If you look at the video game section of your local electronics retailer, it is undoubtedly littered with games that are based on popular movies. Iron Man 2, Toy Story 3, How to Train Your Dragon, and countless others sit there on the shelves, mocking your intelligence. Because we had so much fun talking about it a few episodes back, Aaron and I have decided to make a list of material that we would like to see adapted into a video game. We combed our DVD collections, comic collections, and “real book” collections for material that could really push the envelope for story telling in video games and make for some great experiences. As always, you only get the first five through two here, so be sure to tune in to the newest episode of Pixelosophy on Monday to see what took the top spot.
5. A Few Good Men
Why not? I absolutely love this movie and know that it probably seems like an odd choice. Think about it, though. Phoenix Wright opened the door for courtroom-based video games, and this is one of the best court dramas out there. Walking around the barracks looking for clues, talking with people to gather information, checking flight records, it’s all riveting. Seriously though, the story is already great, and building a game around it with good investigating and courtroom mechanics seems like it would be pretty easy. Before you write off this idea completely, just think about looking ol’ Jack in the eyes as he yells, “You can’t handle the truth!”
4. Powers
If you’ve watched the show before, you know that both Aaron and I are huge fans of the comic book series Powers. It is a series that blends superheroes with Law & Order, and does so brilliantly. This is a series that has such a great atmosphere that would translate wonderfully to a video game. The dark, angular, noir-look of the book seems like something animators would feast on. The game could be one big story arc or several episodic stories just like the book itself. The player would take the role of an officer that works in the Powers division, investigating superhero-related incidents. There would be a heavy focus on investigating and interrogation, as far as gameplay goes. With a possible television series in the works, maybe we’ll actually see this one sometime.
3. Dexter
Okay, so this one was an iPhone game, but that doesn’t count. If you’ve seen the show (or I assume it’s the same in the books, I wouldn’t know), then you know how Dexter operates. If not, here’s a brief overview. As far as Dexter killing people, he gathers information, stalks them to learn their routine, sets up his kill room, catches them, executes them, and then disposes of them. Sounds like an awesome game to me. Add on top of that the great season-long story arcs that happen, and you have a winner of a game. If it could capture just a fraction of the suspense that is built in the show, then it would be a success.
2. Marvels
I did this comic as a Pick of the Week way back when, and I’m glad that it found its way onto my list here. I’ve talked at length before on the show about how I would love to see a new Pokemon Snap or some great photography game. This could be that game. With a world full of superheroes and superhero happenings, the player would stand in the shoes of a young photojournalist working for a paper. Your assignment would be to go out and capture moments related to superheroes. There would be an overarching story that drove the game, but there would also be a free-roaming element to it as well. Players would be rewarded for moments that they capture and the quality of their photos. I think there is a lot of potential in this type of story and gameplay, but I know that it’s one that I shouldn’t hold my breath for. Looks like I’ll just have to reread the comic.