Video games have come a long way since the days of Pong, and today they are being adapted into full-fledged television shows.
After the successful debut of HBO's The Last of Us last year and early rave reviews for Amazon Prime's Fallout, a show that takes place in a dystopian future, it is clear that there is an audience for this genre.
So, whether it is a video game set in a post-apocalyptic world or one in which someone is trapped in space with aliens, other games could also make for great television. Here are seven suggestions.
God of War
The popular series is consistently hailed for its action-packed gameplay. God of War boasts a engaging narrative that combines elements of ancient mythology with a personal, character-driven story.
It follows the saga of Kratos, a Spartan warrior with a tragic past, transitioning from Greek to Norse mythology, with themes of revenge, redemption, fatherhood and fate. The show could have a similar vibe to Game of Thrones that would translate well into TV format.
Like with Fallout, Amazon Prime is reportedly working on a series adaptation for God of War. It was reported in January that writing was underway, although no other details have been released.
Control
Jesse Faden is the female protagonist of Control, a 2019 video game that takes place inside a supernatural, bureaucratic Brutalist setting with spirits and aberrations flying around. She shows up at the Federal Bureau of Control one day and has to solve the many mysteries inside the building.
Control has supernatural themes and peculiar characters, sometimes reminiscent of David Lynch’s Twin Peaks series. Throw in guns that shapeshift and puzzles inside of a motel, and there are ingredients for a thrilling television show.
Sleeping Dogs
Taking its inspiration from beloved Hong Kong action films of the 1980s and '90s, Sleeping Dogs tells the story of Wei Shen, an undercover police officer who moves to the city from the US. He befriends members of warring triad gangs and gets drawn into their conflicts, all the while needing to focus on the mission at hand.
This game would make a great movie but there have already been countless martial arts films in this very setting. Another one won’t be an addition to the massive Hong Kong cinema oeuvre. However, what it can be is a very well-fleshed-out television series that explores the difficult task of going undercover in one of Asia’s toughest cities. To see it acted out in a 20-episode season would be a ton of fun.
Dead Space
A famous tagline from Alien is that "in space, no one can hear you scream" which would mean it is also true when fighting back.
Dead Space, a 2008 video game, follows Isaac Clarke, a crew member aboard a spaceship that gets taken over by scary alien beings. Luckily for Isaac, there’s a trove of mining equipment on the ship that can be used to fend off and even deal effective attacks on them.
What makes Dead Space standout is that the protagonist is behind protective gear the whole time, making Isaac a great avatar for viewers to feel like they are in danger with him, if filmed correctly.
Horizon Zero Dawn
What happens to the world after an apocalypse? Could humanity rebuild if it survives? And what technology could be the cause of it?
These are the types of questions 2017's Horizon Zero Dawn asks and tries to answer throughout the game. The main character is Aloy, an adventurer who stumbles on a piece of technology that opens her eyes to the truth of her reality and the world around her.
She has to navigate land and fight large-scale dinosaur machines that pose a threat to her quest for the truth. A Horizon television show is in the works though as Netflix has picked up the project, although it's still in the writing stage.
Syphon Filter
Tales of espionage are always popular. This is why the Syphon Filter series of games won over so many fans in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
Grouping all three games together for a possible television show adaptation would work. The strength of a gaming series as a television show is in its own name, which people of a certain age would be drawn to.
An adaptation would not need to be faithful to events in the games, but has to be able to represent their thrill and aesthetic. The Syphon Filter television show could work as a five-episode anthology series, with each episode following a different agent.
Super Smash Bros
The concept of picking favourite characters from a gaming franchise and pitting them against each other in battle was a revolutionary idea that spawned many copy cats. Super Smash Bros as a game does not have a straightforward narrative: it simply asks “what would happen if Mario had to fight Pikachu?”
On the face of it, there’s not much that would seemingly make this a good show. It definitely has to be animated, as many of these characters would look ridiculous in a live-action setting. But an animated series focused on bouts between some of Nintendo's most popular characters is exactly why it could work.
