Medieval and Modern Fantasy's Role in Modern Video Gaming

This thesis details the importance and evidence of medieval and modern fantasy’s influence on modern video gaming. This influence is examined through the lens of three primary themes found in fantasy: magic, the bestiary, and chivalry. These themes are traced using medieval texts including The Prose Edda, The Quest for the Holy Grail, and The Death of King Arthur, modern texts including A Wizard of Earthsea, The Eye of the World, and The Way of Kings, and modern video games including The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, God of War, and Elden Ring. The reasons why they are so prevalent and useful for developers and companies is a constant question that this thesis seeks to answer with primary attention focused on increasing gameplay length and player immersion as key strategies that allow for advanced monetization. The overall consensus of this thesis is that not only is fantasy an influential genre but that its primary themes lend themselves very well to the format of video games and that game developers and companies are using this to increase their chances of creating successful video games.