HBO's The Last of Us is three episodes in, and enjoying wild critical and commercial success.
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It's no surprise that the same story that captivated so many gamers when it first released is now reaching a whole new audience, and even re-engaging those who already played through the original game in 2013.
Cuphead and Castlevania each have a series on Netflix and a Super Mario movie is on the way, but there's plenty of other games that have just as much to offer in a new medium. Here are just a few games that would benefit from the HBO effect.
Red Dead Redemption
Rockstar created one of the best-selling games of the 2010s with their story of a gang of outlaws, struggling with their morality at the tail end of the Old West.
Whether a show primarily focuses on RDR's John Marston or the sequel's Arthur Morgan, the show would work best as an ensemble drama piece focusing on the Van der Linde gang as they wrestle with their conflicting individual goals and ever-encroaching law enforcement - while obviously trying to make enough money to flee to Tahiti.
Add a train robbery for spectacle, and you've got a hit.
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Don't Starve
The world of desperate survival that Klei Entertainment has created with Don't Starve is vast, dangerous and unknowable - the perfect setting for a suspenseful thriller.
The only issue is that so much of the story is locked behind tens of hours of gameplay and player expertise - so an animated TV show is the perfect way to flesh out the universe for those who don't have the required time to get to the bottom of things.
Klei Entertainment has even successfully experimented with expanding the narrative, with animated shorts exploring more of the world's lore and character histories - while preserving the mystery of what or who exactly is behind it all.
Control
Control sees player character Jesse Faden finding herself as the leader of the Federal Bureau of Control, tasked with eliminating an otherworldly force that has invaded the ever-shifting building.
But personally, I think a Control TV series should focus on "Altered Items" - normal items that have been affected or taken over by supernatural forces. The game featured examples like a fridge that causes intense pain whenever nobody's looking at it, and a train car that forces people to relive their worst memories.
It's the perfect set-up for some X-Files-style 'monster-of-the-week' action blended with horror/comedy. Keep it simple, keep it scary and you've got a winner.
Bioshock Infinite
The concept of 'constants and variables' that the Bioshock series lives on lends itself to an anthology, but if I had to pick from what we've already seen, the obvious choice is Bioshock Infinite.
The flying city of Columbia is packed with political intrigue, mysteries to explore and sci-fi weirdness to enjoy.
From twins that are actually the same person from two different realities, to the portals that Elizabeth can open to other dimensions - a series could rival season 1 of Westworld for mind-bending theories.
Dream casting? Nathan Fillion as Booker Dewitt.
Honorable Mentions
- The Legend of Zelda
- Psychonauts
- Disco Elysium
- Hades
Think I missed your favourite, or have your own ideas for how one of the above could work as a series? Let me know at cai.holroyd@austcommunitymedia.com.au.