Television is in an undeniable golden age. The experience overall, both for creators and consumers, is unprecedentedly flexible, and as a result, there’s a staggering variety when it comes to shows that dominate the cultural landscape. There’s more demand than ever, so streamers and studios aren’t scared to look anywhere for the supply.
Particularly in recent years, Hollywood has leaned into the world of video games and adapted the some of the medium’s best narratives with stunning results. The latest success stories in that arena, like The Last Of Us and Fallout, aren’t great video game TV shows: They’re just great TV shows, flat out.
Games are officially a reliable pipeline for worlds and narratives that can power some of the most esteemed television being made. With that in mind, here’s a fun question to ponder: What other games would be well-suited to adaptations, to join the ranks of The Last Of Us and Fallout? Let’s run through a few possibilities.
God Of War
This one is actually happening, as the show was announced in late 2022. In a statement shared at the time, Vernon Sanders, head of global television at Amazon Studios, called God Of War “a compelling, character-driven franchise” featuring “expansive and immersive worlds” and “rich storytelling.” He’s right, and given that the series launched on the Playstation 2 in 2005 and has released many sequels since then, there’s a thorough, established universe here to depict and expand on.
Series protagonist Kratos has a visually distinct look that has made him one of the most recognizable video game characters of the past two decades. This gives the show an already-identifiable entry point for viewers who are maybe only roughly familiar with the source material.
As for when we can expect to see Kratos hit Amazon’s Prime Video, there’s no release yet, but Sony indicated at CES 2024 earlier this year that writing for the series is underway.
BioShock
BioShock is another IP that has been around for a while, as the first game hit PC and Xbox 360 in 2007. This debut entry establishes quite the story: Jack discovers Rapture, an underwater city built by a wealthy businessman to serve as his own idyllic, isolated world. The situation starts going downhill, though, following the discovery of a genetic substance that allows people to modify their bodies. This causes wild times and prompts Jack’s journey of escape and discovery.
Netflix snapped this one up and a movie is on the way. Francis Lawrence, director of movies like I Am Legend and The Hunger Games: The Ballad Of Songbirds And Snakes, is at the helm here. In a 2022 interview, he expressed reverence for the game’s original story and declared his intention to not get in the way of the narrative and world that has been built already. So, when the movie arrives, it should transport players to the dystopian universe they already love.
Metroid
Nintendo redeemed itself after the widely panned 1993 Super Mario Bros. movie with the major hit that was last year’s The Super Mario Bros. Movie. Narratively, though, Mario is ultimately surface-level stuff: princess kidnapped, save princess (although the new Mario movie did a nice job at making Peach more than the helpless damsel she often is in the games). Still, the film’s success indicates that the famously protective Nintendo is open to adaptations, so why not a Metroid series?
Sadly, there isn’t anything in the works here, but the franchise ticks so many boxes: Sci-fi space world, strong female protagonist, cool villains. As this Screen Rant feature from 2021 explores, there’s even a Metroid manga that provides a bunch of compelling context about Samus and the rest of the games’ universe. It’s also not even the only Metroid manga, so there’s plenty of lore to mine for a TV series.
Nintendo has a reputation (an earned one) for releasing sanitary, polished, and bright games, but that also ignores the grittier worlds they’ve created, like that of Metroid. Even if Metroid isn’t exactly Nintendo’s tentpole franchise, Samus could absolutely make a compelling protagonist for a more serious TV series and expand Nintendo’s public perception if given the chance. Let’s make it happen, Miyamoto.