Already gamers and casual viewers have been impressed by HBO’s The Last Of Us adaptation of the popular video game. It is not only loyal to the source material, but it maintains the quality of a proper high-budget series which could lead to it becoming the gold standard for future adaptations to use as inspiration.
With video games becoming just as impactful to pop culture as massive blockbuster movies, the future could be bright for adaptations. Some games have deserved the same live-action treatment as The Last Of Us, ranging from space-faring sci-fi adventures to rugged gritty westerns.
10 Yellowstone Practically Planted The Seed For Red Dead Redemption
Recently there has been a resurgence of modern Westerns such as Yellowstone and its various spin-offs. Red Dead Redemption practically begs for such treatment since both games feature fondly remembered stories about the Old West coming to an end.
One season of the series could focus on Arthur Morgan, another on John Marston, then another on Jack Marston. The team at Rockstar has also created such vast worlds within both Red Dead Redemption games that a series doesn’t have to stick to adapting the main stories, it could focus on many other stories or even create new ones.
9 Infamous Did Dark Superheroes Before It Was A Fad
Shows such as Invincible and even Jupiter’s Legacy have shown a rise in darker takes on superhero worlds that aren’t set in Marvel or DC. The Infamous game series attempted such a thing back in the 2000s which turned it into a cult franchise.
The world of Conduits has many colorful and fantastical powers within a dark world that the visuals alone would attract viewers. On top of that, the morality system in all the games that allowed players to embrace being a hero or villain is perfect for the character arcs of a show.
8 Grim Fandango Could Be The Newest Crime Drama Hit
The surge in Latinx-led films and shows has resulted in many modern classics such as Encanto. The point-and-click adventure game Grim Fandango was a pioneer of its time since it featured a diverse cast as well as a never-before-seen take on the Land Of The Dead where everyone lives new lives as skeletons.
Grim Fandango also took on the episodic game structure before it was popular. That easily could lend itself to a dark fantasy series that mixes crime, corruption, comedy, and neo-noir into a visually striking adventure about an ex-grim reaper trying to find and save a woman he loves.
The world of Tamriel has so much to offer that a live-action The Elder Scrolls series would have the freedom to adapt a pre-existing story from the likes of Skyrim or create a new story within the universe. With Fallout getting a series, Bethesda should consider doing the same for its sister franchise.
The likes of The Rings Of Power and The Witcher showcase that high fantasy still has mass appeal today. If given the same budget as the aforementioned shows, The Elder Scrolls with its beloved take on orcs, elves, dragons, and many other fantasy tropes would likely become a massive hit.
6 Metroid Would Be Nintendo’s Answer To Star Wars
Metroid is Nintendo’s biggest mature franchise and if The Super Mario Bros. Movie can be a big blockbuster, so can Metroid. The story of Samus Aran hunting down evil across the galaxy in an iconic set of armor is perfect for Nintendo if they want to compete with the likes of The Mandalorian.
Samus is also one of the first female protagonists in video gaming history which makes her deserving of a live-action treatment. Even actress Brie Larson has expressed interest in portraying her, even going as far as cosplaying the bounty hunter and showing love for the franchise when Metroid Dread was released.
5 Dead Space Is Sci-Fi Horror At Its Finest
There have been many horror game adaptations over the years including Resident Evil and Silent Hill, but they’ve always been in the form of movies. Dead Space features such an expansive yet visceral horror video game experience that perhaps a movie is not enough to cover it, especially with the amount of lore that was introduced in the sequels.
The first season of a Dead Space series would be enough time to properly adapt the claustrophobic horror of the first game. The Last Of Us is doing something similar with the slow build-up to the Clickers and Runners. Love for Dead Space is still going strong with the game not only getting a remake but also a spiritual successor with The Callisto Protocol.
4 BioShock Could Enchant Yet Scare Viewers
BioShock has almost gotten live-action adaptations multiple times only to be canceled or postponed indefinitely. Many gamers would be ready to binge BioShock, whether it’s about roaming through the derelict underwater haven of Rapture or surviving the zealous mobs in the floating city of Columbia in BioShock Infinite.
BioShock presents a unique action-horror experience that is as beautiful as it is horrifying that it would be difficult to condense it all into one film. Whereas a series can fully encapsulate the world as well as present the often convoluted story without confusing audiences.
3 Diablo Would Be An Epic Dark Adventure Series
Blizzard has attempted live-action adaptations before, specifically with the WarCraft movie which has its fans but was a box-office disappointment. Each of their franchises is so big that it would be best to adapt them as shows, especially the dark fantasy story of Diablo which had rumblings of a possible Netflix series but has never had an update.
The world of Sanctuary has such bizarre lore when it comes to angels, demons, monsters, Prime Evils, soul stones, and humans that descend from demons and angels. An adaptation would need either an MCU-sized slate of movies or resort to a TV series on the same level as The Witcher to flesh everything out.
2 Tomb Raider Deserves Another Chance In Live-Action
There have been three different Tomb Raider movies and none of them hit that sweet spot for fans of the franchise, critics, and general viewers. That is likely due to trying to compact the famous adventurer Lara Croft and her story into a simple three-act structure. While admirable, Tomb Raider is a mega-franchise with elements of sci-fi, supernatural, and spectacle that needs more.
There is more room for the mysteries and conspiracies to be expanded upon across a season of Tomb Raider that would fit the length of one of the video games. Alicia Vikander’s canceled Tomb Raider sequel might be the sign to swap from a sequel movie to a sequel series or a new reboot.
1 The Legend Of Zelda Could Be Nintendo’s Biggest Hit
Fans anticipate every entry within The Legend Of Zelda franchise like they do the next MCU film it is practically begging for an adaptation, especially since it is one of the few Nintendo IPs that could be translated into live-action. A show would be able to dedicate entire episodes to each dungeon that Link conquers, leading to a semi-monster of the week structure.
Zelda also has the perfect concept for showrunners to tell their own story since each Link, Zelda, and Ganondorf is a new reincarnation meant to fulfill the unending battle for Hyrule. If Nintendo wanted to directly adapt a certain game or take things in a new direction, both options would work.
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