Artistic Originality

Some similarities in how two works of entertainment handle plots, character arcs, subversion of expectations, and genre norms are inevitable, but similarities alone do not exclude originality and quality.  In some cases, similarities can even be a sign of quality.  It is a logical and artistic mistake to regard a work as insignificant or mediocre simply because its storytelling, characterization, or themes overlap with those of previous works.  Indeed, some similarities are artistically necessary!

For example, merely having a protagonist or antagonist is often a necessary repetition of something that audiences have already seen hundreds or thousands of times before.  Does this mean that making a story with a protagonist or antagonist is a dull, cheap endeavor?  Of course not!  Similarities between stories of this type are inescapable.  There are only so many story elements that are possible to begin with, and working within these immutable confines is not the same as lacking originality--either in the sense of independent thinking or creative innovation.

Moreover, that two stories (whether they are presented in literary, video, or gaming form) share obvious, thorough similarities does not mean that either work lacks quality.  If two athletes both possess the same amount of skill, neither athlete's ability nullifies that of the other.  If two speakers share the same level of masterful articulation, neither speaker's skill removes that of the other.  In the same way, a book, video game, film, or TV/streaming show can still be artistically valid even if it intentionally or unintentionally mirrors much of a previous work.

It follows from these facts that complaints about similarities between various works of entertainment are not valid unless the similarities actually cause the latter story to fail to reach a greater potential it may have had.  Short of this, the best of the worst case scenarios is a new, artistically sound (at least overall) release that parallels an older, artistically sound release.  There are far worse things that can happen to a new entertainment project than not being the first work to explicitly utilize a concept, style, or other sort of creative technique.