5 Games That Would Make Awesome Netflix Shows

We’ve seen many failed video game movies, but recently, the Castlevania Netflix show was praised almost universally. In fact, the only complaint to be found was the length. Everyone wanted more. Many other video game series would profit from being adapted into a TV show instead of into a movie, but here are my picks for the games or franchises that would make awesome Netflix shows.

 

Warcraft/World of Warcraft

After the failed movie which wasn’t as panned as it was unsuccessful, the Blizzard-owned franchise would really profit from being a Netflix show. Its massive lore makes it almost impossible for it to fit into a single movie, but an episodic format would probably be a better fit. A Game of Thrones-sized epic in the world of Azeroth and beyond would work splendidly with the source material, and following different characters in different positions of power and how they change would be Golden Globe bait to boot. Put a few actors and actresses from different regions, a few budding actors and actresses and some big names together and you’d have the recipe for success.

The lore of the Warcraft games spans so many worlds and such a large period of time that the possibilities are almost endless. They could start at the beginning of the first game and work their way forward, or they could start at the beginning of one of the DLCs of the original game and tell other things in the form of flashbacks etc. If done properly, it could be phenomenal.

 

The Legend of Zelda

“Well excuuuuuuuuse me, princess!” is probably one of the first things that goes through anyone’s mind when you tell them about a Legend of Zelda TV show. The cartoons shown during the Super Mario Bros Super Show weren’t any good, but they were also based on a different kind of Link and Zelda, namely those from The Legend of Zelda and The Adventure of Link. The games that would likely work best as a TV Show would probably be Twilight Princess or Skyward Sword, possibly even Majora’s Mask. Although, it would also be possible for them to make their own reincarnation of the Hero of Time and the blood of the Goddess Hylia and have them face new challenges, including a reincarnation of Demise. Of course, this would most likely only work if Netflix worked together with Nintendo really closely, but judging by the Marvel TV shows, that’s their specialty.

 

Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic

This one technically doesn’t count, so I’m cheating here, because it’s a game based on an existing franchise, but the story in these games aren’t canon anymore so I’m going to let it slide. Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic and its sequel The Sith Lords are still two of the best games of all time and by far some of Bioware’s most influential work. The main twist of the game was one that no one saw coming, and the dark-light force changes were great. The first game was nothing short of a masterpiece, even if the second one had a shitty ending.

So hear me out here, Disney. Make the changes you need to make, Darth Revan was in Star Wars Rebels anyway, but let Netflix make a Knights of the Old Republic show. If you want to make your own streaming service first, then do that, and then make the Knights of the Old Republic show, but please, show us the tales of Bastila Shan, Darth Revan, Meetra Surik and all the characters we grew to love and hate.

 

Assassin’s Creed

The movie clearly didn’t work, mainly because they tried to stuff too much lore into a 2-3h frame, but also because of pacing problems etc. However, putting one or more of the existing games into an episodic format for Netflix would not only work, but also give them the space to follow new characters stories after a few seasons are done. Different perspectives of the scenarios we’ve played through countless times would be amazing to see, especially seeing Ezio sneak through Florence, Venice and more would be some of the coolest things to grace the small screen. Not only that, but the modern day things would work well at the beginning or end of episodes. You could even reverse the order and have the first two or three episodes only play in the past, and then bam, modern stuff.

Especially in some of the later games (excluding Origins), the modern day stuff has gotten much more scarce anyway, so it would be fine to have it as the “flashforward plot” where things are moving along really fast, accelerated by the actions of the past.

 

Grim Fandango

This one might be tricky, as the game is seen by many as one of the best of all time, so it will most likely be met with criticism at first. However, if done right, Grim Fandango could be a brilliant addition to the Netflix catalogue. Following Manny Calavera and his adventures through the land of the dead with the crazy assortment of characters and intrigue to match a great cop drama would be highly interesting to see as a TV show. Obviously, a live action version would be quite a bit harder to pull off, although it might still work,depending on how they do it, but an animated version (like they did for Castlevania) would be a good fit. Grim Fandango has an undeniable style to it that, if brought to the small screen, would be absolutely gorgeous.

The game’s story is so full of twists and turns that would perfectly fit a TV show, keeping viewers hooked at the end of every episode with crazy cliffhangers. It even has enough material to fit several seasons if done right.

That was my list of 5 games (or franchises) that would make awesome Netflix shows. Are there any games on this list that you think absolutely wouldn’t work as a Netflix show? What games would you like to see turned into Netflix shows? Let us know in the comments.

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