Movie-tie ins and licensed games aren’t exactly new to the market, and some iconic franchises have made their way into the realm of gaming, as unbalanced as some titles may have been when it comes to quality. Examples of franchises that have successfully made the transition would be The Godfather, Star Wars, James Bond 007 and the likes, but what other franchises would be suitable that haven’t seen the likes of modern gaming yet?
Note that some of these franchises may have seen tie-ins or game adaptions in the past in some forms, but for this list we will be talking modern adaptations and genres that they may haven’t been adapted into yet.[divider] [/divider]Opinions on Blade Runner may be a bit indecisive and varied considering the amount of cuts there are of the film, but what has always been clear about the franchise is that its underlying themes, lore and world are incredibly dense and interesting, providing a setting that wouldn’t even need to be anywhere near the film’s originally narrative, and thus would have the opportunity to create a game that could immerse us into different aspects of the Blade Runner world.
The likes of an RPG set in the world of Blade Runner has pretty much endless possibilities when you look at it from a narrative standpoint, and rights-wise the franchise is in a pretty good place to actually make such a thing happen, considering Warner Bros has its own gaming division and has ownership of studios like Rocksteady. With the upcoming sequel in theaters next year, is the world AAA market ready for Blade Runner? I’d say it’s a move long overdue![divider] [/divider]Again, to be fair, this franchise has seen its share of adaptions and tie-ins, but with the current movie franchise failing as Terminator Genisys failed to meet expectations, perhaps it’s time for a strong development team to take on the franchise and make their own take on the classic franchise? The Terminator franchise is one with many possibilities when it comes to settings, as you have a current day and a future storyline/setting to work with, but why not create a mix of both?
The movies have always been vague about the rules and effects of time travel, so why not switch between protagonists throughout the storyline and have your actions in the past influence the future? Recently Quantum Break did the same thing to a certain extent, which proves that it can work, and what franchise better to test this out than Terminator? An action game with set pieces in the present (for example, the truck chase in Terminator 2) and heavier action in the future as you fight the war with the machines, it basically markets itself![divider] [/divider]In the past there have been a few games based on the franchise, but especially with the latter films like Ghost Protocol and Rogue Nation, the franchise has opened up the possibility of a co-op action dynamic that would actually make for quite a refresh of the espionage genre in gaming. Think about games like Payday, where each player has a designated role in the grander scheme, and apply the grandiose action and espionage of the Mission Impossible franchise, which could give the developer the tools to not only just create a great game, but actually innovate the genre to a certain extent.
It’s doubtful that actors like Tom Cruise and Jeremy Renner would sign off their likeness to such a game, but considering the fact that this actually opens more doors than this closes, it could again give the writers the chance to create new dynamics within an existing world.[divider] [/divider]The Jurassic Park franchise actually has a pretty good track record when it comes to game adaptations, but with the $1.6 billion dollar success of Jurassic World and its upcoming sequel in 2018, the world of Jurassic Park should make its return to game consoles, albeit it would probably be in the form of Jurassic World. Imagine exploring the deserted remnants of the Jurassic World resort, having turned into what is basically a ghost park after the events of the film, which also doubles as a hunting ground for the island’s most voracious predators. Maybe even with a day and night cycle? Making the park an even more dangerous place at night!
There is a large amount of possibilities when it comes to gameplay and enemy encounters, and it would even be possible to include the remnants of Jurassic Park, which the film did in a similar fashion. There’s a lot of ways to do it, and quite frankly I am sure that there are plenty of fans out there awaiting the franchise’s gaming side to be revived.[divider] [/divider]With the films delving into the extended universe of the Wizarding World with Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them later this year, there are endless possibilities of the exploration of the lore on an international front. It’s known there are are many schools for wizardry in the world and there is plenty of magical activity elsewhere in the world and in history, creating possibilities for plots and gameplay that are connected to the films/books, but have the option to explore their own storylines and characters.
A proper Wizarding World RPG has been long overdue, and what’s a better way of levelling than to acquire new spells and potions through books and experience? The fanbase is there, and there are plenty of skilled developers that have experience with creating deep worlds like the one a Harry Potter RPG would require (I’m looking at you CD Projekt Red!)[divider] [/divider]So, which franchises or standalone films would you like to see come back as videogames? And in what form?