We live in a world where video game adaptations are experiencing a renaissance. Of course there are some horribly crafted and devoid of substance (looking at you Super Mario Galaxy movie), but the most modern adaptations really took the cake for how well they did.
A personal favorite of mine favored adaptation Fallout. Easily accessible Amazon Prime subscriptionI was able to enjoy the best action sequences and well-crafted storylines in this adaptation. And as a fan of the games, I’m still very pleased. However, it got me thinking about how many other video games there are that deserve the same treatment, and for that I have a list of five.
Nightmare of Tsushima
The fights would be epic
Let me tell you a little story. When my now-fiancé and I first moved out of our tiny college apartment and into our grown-up apartment, we knew we had to play two games on our big screen TV first—The end of us part II and Nightmare of Tsushima. We passed the previous ones, but when we played Spirit of Tsushima, our lives changed forever. And I’m not being dramatic.
The theme is simple: the samurai Jin Sakai tries to protect Tsushima from the first Mongol invasion. Many elements will translate well into adaptation. The story itself is phenomenal, moral, justice, ethics, etc. This could be a serial Shogun-level is good because it really questions the player’s choices.
Its history and landscape are attractive. The amazing graphics of the game will look fantastic on the TV and will amaze those who have not played it. I could already see a ton of people buying it if HBO picked it up HBO Max subscriptions look at it. It would be legendary.
There is an anime based on it in the works Diversitybut I can’t stop imagining what a live action would be like. A girl can dream.
Resident Evil
Correct fit
No, I don’t mean any of the old adaptations; get it out of your head immediately. We are not going to touch them. They don’t exist in this timeline.
I’m talking about a faithful adaptation of the first few Resident Evil games. No spin-offs. There are no new characters except maybe Ethan from some of the latest games. Just basic zombie mayhem with Chris Redfield, Jill Valentine and Leon freaking Kennedy. We haven’t gotten a good matchup of it yet, and that, my friends, is simply a sin.
The game series mainly follows humanity’s fight against zombies created by the T-virus, which mutates and of course brings about the downfall of humanity. There is a ton of lore in this franchise that could make for a great horror show that fans will love.
But every time an adaptation is made, it’s always wrong and never well executed. That is, iIf you like horror movies, you should Resident Eviland that, as a series, would be amazing.
Resident Evil
- Released
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April 30, 2002
- ESRB
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Mature 17+ // Blood and Gore, Violence
- Developer(s)
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Capcom Production Studio 4
Mass Effect
Space series? Yes, please
If we want something more sci-fi, Mass Effect would be a great franchise to adapt into a tv show. The video game franchise primarily revolves around Commander Shepherd, a soldier trying to unite alien forces to stop the Reapers, a powerful race capable of destroying all human life.
So aliens? Spaceships? Galactic battles? This can be an easy choice for one of the many streaming services available today. But we didn’t get it Mass Effect an adaptation we clearly need. Science fiction has only become more popular with movies like Dune and shows like Stranger Things. Why not try that too?
Red Dead Redemption
It would be the ultimate Western
I love everything Rockstar does Red Dead Redemption is one of the franchises I wish was a reality show. It would actually make me like Western series.
The first game in the franchise follows John Marston, an ex-outlaw who has to hunt down old members of his gang to save his kidnapped family, but of course things will go south, or take a big turn, or just get completely distracted in this open world landscape. The second game after Arthur Morgan is better.
Adapting the first game for TV would be great. It offers rich stories and many destinations to explore. A collaboration with a powerful Western studio like HBO or Paramount would be ideal.
A fantasy to rival Game of Thrones
You knew The Elder Scrolls series would be here. I’m a fantasist – it’s in my blood.
I can’t access anything The Elder Scrolls because every game is very different. But the main idea is that it takes place in the high fantasy world of Tamriel, where the player is a chosen hero who must fight battles, monsters and more to save the people from impending doom. But every game is different, with a vast, incredibly detailed open world to get lost in.
But come on, like this TV show? It would be gold. Gosh, the amount of lore you can use to make a good series – we’ll have chapters. I could see it now – heck, we could probably have a whole series while we wait The Elder Scrolls VI release (when will be).
What video games do you want as a TV series? Time to revisit those titles – anyone ready for a gaming weekend?
