Today I’m going to list five unadapted video games that should receive the film treatment. I will then say why they should be adapted and give suggestions on how the adaptation could be handled.

Metroid

Why?: Metroid is one of gaming’s most beloved franchises and features Samus Aran, one of its most iconic women leads. To not adapt it would be heresy.

How?: The first Metroid film should remain small-scale. The basic plot would follow the first game, where Samus is sent to stop Space Pirates using Metroids to create new weapons. It could easily be set in a huge laboratory. We would steadily see more of Samus’ abilities throughout her journey. But Samus’ personality should be foregrounded to make big action moments more impactful. Future Metroid films could then increase the action’s scope as the first film will have invested us in Samus’ character.

Grand Theft Auto

Why?: GTA is incredibly popular/controversial but it also tells diverse cinematic stories. Which skewer the American dream and showcases the violence at its heart. Meaning GTA could easily be cinematically adapted and it could hit hard in the current climate.

How? A GTA film should tell an original narrative, to avoid direct game comparisons. Perhaps focusing on a woman character to deconstruct the toxic masculine image associated with the games. The other key elements are creating engaging characters, an emotionally involving, comedic story, and building a detailed world that satirizes American capitalism in pointed controversial ways. This way fans will have more to chew on beyond simple shock value.

Prototype

Why?: A Prototype film would be a genre lover’s dream. The premise of a virus transforming people into monsters and its focus on bloody carnage would satisfy horror gore hounds. But its superpowered main character and fast-paced action could also give it a unique space in the superhero market.

How?: The games provide several interesting story directions. Seeking vengeance for a murdered loved one or recovering one’s memory both have great dramatic possibilities. However, a Prototype film should prioritize having energetic direction. Also, crucially, it should include practical gore effects. Think Evil Dead meets Spider-Man.

Journey

Why?: Journey’s wordless story of a robed figure journeying towards a mountain and slowly discovering what happened to a prior civilization could really demonstrate the visual storytelling side of video game adaptations.

How?: To make a Journey film there needs to be grand visuals, an expressive main character, and a beautiful score. It could easily be told as a beautifully animated tale, like The Red Turtle. However, with ambitious creatives, it could be an awe-inspiring live-action epic. Imagine Dune (2022)’s creative team handling this adaptation. 

Ikenfell

Why?: The story of a non-magical girl searching for her sister in a magical school where she discovers her previously unknown powers has all the hallmarks of a new successful fantasy franchise. Plus the game’s focus on characters of colour and LGBTQ identities provides a wonderful opportunity for needed visibility in a big-screen franchise.

How?: An Ikenfell film should be live-action to showcase real-world representation. And would be best served by focusing on the mystery story and characters rather than style. Although if the Wachowski sisters wanted to direct another family film their creative flare would be welcome.

Those are just some games that deserve their own film. Which games would you like to see become films and why?

Also Read: Adam Sipione Unravels the Inspiring Story of Shenmue In His New Documentary

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Also Read: Is Hollywood Starting To Take Video Games Seriously?

Your contribution to Big Picture Film Club will allow us to continue to produce content. No matter the amount your contributions are greatly appreciated.

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However, film adaptations of video games rarely do well, both critically and commercially. Some have even gone as far as to say the genre is cursed. Will the upcoming release of Sonic the Hedgehog, be able to break the infamous curse and prove that Detective Pikachu’s success wasn’t a one-off? Or will it turn out to be like the infamous Super Mario Bros?

Experience Vs Viewing

One of the key differences between film and video games is that, while both are primarily visual mediums, games are interactive. Films are a viewing experience, that the audience has no control over, although there are some exceptions which blur the lines between the two.

The Assassin’s Creed series of games, for instance, transports players to detailed historical settings, allowing them to explore and interact with famous figures and climb lots of towers. The plot of the games centres around the centuries-long conflict between the Assassins and the Knights Templar. The detailed backstory is often told through journal entries or optional elements in the game. The 2016 film based on them, however, is forced to give all this information upfront. Dragging the pacing down as it has too much plot to cover in such a short time, rather than naturally over several hours.

Gameplay Vs Story

Another problem involved in the translation is they have different goals. Games have to focus on gameplay, with the story and other elements sometimes being an afterthought. This often means that a game can be fun to play, but not always to watch.

A good example of this is the Mortal Kombat film. The game features a cast of characters from multiple worlds fighting in a tournament. While the story itself does get deeper at times, the gameplay is the fights between these characters. The film focuses on the fights, but this leaves the actual fighters feeling one dimensional and a very loose plot. However, the plot is not the reason people play Mortal Kombat, so the film was successful in a sense. The newer games have brought its popularity back, prompting another attempt at a film, with James Wan producing.

Player Vs Audience

Video games are much more personal experiences than films. Roleplaying games (RPG) and First Person Shooters (FPS) often try to make the experience immersive. As part of this, they often leave the player character intentionally vague, allowing them to fill in the details themselves. The idea is that makes it more personal and immersive.

This idea doesn’t work as well for films. The main character needs a personality in order for an audience to care about them. The Doom series, for instance, places you in the shoes of “Doom Guy” and that’s pretty much all the context you get. The filmmakers clearly realised this and created a squad of marines for the film, but the game makes a point of one character being all-powerful and marines as disposable. Even The Rock himself couldn’t carry the film and cites it as an example of what not to do.

However sometimes just getting the lead right is not enough. The Lara Croft: Tomb Raider films cast Angelina Jolie (And Alica Vikander in the reboot) as the title character and she plays the character well. However, the rest of the film falls flat, with reviewers citing flat characters and a generic plot. IGN went so far as to give the original a rating of 0 stars.

The Future

Recently, there have been some exceptions to this rule. While the Resident Evil films have had some box office success, they aren’t exactly highly regarded. They are so far removed from the game that they only share some character and location names.

Pokémon: Detective Pikachu was released last year and was well-received. While some criticised its plot, there was near-unanimous praise for the creatures themselves. Likewise, Netflix’s recent series of The Witcher has been another win for video game adaptations (Although the plot is based on that of the books)

Things do slowly seem to be turning around for video game movies. After all the comic book genre was once thought of in the same way. Now comic films are some of the biggest films each year. Sonic the Hedgehog could speed up their credibility if it manages to hit the mark.

Also Read: Weapon of Choice: Iconic Weapons in Movies

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