Discussion: what book, TV show, or movie would make an awesome video game?

You know you have it: that book, show, or movie that you’re just dying to see turned into a video game. Tell us what you want to see. You never know, maybe some developers will see this and get inspired!

Charlie: A Star Wars action/RPG based on Timothy Zahn’s Thrawn Trilogy (Heir to the Empire, Dark Force Rising, and The Last Command). Although I think most of the Star Wars extended universe stuff is total crap, those books were incredible. But the story they tell is far too involved to end up in an actual Star Wars film. The solution? A massive Mass Effect-style action/RPG. It’d be like more Mass Effect, only with a more engrossing story and a more satisfying ending. And lightsabers! Plus, developers would love it because there’s plenty of material for a sequel or a big DLC expansion as well: Zahn has another series called the Hand of Thrawn duology (Specter of the Past and Vision of the Future) that’s also quite good.

Rishi: I’d have to go with a game made out of the TV show, Entourage. Sure, there’s a movie on the way and the TV series did a fantastic job of showcasing the up and downs of being an A-list actor in Hollywood, but a game would be kick-ass. Probably in the vein of an RPG much like Mass Effect, wherein your character is the so-called “leader” of the motley crew of Vince, Turtle, E, Drama, Ari, and friends. Have a bigger focus on conversation, exploration and character building over combat and you have a box office smash hit. Well, in my dreams at least.

Jing: The Japanese novel, All You Need Is Kill, by Hiroshi Sakurazaka. Although most people might be more familiar with the recent American film adaptation starring Tom Cruise, titled Edge of Tomorrow. I won’t spoil the story too much, but it’s about soldiers fighting off an alien assault. Stuff happens and the main character gets stuck in a time loop, with the day resetting every time he dies. Of course he retains his memories and skills, which allow him to improve little by little in his long fight against the aliens.

Now, imagine that concept done in a rogue-lite genre (think Rogue Legacy), but set in a living game world populated with NPCs (think Grand Theft Auto). Throw in more RPG elements, add in the fighting style of Monster Hunter or Toukiden, include the consequence of action (think Fable), then sprinkle everything with limitless story branches based on player choice (think The Stanley Parable).

Oh yea. Now that’s a game. Or a mess. Either way, it’ll be awesome.

Xairylle: I’m going with Japanese manga series Black Bullet about mankind’s battle against a parasitic virus called Gastrea. The virus usually infests in humans or takes monster-alien forms, which are dealt with by agents from Civil Securities. These agents work in pairs—a cursed child (a 10-year old girl born with the gastrea virus and has thus obtained superhuman abilities) called an Initiator and a Promoter to lead the cursed child into battling Gastrea.

There are different kinds of Initiators with animal-themed abilities, like ‘rabbits’ that can jump long distances or ‘mantises’ with a deadly ability to wield swords. I’m thinking of an MMORPG kind of game with the player put in the shoes of the Promoter. You are then assigned an Initiator to work with (NPC) and it’s your job to raise her to hone her battle skills as well as guide her moral compass.

I would also like the game to have a customization feature where I can change her hairstyle, clothes, and accessories. Now I’m not sure how to keep the perverts away or how this game won’t be labelled as pedo, but I’m a sucker for cute things, so there.

Mary-Anne: I’m going to buck the trend a little and go with a movie. Specifically, two Guillermo del Toro movies. Pan’s Labyrinth and Pacific fuckin’ Rim, baby.