft, Robert E. Howard, and Fritz Leiber, inspired many creators to build a vast collection of novels, movies, and video games alike. Nowadays, it’s the influence of these genres that has permeated into popular culture and media, and video games are no exception. These genres are present, and extremely popular, in games like Skyrim, The Witcher, and Dark Souls.
The Final Act: A Majestic Curtain Call
Fantasy continues to be one of the most popular genres in gaming and pulp fantasy will soon make an indelible mark. Players love the ability to explore fantastical worlds that are filled with action and adventure. The sub-genres of Dark Fantasy, Low Fantasy, and Sword and Sorcery all bring their vast array of unique challenges and experiences that draws gamers in. Through the years, the pioneers of these sub-genres have inspired many creators to tell amazing stories and build fantastic worlds that everyone can get lost in. As a result, we can only imagine the endless possibilities and treasures that come with Worlds of Pulp: Savage Twilight™ releasing in 2024.
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