3 Video Game Movies & Shows That Could Be Awesome

This is a guest post from Contributor Vaughn Hyde.

Within the past few months, we’ve been bombarded with news of movies and TV series based on popular video game IP. Resident Evil is getting a Netflix series, The Witcher is getting a live-action Netflix series and, of course, the threat of a Monster Hunter movie is still looming overhead. These stories got me thinking, “damn, Netflix seems to have cornered the market on video game adaptations, and can video game movies and shows ever end well?” So today I decided to delve deep into every gamer’s worst nightmare and ask the age old question… which game adaptations could actually be awesome?

I should start this off by saying that there are several great series and movies that already exist such as the Persona animations, Halo Forward Unto Dawn, and Mass Effect: Paragon Lost. In my opinion, there are a few glaring omissions. Warning: this article may contain spoilers for Life is Strange, Mass Effect, and Destiny.    

Life is Strange

The first, and easiest, is actually a show that’s already been announced but sadly hasn’t seen the light of day and that’s Life is Strange. Back in 2016, IGN reported that Square Enix and Legendary Entertainment had partnered to create a live-action Life is Strange tv show, but we haven’t heard anything other than the initial announcement. The show was to be developed for streaming services and many fans of the series rightfully assume that the show will follow Max and Chloe’s adventures in Arcadia Bay. I seem to be one of the few that hopes that the show doesn’t follow the dynamic duo and instead creates a new cast of characters similar to Life is Strange 2. There are so many amazing stories that could come out of this world so I don’t see any reason why the show should retread old ground. The greatest feat Life is Strange has accomplished is managing to tell a story of superpowers, while simultaneously keeping it small and more intimate. This is something that I think would translate incredibly well to the small screen.

Mass Effect

At the top, I mentioned that Mass Effect has already had an animated film which released back in 2012 to mediocre reviews from fans and critics alike, receiving a 5.9/10 on IMDB. So I understand if fans of the series are wary of another movie, but what I’m proposing could be an awesome story that we have yet to see in the games and comics. I would love to see another animated film, but this one following a small group trying to survive the Reaper invasion of earth. What little we get of this occupation in Mass Effect 3 is mostly told through the experiences of Captain Anderson and his militia. However, in my opinion, this keeps fans from seeing the true effect that the Reapers and their forces had on earth. Seeing these events unfold through the eyes of untrained civilians would add a layer of fear and really push the fact that Shepard and the crew of the Normandy aren’t the only ones affected by the war. Plus there’s the added bonus that everyone and their mom loves a good apocalyptic story.  

Destiny

It’s well known that one of the main reasons people keep coming back to Destiny is the addictive loot grind. For fans like myself, the best part of this series is its amazing characters and its wealth of lore. Sadly, because of the hoops players had to jump through in the first game, many a Destiny fan have yet to experience anything more than the standard gameplay loop. So I think that the inclusion on an animated movie would be a great gateway drug to those who don’t necessarily follow the story and lore of Destiny but still love the game. A movie following none other than everyone’s favorite hunter Cayde-6 and his life as a guardian before becoming part of the vanguard. We don’t necessarily need an origin story for the lovable rogue, but a movie about one of his greatest heists could be absolutely awesome and a great way to memorialize him after the events of Forsaken.

These are just a few ideas I had for games that I think could be made into awesome movies and shows but, of course, there are so many more amazing series that I didn’t include in this article.