It would seem that the only way to get games based on non-gaming licenses that you actually enjoy is to be between the ages of five and ten with a serious addiction to all things Nickelodeon or Disney. You’d probably have a pretty tough time making this list because all your Spongebob-Zack and Cody-Toy Story-iCarly needs have been met to the billionth degree. However, for those of us with tastes beyond that of High School Musical, producing a list of the top properties we’d love to see step into the video game spotlight couldn’t be easier. The hardest part is finding where to begin.
5. 28 Days Later
Ok, I know what you’re thinking, “But we already have Left 4 Dead and a million zombie killing games!” That’s very true, which is why this game wouldn’t be about zombie killing at all. This would be the property that could bring back the true survival horror genre and usher it into the current generation. Fans of the film remember that the protagonists’ main goals were about staying alive, finding food and shelter, and figuring out when and where it was safe to travel. Taking up arms against the infected would only really happen when your back was already up against the wall because you had messed up by making a poor decision, putting yourself and your crew in danger. How do you win? Much like the movie, [SPOILER ALERT: but seriously if you haven’t seen it by now, you’re an idiot] you simply have to wait out the infected until they starve to death. Fill the gaps with enough eerie atmosphere and real moments of vulnerable tension that can’t be solved with a shotgun, and that’s a game I’d pre-order today.
4. Dracula
This is another game that could dabble in the survival horror/RPG realm. Except, unlike most games in which the player would take on the role of slaying Dracula, this time let the player be Dracula, or any newly made vampire for that matter. Everyone’s got vampire fever right now, so let’s put them in the shoes of a creature that has to stealthily hunt for their meals. They’d have to discreetly seduce and kill their prey without drawing attention from the authorities and supernatural hunters. How long do you stay in one city before moving on? What tactics do you use to find food? Do you live off animals? Humans? Are you a brutal killer, or a master manipulator? This is the version of the vampire that the Twi-hards wouldn’t be ready to play.
3. Hoffa
Hear me out on this one. Yes, I’m talking about Hoffa, the movie about Teamster head honcho Jimmy Hoffa starring Jack Nicholson. The best part about this story is that, at this point, no one really knows what happened to the man. There are theories all over the place, and the film depicts an untimely end for Mr. Hoffa, but none of us really knows anything. This is the perfect set up for a Heavy Rain style mystery with branching paths based on the decisions the player makes. Play up the corrupt, violent side of the man’s story, and maybe you meet the same grim fate as in the movie. Play up the more noble aspects, and who knows? Maybe Mr. Hoffa gets to sip pina coladas on a secluded beach somewhere with his most trusted confidants. This sort of thing could be done with other historical mystery figures as well, for example, Billy the Kid.
2. American Gods
For those who have read American Gods, a video game adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s masterpiece would be nothing short of epic. Many of the best games take the player on a journey that would be difficult to realize in other mediums. This game has the potential to take the already incredible groundwork laid by the novel, and let players live it every step of the way. Playing as the book’s main character, Shadow, and letting players meet and interact with the gods of times past with the same wonder, caution and intrigue would be, if done right, a trip that players would not soon forget. All I can say is, if you haven’t read this book, go do so right now, and you’ll see what I mean.