Gaming

7 Video Games That Would Make a Great Netflix Series


Hollywood producers and TV executives have long been trying to bring popular video game franchises to the big (and small) screen, with results ranging from “not bad for a video game adaptation” all the way to “oh god, my eyes, they burn!” Recently, though, it seems like they’re finally starting to get the hang of it. Sonic the Hedgehog and Detective Pikachu did well in the cinema, but it’s streaming services that have really begun to get it right.

Netflix’s Castlevania and Carmen Sandiego were well received, with the former getting a fourth season. The Witcher series may have been based on the books, but it pulled lots of inspiration from the games, as well. And now we have the likes of Dragon’s Dogma, Brothers in Arms, Halo, The Last of Us and even indie title My Friend Pedro getting TV adaptations. It got us thinking – what video games do we think would make for a good series on Netflix, Amazon Prime, HBO Max or whatever your streaming service of choice is? Take a look at our picks down below.

Silent Hill

Silent Hill rival Resident Evil was always destined for cinema. Its cheesy dialogue, over-the-top set pieces and arsenal of explosive weaponry is a perfect match for the big screen. Silent Hill has also dabbled with feature films, to mixed success, but Konami’s survival-horror franchise is far better-suited for the small screen. Its trademark blend of creeping psychological horror and grotesque monsters is perfectly suited for a slow burn TV series, one that builds up tension over ten hours, rather than two. You could even take the American Horror Story approach, with each season concentrating on a different character as they wander into their own version of Silent Hill, complete with their own unique psychological demons to face. With Konami already working with Netflix on Castlevania, kicking off a new Silent Hill series seems like a no-brainer.

Darksiders

The biblical mythology of Darksiders is absolutely ripe for a TV series to explore. The comic book art style would translate really well to an animated series like Castlevania, complete with all the giant swords and guns you would expect. Each season could focus on one of the four Horsemen as they battle against the forces of heaven and hell in an attempt to restore balance to the world, keeping the franchise’s sly cynical take on the affairs of angels and demons. Darksiders is a series close to my heart, and I’d love to see its world explored further without the need to keep creating expensive new games.

Phoenix Wright

Who doesn’t love a courtroom drama? Now, how about if that courtroom drama had impossibly over-the-top prosecutors, a strict three-day time limit to prove someone innocent, and an actual parrot being cross-examined in the witness box? In that case, say hello to Phoenix Wright! The Ace Attorney series would make for a fantastic TV series, with a new case each episode and an overarching storyline to tie the whole thing together. You could go animated and keep the lovely art design of the games, or dabble with live action (much like the 2012 Japanese film) and bring the madcap courtroom shenanigans into the real world. Either way, Phoenix Wright would breathe some fresh life into the procedural courtroom genre and make for an excellent series. 

BioShock

You’d have to throw HBO levels of cash at this if you wanted to translate BioShock to TV – those near-impossible sci-fi dystopian settings don’t come cheap, you know! But I think it would be worth it. You’d have to start with Rapture, of course, with the iconic underwater city primed to lure in viewers. We’ve already had the pleasure of seeing Rapture before the fall thanks to BioShock Infinite’s Burial at Sea DLC, so perhaps a BioShock series would work well as a simple retelling of the first game, following Jack as he accidentally discovers the drowning utopia gone to hell. However they choose to tackle it, BioShock has the potential to be some real prestige telly. I can already imagine them teasing a second season in a city above the clouds…

Oxenfree

“Step aside Stranger Things, Oxenfree is Coming for the Netflix Teen-Horror crown”. That’s definitely what the headlines would say if this was announced, because Oxenfree is a fantastic supernatural thriller in its own right. Its focus on strong dialogue and characters makes it perfect for the transition to TV, and its central mystery could easily hook viewers in for “just one more episode”. Pull together a strong live-action cast of young adults, and I have no doubt this would be a smashing success. There were rumblings in 2016 that a film was in the works, but in my opinion, Oxenfree’s story and characters are far better suited to a weekend of binge watching than an evening in the cinema.

Control

Listen, I know that Remedy’s last foray into live-action TV didn’t go all that well, but what Quantum Break was trying to accomplish was far too ambitious, with the game and the series woven together into an uneven tapestry. But the world of Control is far too mysterious and intriguing not to dig a little deeper. I’d love to see a TV show that follows a new character in the Federal Bureau of Control, as they face their own problems and threats. Maybe an Altered Item has gone awry in the Bureau, or perhaps the series could take place in the days leading up to the events of the game as we go from a well-oiled FBC to chaos as the Hiss begins to take control. Come on Amazon, give Remedy a call – this is one that really needs to happen.

Mass Effect

Tons of complex and well-written characters? Check. A focus on relationships that develop naturally over a long period of time? Check. Lovely sci-fi goodness with an overarching story that sees our heroes attempting to save the universe? Check again. Mass Effect is already a big-budget sci-fi space opera in video game form, and with an equivalently big TV budget the franchise could comfortably make the transition to any streaming service. Mass Effect’s strengths are in its characters and storytelling anyway, so there shouldn’t be any problem stripping out all the video game bits in between – as long as they don’t pull a Mass Effect 3 with the season finale!

Those are our picks for video games that we think would make for some excellent Netflix shows, but what do you think? Are there any games you’d love to see translated to the small screen? Let us know down in the comments!





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