There’s no shortage of anime out there for people to watch and enjoy. Ranging from simple love stories with a unique flair, to knock-down drag-out fights with either huge robots or giant humanoid monstrosities. The worlds and narratives of anime are just rife with opportunity for something amazing. Licensed games tend to go for the biggest properties with no real concern as to whether or not the universes fit on our consoles and PCs, but leaving the fountain of top-notch animation untapped for some really huge gaming experiences is a mistake being made far too often.
With the upcoming, action-packed Attack on Titan game in the works by Koei Tecmo, we decided to take a look at what other amazing properties out there deserve a game that truly captures the essence of their stories, art, and action.
Naruto Open World RPG
Naruto has seen a lot of video game action since the anime rose to extreme popularity. Fighting games, action games, and even a few RPGs have been graced by the boy with the fox demon. But there has yet to be a proper, open world RPG. And to be completely honest, that’s pretty weird. The creators put in a lot of effort developing a world full of intrigue and warfare, deep lore, and amazing characters. The fact that there is an abundance of fighting styles, clans, villages, jutsu, and weapons makes it the perfect setting for a brand new RPG where players create their very own ninjas and choose their starting villages.
Ninja’s are sorely overlooked in the realm of triple-A gaming, so a solid effort from the folks at Bandai Namco, or anyone else who can get the license would be much appreciated by not only fans of the series, but many other gamers as well.
Another Shot at Vampire Hunter D
Based on a series of novels, the Vampire Hunter D anime and films have shown just how interesting a futuristic, post-apocalyptic world can be when you have a dhampir (human/vampire halfbreed) hunting at night for evil beings. The deep, dark lore that permeated the series, the brooding character that is D, beautiful architecture, and demonic hordes just scream out great game. Hell, you can’t help but imagine a sort of Bloodborne like essence when thinking of it. But, when an attempt was made, what fans instead received was an awful PS One game that played like a horribly broken Resident Evil.
Video game technology has come a long way since then, and it’s time to do this hunter justice. With a new CG anime in the works, there is no better time than now to show just how one should properly hunt a vampire.
Knights of Sidonia
Knights of Sidonia is an anime based on the manga series of the same name by Tsutomu Nihei. When the series was localized and included as part of Netflix’s original programming, it caught the eyes of many due to its battles between the knights in their Gardes (just imagine a really slick looking mech) and the Gauna (shape-shifting aliens). The heavily controlled society that humanity has been reduced to and the powers that be pulling strings behind the scenes, lend a sort of mystery to the huge war that nobody truly understands yet.
The visuals are already CG so when watching the anime it’s difficult to not already picture this as a game on your PS4, Xbox One, or PC. Imagine a game in the same vein as Zone of the Enders where you assault huge, living spacecraft with your fellow knights as you use speed and precision to win countless battles.
One Punch Man
Okay, so One Punch Man may not seem like it’s set up for a really great video game. Here you have a hero, Saitama, who can destroy pretty much every foe with just a single punch. And it’s not that he just knocks them out or something, they explode into pretty visceral bits. Being that powerful is pretty odd, effectively giving you “god mode” throughout the entire game, but it can be done.
Take a game like Dynasty Warriors, where the screen is filled to the limit with thousands of enemies for you to fight through as you endeavor to save the world, while also looking for a fitting challenge. Your ability to put the weight of everyone’s worry on yourself, and strength to fight through it would be a driving force of the game, as would be the top-notch humor that only Saitama’s emotionless face can bring.
Tokyo Ghoul
Tokyo Ghoul is an anime that revolves around the battle between Ghouls (think vampire like monstrosities that are far more terrifying) and humans (like us) as they try to both exist in the same world. Of course, there are those who go to extremes on both sides of the conflict leading to huge battles and lots of blood in the streets.
A game putting you in control of series protagonist Ken Kaneki, or even allowing you to play as a member of the Commission of Counter Ghoul (CCG) utilizing the power of current gen hardware would be the answer to our prayers. The dark imagery often offset by the sudden flashes of light present throughout Japan, the decidedly visceral combat, and the deep underlying lore of the city would make for one hell of an action game.
A Good Dragon Ball Z Action Adventure Game
Dragon Ball Z has proven that it has the fighting game genre locked down. Throughout its many different series, its shown that it knows just how to bring the speed, attitude, and explosive power of the anime to your consoles. But, when it comes to 3D action adventures (a space you think they’d nail), the series just hasn’t been able to impress.
Open worlds filled with tons of destructibility, flight, lots of storylines, and beautiful visuals weren’t the easiest thing to pull off when Dragon Ball Z: Sagas released back in 2005. But recent years have shown that developers have figured out how to make it happen. Dragon Ball Z deserves a game as good as The Witcher, with spiky hair and blue blasts that come out of your hands. The time has come to FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT THE DRAGON!
Psycho-Pass
A world where crime can be prevented by simply reading a person’s brainwaves sounds like it would be the utopia of our dreams. But what happens when someone figures out how to get around that system? It gets even scarier when they learn how to take full advantage of it to bring society to its knees.
That’s what the anime is about, and it is a hyper-futuristic world where humans no longer make their own decisions. The system does. And when you fight for the system, are you really fighting for anyone? A deep game with stunning visuals and exploration set in this world would be a perfect fit with today’s infatuation with what comes next.
Hellsing Ultimate
Vampires are cool, there’s no two ways about it. But you don’t get much cooler than Alucard (read the name backwards and you’ll get it), with his insane powers, amazing restorative abilities, and strict allegiance to Sir Integra Hellsing that make him one seriously twisted anti-hero. His methods of combat can be as simple as hand-to-hand with some firearms thrown in, to some batshit crazy magic that tears enemies limb from limb.
An action game putting you in control of this devilish being would be absolutely incredible. Just imagine being slowly reduced to the original version of the Count everyone fears as you take damage, only to devour the souls of your enemies to get back to your red cloak and chilling smile.
The Devil is a Part-Timer
Not every game has to be about action and eviscerating your enemies. Although The Devil is a Part-Timer has its fair share of combat in the anime, the story itself is more about exploring Satan and the hero Emi in their day-to-day lives as mortals. It’s an interesting look at the lord of darkness as you discover the motives that drive the man who is essentially the king of all things evil.
A sim-style game where you manage the lives of Sadao Mao (Satan) and/or Emi (the hero Emilia) would be incredible. Do you save the day and be late for your shift at MgRonald’s? Or do you stick to your new-found humanity? Tons of choices and moral decisions would fit this anime and can even be done well on the Vita or 3DS.
A New Death Note
Death Note was an interesting anime in the way it approached good and evil. “The road to hell is paved with good intentions” and nobody knows that better than Light. But a new game shouldn’t revolve around Light’s battle with L.
Instead, a new book should be dropped and you, the player, pick it up. What can follow is a world suffering from depravity and crime, and you’re tasked with making the hard decisions of who dies and who lives. Maybe some creative options as to how to do people in. At some point, you, like Light, will be pursued for your actions and you must keep one step ahead, throwing some strategy and planning into the mix.
Are there any anime games you feel need to be made? Feel free to let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
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