It’s no secret that The Witcher Netflix show has been a massive success for the TV streaming service, with millions of viewers worldwide and the beginnings of a long-lasting franchise in the works. With The Witcher season 2 on the way in 2021, Geralt of Rivia is here to stay.
While technically an adaptation of The Witcher books – by Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski – it’s the series of games that has thrust its characters into the popular imagination, and it won’t be the last time Netflix attempts it, either.
Success creates imitators, and we can count on the algorithms guiding Netflix’s programming decisions to lead to more video game adaptations for the small screen in the coming years.
You might say it’s already happening, with the brilliant anime adaptation of Castlevania (also on Netflix), and a Halo TV series finally, it seems, on its way. But there’s likely a lot more to come, with gaming culture creeping into the mainstream more than ever before – and the likes of Cory Barlog, game director of God of War, tweeting about that franchise’s suitability.
With that in mind, we’ve brought together 5 games we think deserve the same treatment as The Witcher TV show – aside from God of War. Netflix, take note.
1. Bloodborne
A dark, gruelling take on Victorian London with shadowy magic, meat-cleavers, and deformed creatures roaming its haunted world. We only ever seem to visit this period of the UK’s history for reboots of Sherlock Holmes, but Bloodborne offers a rich, strange interpretation of the city – perfect for a horror-filled miniseries in the vein of American Horror Story.
Another Dark Souls-esque game by FromSoftware, Bloodborne is brutally difficult to play, and being able to watch its events unfold sounds significantly easier too – if likely just as harrowing. A TV adaptation would also help to expand its audience beyond its life as a PS4 exclusive.
2. Mirror's Edge
The 2009 game was one of the most imaginative titles of the PS3 / Xbox 360 generation, putting you in the deft shoes of a ‘runner’ tasked with carrying packages across a heavily-surveilled city. With an iconic color palette, plenty of action, and the rousing spirit of rebellion, it’s a perfect fit for television.
It would need a lot of sky-scraping set-pieces to feel like a Mirror’s Edge game, and could easily be subsumed within the demands of the Hollywood blockbuster through a traditional theatrical release. With a good 10-20 episodes to breathe, though, its story could really shine.
3. The Last of Us
The best argument for The Last of Us TV show is also the worst one: since it basically feels like an HBO miniseries already, why bother adapting it?
There’s a glut of zombie content out there these days, especially with The Walking Dead and its various spin-offs refusing to put its characters to rest. But nothing beats The Last of Us’ storytelling – which is what made it our best game of the decade – and we still think Naughty Dog’s franchise would translate seamlessly to the small screen. Maybe a sequel set in the far-off future, to avoid retreading too much ground?
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4. Metro 2033
Metro 2033, Metro: Last Light and Metro Exodus offer a blisteringly bleak take on post-apocalyptic Russia – which is technically already getting adapted for a movie, but its claustrophobic tunnels and terse exploration would make for a brilliant Netflix show. This isn’t a world you want to zoom through too quickly, and a 90-minute runtime just doesn’t feel like enough to do it justice.
We would have given this spot to Fallout, but given the franchise’s damaged reputation after Fallout 76, there’s probably work to be done before fans are willing to accept a television spin-off.
5. Untitled Goose Game
The goose may have gone viral, but we won’t stop honking in its name until the goose has saturated all corners of modern pop culture. Make the show, you cowards!
Honestly, though, Untitled Goose Game would make a wonderful kids’ cartoon – whether Netflix spins it as a horrible goose learning to get along with its human neighbors, or just causing chaos in little 10-minute segments. It would certainly get us through the day.
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