One genre often used in bigger games is the dystopian genre, which is the opposite of utopia, a perfect world. They used to be scarce but have gained traction and became very accepted by modern day audiences.
The targeted audience of these films are teens who range from the age of 13 to the age of 18. They make the majority of their money from teens, especially through those who have been exposed to dystopian films themselves.
The genre has many easy to spot conventions, usually depending on if the film is in a world of chaos or a world of order. If it is in a world of chaos, you can expect to see the outside world being feared, small groups of people, and a non-human force causing the chaos. If it's a world of order, you can expect to see freedom suppressed, a corporation in charge of everything, or a robot in charge of everything.
There are many production techniques in regards to dystopian films as well. For example, they usually have a grey color scheme that shows how there is little to no emotion. Many extreme long shots are used to show the dystopian world, alongside melancholy soundtracks. The art direction is usually dreary if chaotic but futuristic if orderly.
The genre is marketed through mediums such as social media, because many use social media and they are the target audience. There is little dialogue in things like trailers, meanwhile they usually have their own score used for the movie and the trailers.
One game that embodies this genre is The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. It is a game that takes place in the far future, where an evil force brought a land to ruin. As a result, technology has devolved and people don't usually travel. The game has a very somber and quiet soundtrack, only picking up when actions or memories of the past occur. Your goal is to get rid of the dark entity and win back the freedom of the land.
One film that represents this is Ready Player One. In the film, the world is run down, with the exception of the virtual reality world. A corporation is tyring to take control of the program after having control of many other things, leaving the protagonist to attempt to fight back in the very dark real world and futuristic VR world.
Other films with a dystopian genre include:
- Equilibrium
- Mad Max
- The Hunger Games
-In Time
- The Matrix
