Mob Psycho 100
Mob Psycho 100 is a manga created by ONE, the very same artist who brought us the vastly popular One-Punch Man series. While the anime does bear some resemblances to its predecessor – such as the blank stare of Mob (the protagonist), enemies bursting into colorful mists, and extraordinarily powerful beings ruining the lives of others – it is very much it’s own thing.
Mob is an Esper, a person with powerful psychic abilities. He uses these to exorcise evil spirits and solve cases as a part-time worker at the “Talk About Spirits Agency.” There, he works under Master Reigen (who isn’t actually a psychic) while also dealing with everyday high school life. Naturally this leads to many hijinks, as Mob is powerful yet somehow oblivious to it, and Reigen uses that for profit yet at the same time genuinely cares about Mob. What really ties the relationship and everything else together, though, is the action, and that’s something that can translate very well into a video game.
Picture a game where you deal with cases after school, but you also have to balance clubs, your relationship with your family, and a master who doesn’t have any powers. Huge action RPG bits will help break up the monotony as you discover a bigger mystery, and you’ll even come across other Espers. Maybe you don’t even have to play as Mob, and will be able to create your own Esper to join in the universe. Either way, there’s plenty of rich and often hilarious material to work with.
Yuri on Ice
Chances are that you may have passed over Yuri on Ice. It’s not big on action, there’s no fighting or super powers, it’s humorous but not overly funny, and it’s pretty much a drama about ice-skating. Yet it happens to be one of the greatest anime out right now because once you watch it, the beautiful choreography and the everyday life of these characters sink their hooks into you, and you’ll soon be waiting eagerly for the next competition, argument, development, or whatever else it has in store for you. The artwork is absolutely beautiful, as is the musical score, which sets it up for an interesting video game experience.
Sports games are nothing new, and Yuri on Ice can add more of a social aspect where you maintain relationships and go about every day life as you juggle training, school, and competitions. It won’t be as in your face as some of the other suggestions on the list, true, but it has all the makings of something truly unique and captivating. Plus, throw in some solid customization, and you can let your inner star run wild on the ice rink.
Sword Art Online: Gun Gale Online
We’ve gotten several Sword Art Online games already. We’ve climbed Aincrad, flew through the skies of Alfheim… then returned to Aincrad (though it changed into Ainground). Fans of the anime were hoping for, and expected, a trip to the world that followed Alfheim in the anime, the world of Gun Gale Online (GGO). GGO was another VRMMORPG, only it traded in all the fantasy wonders of SAO and ALO for science fiction, a post apocalyptic world, and lots of bullets.
It’s a much more serious experience than the other situations Kirito and his friends find themselves in, and it also provides the real introduction to the fan-favorite character Sinon, not that odd addition of her we’ve seen in other games thus far. It would be cool to play the faux MMO with a new sci-fi spin, customizing weapons and armor while exploring sprawling battlefields. The series has reached a point where all the entries feel relatively the same, and it’s time for something fresh.
Nanbaka
Nanbaka is a very interesting anime, taking place entirely inside of a a super prison. The star inmate? A young man named Jyugo who has the ability to break out of any prison in the world. It’s very funny–especially once you meet his uniquely problematic cellmates Uno, Rock, and Nico–but there’s also an underlying depth to the narrative. Jyugo has mysterious shackles on him as well as a weird power that he doesn’t understand, and that leads to countless adventures within the prison as well as intruders who add a more deadly element.
A game set in Nanbaka can take on a lot of different forms. It can be an action/adventure title that has you exploring the prison, it can be a visual novel, or it can even be an RPG. As long as the humor and mystery comes through, players will be in for a good time thanks to the colorful cast of characters.
Drifters
Drifters is a new anime, but from the moment it starts you can already see how absolutely insane it is. The story follows powerful warriors from different time periods as they jump between realms to fight the “Ends” (who are obviously evil). What ensues is a huge war across time and space that’s full of non-stop action and plenty of blood splatter. It’s the stuff that great anime-based video games are made of.
What would make the game really stand out is the fact that each character fights exceptionally differently from the others. You have members of Butch Cassidy’s gang, Roman generals, Samurai, World War II pilots, and more that each bring a different flavor of carnage to the experience. Imagine a multiplayer brawler where you teamed up with friends to fight warriors and odd monsters in a fantasy setting as a rag-tag group of these guys; it would be hectic fun full of awesome visual effects and some twisted characters.
K
K stars Yashiro Isana, an unfortunate protagonist who found himself hunted by members of the Red Clansmen of HOMRA after a murder was committed by someone with his face. The story gets weirder as supernatural powers come into play between different “Kings,” who all get their powers from mysterious entities known a Swords of Damocles. Those Kings also have the ability to share their powers with their closest friends, which makes for compelling battles.
K can come in many different forms. It’s already received a visual novel, but one that focused more on dating than anything else. Something along the lines of the Fire Emblem series, where you lead your own army that utilizes the power of your Sword of Damocles, would work wonders. Perhaps even a fighting game that incorporates all of the Kings and their top lieutenants. Whatever form it takes, it would be a blast to revisit this universe.
Highschool of the Dead
Taking place in Japan, Highschool of the Dead follows a group of unlikely allies as they find themselves in the middle of a zombie pandemic. It’s full of wild combat and tense situations as the group of kids use their different skills to survive everything going on around them and seek out a safe haven. There’s plenty of drama, and the dynamics between different groups of survivors are often deadly. It’s very much like The Walking Dead, only much more insane with the level of violence and even more graphic.
It’s definitely a more mature experience, so this wouldn’t be your typical action fare unless they toned it down a bit, especially in the sexual department. Still, it’s one of those series that keeps the adrenaline up the whole way through, and it lends itself quite well to video games. There could be crafting incorporated as well as the use of safe houses in an open world. Even a linear mission structure set exclusively in the school and immediate surrounding area could work. However they decide to do it, fans are itching to revisit Highschool of the Dead, and if we’re still not getting another season, a video game is the next best thing.
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