The whole point of games is that they’re interactive media and we get to have some level of control and choice. But sometimes, it’s great to just sit back and watch a story unfold. This is why, despite the industry’s many failed adaptations, we still love it when our favorite games are turned into animated series or movies.
While many companies have tried and gotten various results, one industry titan has spearheaded the effort to adapt video game stories in this manner and has had pretty moderate success. That company is Netflix, and with shows like Castlevania, Dota, Dragon’s Dogma, and more on the way, the streaming juggernaut is clearly interested in adapting video game stories to television.
Live-action shows would be really fun, but animated adaptations can allow a lot more freedom for a lower budget. To that end, here are some video games that we think Netflix should adapt into an animated series next.
Bloodborne
Video Games That Netflix Should Adapt Into Animated Series
The world of Bloodborne is bleak, harsh, and filled with tragedy. In many ways, this already mirrors Netflix’s Castlevania series, but admittedly, Bloodborne has a lot more style and lore. Just like that show, though, Bloodborne could adapt any part of its world, and it would be fascinating.
Bloodborne has so much history that an animated show wouldn’t even have to adapt the main game’s events. They could do a deep dive on any past plot point. The ancient civilization that existed before Yharnam, the philosophical differences between Laurence and Master Willem, and the founding of the healing church – any of these could be great starting points, even setting the stage for the events of the game at a later season.
As much as Bloodborne would look terrifyingly gorgeous in live-action, an animated series would be better because trying to make a set based on the city of Yharnam would be incredibly expensive and time-consuming. An animated series could do the monsters and unsettling gore justice without such costs, just as Castlevania does.
A detailed animated art style could also show how in-depth the world of Bloodborne is. From things like the grotesque statues everywhere to the design of the architecture, everything in-game is gorgeous and would look even better in the form of an anime.
Yakuza: Like a Dragon
Video Games That Netflix Should Adapt Into Animated Series
While the entire Yakuza series would be perfect for an anime, Like a Dragon has so many anime-esque aspects that would make it a marvel to watch, especially thanks to its dorky main character.
Ichiban Kasuga is an ex-yakuza who gets thrown into the world after being in prison for 20 years. His process of reacclimating to society is inspiring and fun to watch play out, as he meets many new people who are also down on their luck, causing them all to bond over the hardship.
Despite being dealt a pretty crappy hand, Ichiban is positive and inspires those around him. He’s also a huge nerd who loves the Dragon Quest video game series. And because of this, Ichiban treats life like a role-playing game where he fights thugs turn-based style, has different jobs he can obtain and use in battle and gets himself into weird and wacky situations.
Like a Dragon focuses heavily on silly action/fighting, and visual gags. That includes things like doing break dancing moves to fight enemies, a lightning storm gathering around Ichiban whenever he calls a friend for help, and helping a naked man covered in bubbles shop for clothes around town. Due to the absurdity of these visuals, it would be a lot easier to portray via animation – not to mention and they’d lose some charm if attempted in live-action.
This insanity is all on top of a serious Japanese crime drama that everyone is wrapped up in, so the comedy and seriousness is often pretty balanced. A live-action Yakuza series would be entertaining, but the outlandish humor could be tenfold if it were animated.
Catherine
Video Games That Netflix Should Adapt Into Animated Series
Catherine is one of those games that is almost as fun to watch as it is to play. In-between gameplay and some in-game cutscenes are some incredibly well-animated shorts that almost feel like small anime episodes. Western games so often go for photorealistic cutscenes, but Catherine dives headfirst into beautiful anime-like shorts.
Catherine is about Vincent Brooks, an indecisive man who gets caught up in a love triangle (or square, depending on which version you’re playing) after his long-time girlfriend brings up the idea of marriage. It’s full of big moral questions and dilemmas, and a lot of personal drama regarding relationships.
As much as Catherine is a puzzle-solving game, it’s also a choice-based drama where Vincent’s in-game decisions lead to a wildly different ending. Watching Vincent evolve and have to make tough decisions would be a fascinating character study.
Throughout the game, you also learn that Vincent’s friends also have love issues, but it’s not a focal point of the narrative. An animated series could bring these characters more to the forefront and develop their relationship with Vincent and each other more.
Vincent spends a lot of time hanging out with his friends at their favorite bar, discussing their love life and ambitions. They help him and the viewer with a different perspective on love and relationships, and give a window into Vincent’s past. Vincent’s personality is often on display when talking to his friends, not when he’s with his girlfriend or secret lover. His friends are just as important to the plot as Vincent’s love interests.
We really only get to see bits and pieces though, really diving in would flesh out their characters, their relationships with Vincent and each other, show more of Vincent’s past to give context for his present-day decisions, and just help him with the main issues of his love life. Their own personal stories happen in the background of the game, but only if the player looks for them, so an animated series would flesh out their character more and lead to more development.
It would be great to see Vincent’s relationships fleshed out more and even have some side characters have their stories expanded. Catherine getting an animated series is a no-brainer.
Final Fantasy VII
Video Games That Netflix Should Adapt Into Animated Series
With how much Final Fantasy VII has expanded into different mediums with continuations, prequels, and spinoffs, it’s strange that it hasn’t gotten a full-scale animated series yet.
The story of Cloud and Sephiroth may be known far and wide, but an animated series would have time to flesh out character development significantly. The side characters like Yuffie and Vincent don’t get much screen time in the main game, which could be fixed with an animated adaptation.
Final Fantasy VII has that feeling of a group of friends going on a life-altering journey that anime often does. The structure of the story and its subject matter would be perfect for an animated series. Some of the story beats like Sephiroth impaling a giant snakehead, Barret having a gun arm, and extremely long anime-like world-ending attacks would also be perfect for this medium.
Fire Emblem Path of Radiance/Radiant Dawn
Video Games That Netflix Should Adapt Into Animated Series
If any video game franchise is ripe for a political war drama, it’s Fire Emblem.
The series isn’t the most severe or adult franchise out there, but these games often tackle important issues like racism and prejudice. If given a bit more depth and a platform to expand upon these subjects, a Fire Emblem series could become the Game of Thrones of video game animated shows.
Two entries in particular that would be great to adapt are Path of Radiance and Radiant Dawn. Both are known for having the more in-depth and political stories in the franchise. They also have some pretty big mysteries at the core of their games, which could easily entice viewers long-term.
Fire Emblem already has an anime art style and adapting that to television would be much simpler. Since Fire Emblem is based heavily on European high-fantasy, think of something like Full Metal Alchemist but Fire Emblem. The series is known for having very one noted, trope-y characters who bring a lot of comic relief to the serious story.
These types of characters are perfect for anime, and wouldn’t translate well to a live-action political drama. The fantasy elements of magic, dragons, and gods would feel a lot more at home and less cheesy if it was an animated show. Fire Emblem was just made for anime in general.
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