Right off the bat, The Villager of Level 999 tell you that monsters have encroached on real world Japan. As a result, so has classic RPG mechanics such as a class system. We’re all assigned a role at birth. Some people are warriors, some are mages, so on and so forth. Well, that’s certainly one way to do it. But why would you need to be a mage when you have the power of gun? Why would you need to be a mage when you can safely shoot down monsters from a distance with a drone? The answer, apparently, is because modern technology has somehow disappeared from the world. This is an alternate universe where society has devolved back to a fantasy medieval setting with kings and demon kings. Even so, what happened to the rest of the country? Even if people no longer know how to create a smartphone — even if we no longer have modern conveniences like an electric grid or modern plumbing — where are the ruins? Where have the skyscrapers gone? Or the extensive subway system? Where is the evidence that we once lived? My point is, why make it Japan at all? Why isn’t this just a generic fantasy world. After all, it sure as hell looks and feels like one. Continue reading →