Netflix is looking to be the future for television and video game adaptations.
It’s widely regarded that movie adaptations of video games generally suck. That’s not to say that there isn’t some fun out there – especially the 90’s renaissance of ‘so bad they’re good’ movies, which embraced the likes of Mortal Kombat and Super Mario Bros.
It’s hard to pack a dense narrative into a two hour motion picture, and the majority seem to stick to that rule.
With television streaming becoming increasingly popular every year, the walls between video games and other forms of media are breaking. Netflix has introduced us to immensely well-crafted shows, such as the adaptation of Castlevania, and our hearts will always have a fond space for Saturday morning serials such as Sonic the Hedgehog.
Although it’s not directly based on the games, The Witcher is a new direction for blending forms of media. It may be inspired by the books, but there’s no doubt that it’s gaming popularity has been a catalyst that’s ignited the fire.
It also got me thinking, what other games would benefit from the Netflix treatment, gathering the respect and time they deserve?
Mass Effect
With big-budget space operas such as Star Trek: Discovery and Lost In Space dominating the market, it only seems fair that one of the widely regarded greatest science-fiction games, Mass Effect, should be adapted. More specifically, the story of Mass Effect 2, which is a planet hopping adventure built upon friendships, adventure and loss.
In a post-Firefly world, it seems only necessary that an adaptation of the Mass Effect universe should be in the works. From the tightly crafted lore the games have introduced us to, there’s plenty to create an ongoing serial adventure, with an underlying narrative arch that builds to a conclusion.
Mass Effect is known for the connections you build among your crew, by engaging in conversations and completing loyalty missions.
A film could never pack all that attention into a constrained narrative, whereas a Netflix series could provide the franchise the space to breathe and give fans a true in-depth look at the world of Mass Effect. Oh, and it would be super pretty to look at.
Bioshock
Though the original narrative of Bioshock is fairly straight forward, it peels back like layers of an onion, gradually building to larger themes and complex narratives that further flesh out its world.
One thing that Bioshock prides itself on is atmosphere. The opening hour of the original game is such a precisely tuned experience that invites you into the underwater hell that is Rapture – the city created by the ambitious Andrew Ryan, a brilliant mind who’s ultimately warped by his own god complex.
Having a series that explores the build-up and aftermath that resulted in the collapse of Rapture would be truly fascinating. There are already books out there that explore what life was like before the fall, and the dozens upon dozens of audio logs in the game should inspire enough information to craft a series of events leading to its demise.
Having a series which incorporates the use of flashbacks and present day story lines, building to an epic conclusion, could truly be an exciting indulgence into this terrifying world. Alongside the iconic imagery of Big Daddies and Little Sisters, it’s hard not to pine for this to be reality.
Half-Life
If Valve aren’t going to make Half-Life 3, then Netflix should.
In all seriousness though, there’s so much here to play around with and adapt that it makes perfect sense for it to happen. Imagine – a pilot episode showcasing the events that take place in the original opening of Half-Life. What follows is how a group of survivors in this world live, move on, and ultimately try and fight back.
With Half-Life merging multiple genres from sci-fi, to action and even nightmare fueled horror segments, there are so many directions the show could go in each episode. From an atmospheric exploration of Ravenholm, to the explosive escape from Black Mesa, it’s just begging to be made.
Come on, Valve, give Netflix the rights!
Assassin’s Creed
Shocking no-one, the movie failed to live up to any expectations – and they were already low. Assassin’s Creed is just too much of an expansive concept for audiences to wrap their head around in such a short space of time.
The movie adaptation played it immensely safe, and by that point the series had already gone off-the-rails into more experimental waters.
We’ve received a full blown Pirate simulation, a look at Victorian London, and ventured the vast landscape of Egypt. There’s such diversity that can be found, that it seems implausible to only focus on one timeline.
Spanning multiple seasons, Netflix could really use that extended time frame to recreate different time periods.
Each season could be tuned around the goal of retrieving a Piece of Eden – the objects of power that the game is based around collecting. With overarching stories and the ability to advance story lines in multiple time lines, Assassin’s Creed is probably the easiest choice of a series to be given the Netflix treatment, and one that I believe will inevitably find a home.
Untitled Goose Game
Okay, hear me out, this idea is going to make you rethink the world of gaming television shows.
After The Game Awards showed us Beaker from The Muppets incorporated into Untitled Goose Game, it got me thinking – this should be a TV show.
Using the same puppet technology that the Muppets use, a weekly serial based upon the hilarious adventures of our leading goose. It builds up in chaotic cathartic energy until the season finale, when the ultimate twist happens.
We are set in the world of Goat Simulator.
Cue a cinematic universe of simulation games crossing over. I Am Bread? Check. Job Simulator? It’s all here. Surgeon Simulator? You got it.
Multiple franchises crossing over in a competition to be the best. It has legs, I know it has, and now you do too!
Make sure to check out The Witcher on Netflix from Dec. 20.
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