After the astounding success of HBO’s adaptation of Naughty Dog and Sony Interactive Entertainment’s smash hit game, The Last of Us, there has always been speculation about which other immersive game could be adapted to the small screen. Immersive games with impeccable storytelling have sparked interest in adapting them into other mediums, including television. The Last of Us, a post-apocalyptic game achieved unprecedented success as an HBO drama series, despite the dark and gritty tone.
As for the next set of games that could be adapted successfully into an equally successful television series, there are a few options worthy of being considered. The list of games mentioned below is in no specific order with each of the games equally capable of being a brilliant adaptation in its own right and being an equally successful adaption of The Last of Us.
Following the Success of The Last of Us
The secret behind HBO’s The Last of Us success also relied upon the faithful adaptation of the game’s engrossing storyline, complex characters, and emotional depth all of which were portrayed perfectly. As the series producers maintained the core essence of the game for a television audience, the series captivated both newcomers to the series and fans of the game as well.
As dark and broody as the game and the adaptation of The Last of Us were the success still rested on the actors who portrayed their roles to perfection, justifying the characters from the game. The landscape and the setup brought the game back to life with every intricate detail kept in mind and placed beautifully. If another such smash hit is to be delivered for a game adaptation, all such details will be expected to be adapted perfectly well.
Envisioning The Next Set of Games for Television Adaptations
Death Stranding
Hideo Kojima‘s enigmatic world of Death Stranding has already been planned to be adapted into a movie and is currently on hold due to the ongoing writer’s strike.
The game has a unique mix of breathtaking landscapes and existential exploration. The adapted series can delve into the game’s human connections in a fractured world, even as a stand-alone series, that’s set apart from the movie whenever that comes out.
Red Dead Redemption
Western epics don’t come without a deep-level characterizations and Rockstar Games’ Red Dead Redemption has the content and lore to be remade into a brilliant television series. The game’s historical accuracy and dramatic storytelling narrated over two parts could make for an enthralling series for both newcomers and fans of the genre. To most gamers, Red Dead Redemption has been more than just a game, as gamers are given an immersive experience that is memorable even to newcomers to the series.
Batman: Arkham Series
There have been quite a few adaptions of Gotham’s Dark Knight and another good adaption will only bring in more fans. Batman’s adventures in the “Arkham” trilogy redefined superhero gaming when most others were quite stagnant. Bringing this gritty and suspenseful world to the small screen will offer another fresh take on the game’s iconic characters including the memorable villains of the series. The Arkham series has all the ingredients to be another dark and gritty series just as The Last of Us series was, if not more.
Assassin’s Creed
The historical richness and the grand scale of the world of Assassin’s Creed presents an opportunity to create a visually alluring and intellectually engaging series in an immersive world. Although there’s been a movie adaptation that’s not been as successful as expected, a TV series made from a true adaptation set in interesting backdrops from the franchise could still be a recipe for success.
Dragon Age
BioWare’s epic fantasy RPG, the Dragon Age franchise, is filled with compelling characters, intricate lore, and a lot of high-stakes conflicts. Adapting this game’s rich narrative into a television series with proper adaptation could make bring a lot of fantasy enthusiasts to the series, craving even more political intrigue and intricate world-building.
There has already been an adult animated fantasy series that came out on Netflix late last year, titled Dragon Age: Absolution, set in the Dragon Age fictional universe. With just 6 episodes, the series had mixed reviews. Another adaptation was attempted back in 2011, titled Dragon Age: Redemption, a live-action series that was also quite well received.
There are quite a few other games as well that could make for a brilliant adaptation. While games bring an immersive experience to new and old gamers if adapted well with the perfect backdrop, the ingredients for a hit TV series could easily be in hand.
