[Top 5] Games Based On TV Shows (and How I'd Do It)

So in my ever-evolving quest to involve my girlfriend in my gaming hobby, I recently picked up Lost: Via Domus for Xbox 360. She watched the show back when it first aired and I just recently finished watching all of the seasons, so I figured it’d be a good game for us to try together. For a casual night of gaming, it wasn’t bad. She got to enjoy her favorite show from a new point of view and I got a topic for a blog article.

For those of you who haven’t seen Lost, you should probably get on that because it’s quite possibly one of the greatest shows of all time. Yes, of all time.

But that’s another topic, entirely. As I watch her play through the game, which admittedly has its flaws (GameSpot really echoes my feelings on the game in their review), I come to the realization that many TV show offer a good amount of IP that could be transformed into great games if put into the right hands.

Below is a list of the top 5 TV show IP that should be made into video games and my recommendations for how it should be done. (Note: most of these are already being made/have already been made, but the descriptions provided are purely my suggestion of how I would’ve done it. Additionally, I've played none of the games with the exception of the Lost-based game.)

5. The Walking Dead

Originally adapted from a comic book of the same name by Frank Darabont, the Walking Dead serves as perfect source material for a video game. While I haven’t personally seen the show yet (I know, I know, I’ll get on it) the iTunes store offers this synopsis: “After waking from a coma in an abandoned hospital, police officer Rick Grimes finds the world he knew gone - ravaged by a zombie epidemic of apocalyptic proportions. Nearby, on the outskirts of Atlanta, a small encampment struggles to survive as 'the dead' stalk them at every turn. Can Rick and the others hold onto their humanity as they fight to live in this terrifying new world? And, amidst dire conditions and personal rivalries, will they ultimately survive one another?” Now doesn’t that sound ridiculously like a video game set up? The only possible criticism I can see for not making this show into a game is the sheer amount of zombie-based games that are already on the market. Do we really need another Resident Evil- or Fallout 3-esque experience?

What a lovely smile you have! | blogs.amctv.com

Short answer: Yes. Longer answer: Yes, if it’s done right. I imagine this game being a non-linear sandbox adventure with exploration and progression similar to Grand Theft Auto games, where completing missions unlocks more of the map, but in general you can do whatever you please. Missions could be presented in a variety of  ways, preferably with cut scenes setting up each mission to explain the objective and the narrative significance (similar to Prototype) or could be obtained simply from overhearing others or from short conversations with NPCs (like some of the fetch quests in Mass Effect 3 or quests in Fallout 3). The game’s play style would likely be third-person over-the-shoulder shooter or a standard FPS with some light platforming elements. Either way, the setting would provide a lot of different options to game developers.

The first episode of The Walking Dead video game is scheduled to come out April 25^th, 2012. Let’s hope they did a good job with it.

4. Game of Thrones

This seems to be another no-brainer. Fresh in the beginning of its second season on HBO, Game of Thrones is based on a series of novels by George R.R. Martin titled A Song of Ice and Fire. Following the stories of several houses (families), Game of Thrones is a sort of medieval fantasy that offers a massive amount of video game material. Small-scale governmental drama between factions, large-scale war, political intrigue, wolves, dragon eggs, melted gold, beheadings, and a small-statured nobleman who is absolutely hilarious all add up to quite an amazing adventure waiting to be had.

Tyrion Lannister | fanpop.com

As far as a game adaption is concerned, the IP could easily be turned into a Real-Time Strategy (RTS), but where would the inventiveness be? Instead, what if it was an amalgamation of gaming styles? I’m thinking Civilization V RTS for large-scale war mixed with segments of exploration similar to Skyrim or Dragon Age: Origins. Combat in those segments could easily be Final Fantasy X turn-based fights (which gives the gamer a break from fast-paced strategy) or, alternatively, could be set up with an Active-Time Battle gauge system (similar to Final Fantasy VII). Add in a dash of Mass Effect style story telling with dialogue options that can actually sway the outcome of the game (or at the very least the journey you take to reach the end) and you’ve got yourself quite an epic tale.

Game of Thrones is expected to release for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC in 2012. It is expected to be a role-playing game. Let us hope it does the novels and the TV series justice.

3. House M.D.

House chronicles the work of Dr. Gregory House, an expert in diagnostic medicine, whose famed expertise is only rival by his infamous bad attitude. Lacking any bedside manner, House would rather pop pills than interact with his patients. With a team of doctors at his side, House sets off to cure the wide variety of illnesses afflicting patients in his hospital.

beyondhollywood.com

While this may seem a bit boring for a video game concept, it could nonetheless be utilized in training for medical students. Granted, the majority of cases are not rare forms of malaria or Lupus, it would nonetheless serve an interesting backdrop to relay potentially boring information. Textbooks are the tried and true method of study for most disciplines, but imagine if technology could be utilized to parlay that same information in a more creative, interesting way. Alternatively, the game could be simply a cinematic experience, giving the player the option to watch the story unfold based on their choices. In fact, why not do a Dr. Mario game utilizing the House IP. Creating a “easy to learn, difficult to master” puzzler with some narrative every few matches could be a great way to revitalize a somewhat ignored genre.

There is currently a House video game for the Nintendo DS, which had lackluster reviews and reception.

2. Dexter

If you hadn’t noticed, gaming has become more and more story driven in recent times. Games like Super Mario World are now being replaced with story heavy games like the Final Fantasy series or, to an even greater extreme, games focused almost entirely on the narrative such as Heavy Rain. Dexter focuses around a protagonist of the same name who is a blood spatter pattern police officer by day and a serial killer, punishing any criminals who he believes the justice system wouldn’t, by night. Not only has the show been on for 6 years and garnered a massive following; there is also a substantial amount of material in the show that could be adapted into a video game.

cdn.screenrant.com

Imagine: You play as Dexter. During the day, you solve puzzles revolving around blood spatter patterns during the day, which eventually lead you and your comrades to the perp. You are now heavily engrossed in a mysterious game full of dialogue and narrative options. If you manage to choose the right kinds of interrogation questions and/or find the right kinds of evidence, you may be able to put the criminal behind bars. Some of the criminals are more careful, however. Because of their attention to detail and knowledge of the legal system, they manage to escape justice. The moon rises as the second half of that particular chapter unfolds and you are now in an action game, based heavily on stealth, like Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell, except with automatic weapons and more surgical tools. Alternatively, the game could play out entirely different, showing the day-to-day adventures as cut scenes and focusing heavily on Dexter’s nighttime activities… There are a lot of possibilities.

While a fully realized game has yet to surface, for the time being we can enjoy a Dexter video game on the iPhone.

1.  Lost

Now you might be asking yourself, “Dave, didn’t they come out with a Lost game? In fact, didn’t it inspire you to write this article?” Yes. Yes, it did. The game failed to do justice to the series as a whole, however. Lost centers around survivers of a plane crash on a deserted island. Each season focuses on a new overarching storyline, most of which center around the character development of the story’s main 15+ characters.

vinegeek.com

If I were to make Lost a video game, I would’ve focused more heavily on the character development side of things, like the show did. In fact, I don’t see any reason why a MMORPG couldn’t be made using this IP. Consider utilizing the existing platform where each server is its own island. Like World of Warcraft, you could choose a faction: the Survivors or the Others, and would gain benefits based on which side you chose. You could determine your background (soldier like Sayid, medic like Jack, Swindler like Sawyer, etc.), which would be the equivalent of a class.

Once in game, you complete missions that range from fetch quests (need more wood for the fire) to recon missions (investigate the other faction). Exploration would be a fundamental part of the game as well. In fact, maybe when you hit a certain level you can receive a mount (I’m talking baby blue Volkswagon Hippie Van!) Combat would be handled primarily with simple firearms and hand-to-hand combat with the inhabitants of the island (Polar Bears, sharks, wildlife, or the Black Smoke). Conversations would flow fluidly and naturally and would serve a greater purpose than to be time consuming and extend play. Implementing a loyalty system (similar to that of Dragon Age: Origins) would help immensely in determining your standing with the other factions.

It’s not a perfect idea and there are a lot of unanswered questions, but it certainly has the backbone for a really interesting release.

Well there you have it! Some games that were already created based on TV IP that could be made even better. What are your thoughts? Drop some comments and let your voice be heard!

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Time To Save The Galaxy...

After some frustrating customer service at one video game retail store and some exceptional customer service at a sister store of that same video game retailer, a headache, and much excitement, I finally got my hands on Mass Effect 3, with the From Ashes DLC included. In order to celebrate the most anticipated game of 2012, I’m chronicling my journey through the galaxies of the final chapter of BioWare’s masterpiece. While I’m in the process of starting Mass Effect 3 (which is slightly delayed due to an exam in my Entertainment Law class and a pretty full schedule) I’m going to write some quick memories of my Mass Effect and Mass Effect 2 experience.

mikewashburn.net

For anyone unfamiliar with the series check out the Wikipedia article about Mass Effect, which does a pretty good job explaining the basics about the series’ gameplay and universe, or the Mass Effect website. Oh, additionally, the following has some SPOILERS of Mass Effect and Mass Effect 2.

Mass Effect

The first time I stepped in the shoes of Commander Shepard (mine, by the way, is a male named Luke) I remember being impressed with the level of customization available not only on the appearance of the character but also on the combat stylization. In fact, I recall on my first play-through of Mass Effect I automatically selected Soldier, unaware of the fact that there were other classes available, because I was so excited to get started. When I replayed the game last summer, I created an entirely new character. I recall correctly, this Commander Luke Shepard was a space colonist and eventually became a war hero after enlisting in the military. Instead of selecting the Soldier class again, I chose to be a Vanguard, as I finally understood the game mechanics and the usefulness of biotic abilities. Throughout both games, I leaned closer to the Paragon side in my actions, although I tried my best to seriously contemplate and judge my actions on an individual basis, playing Shepard as though I had to live with the consequences of my actions forever.

Ashley & Garrus | masseffect.wikia.com

Throughout the course of my adventures through the galaxy, I completed a majority of the side missions in addition to the main story missions. Utilizing weaponry as well as biotic abilities, I choose to add additional firepower to my team by taking the military-minded Ashley on the majority of missions. When I took her, I usually took Garrus, the Taurian tech-warrior, as my third member.

Wrex & Tali | masseffect.wikia.com

When I switched it up, I used the Wrex, the brutish Krogan bounty hunter, and Tali, the Quarian tech-specialist, giving myself a balanced team most of the time. As much as I love Mass Effect, my favorite moments are few compared to Mass Effect 2. The part I enjoyed the most, however, was the feeling and depth the main mission planets provided. Feros was extremely atmospheric and the first time going through the game, I was caught off guard by the mutations that took place upon returning to the town. Noveria, too, created quite a desolate and abandoned atmosphere. The snowy planet was had beautiful scenery as did Virmire, the beach-themed planet. I can still remember playing on a warm, breezy day, feeling like I was actually on the planet storming Saren’s Geth base. That mission featured some of the most memorable and exciting series of events I’ve seen in any game. 

The characters were greatly detailed as was the dialogue between them. Developing relationships was one of the best parts about Mass Effect. For the most part, all of the characters were pretty intriguing. Unfortunately, the characters I found to be the least interesting were all of the love interests. For my Shepard, I had the option between Ashley (who was prejudice against all of our alien comrades) and Liara (who was less interesting then a snail race without salt). For female Shepards, they at least had Kaidan, who was fairly interesting and complex. Honestly though, I felt he paled in comparison to the depth I found in Tali and Garrus, which is likely why they were brought back for Mass Effect 2. It might be an unfair comparison. As a human character, there is less to learn about Ashley and Kaidan, especially compared to the cultural and racial differences between the alien members of my squad. 

From the landing on Eden Prime to the final confrontation on the Citadel, Mass Effect did a very good job of making me feel like I was actually fighting with a purpose! Below are some of the highlights of my story based on what I can remember as I attempted to stop the Geth:

• ·      Managed not to kill any of the people on Feros during the uprooting of the Thorian
• ·      Spared Shiala on Feros
• ·      Freed the Rachini Queen on Noveria
• ·      Saved Liara T’Soni on Therum
• ·      During the confrontation with Wrex on Virmire, managed to peacefully reconcile
• ·      Pursued a romantic relationship with Ashley
• ·      Choose to save Ashley over Kaidan on Virmire
• ·      Convinced Saren to kill himself during the final confrontation
• ·      Sacrificed the council during the battle against Sovereign for the greater good
• ·      Appointed Captain Anderson as the human representative to the council
• ·      Never did any of the DLC

Mass Effect 2

Having defeated Sovereign, I began the journey through Mass Effect 2 feeling triumphant and untouchable. BioWare, likely aware of my arrogance, quickly cut me down by allowing the Collectors to fire on my ship, cause my entire team and I to be separated. While I was subconsciously aware that I’d somehow have to rebuild my team (the same way Samus seems to always lose her powers in some creative way only to retrieve them once again in the Metroid series), I was still pretty shocked at how quickly and abruptly my ship was struck down. Having little time to reveal in my past success, I began to rebuild my crew, this time under the command of Cerberus.

Cerberus Logo | masseffect.wikia.com

I assumed the same class I had from the previous game and became a Vanguard for Cerberus. After being put back together Six Million Dollar Man style, I knew I was in for quite a ride. While the gameplay changed pretty distinctively, the universe was very much consistent with the first game. 

Mordin & Grunt | masseffect.wikia.com

My favorite memories from Mass Effect 2 definitely center on the loyalty missions. The missions not only served to prolong gameplay but also introduced me to a different side of the character in most cases. The game also introduced a wider variety of squad members this time around. Mordin, the Salarian Scientist, for example, was not only unique in that he was the first possible Salarian squad member, but he also had a distinct style of speaking and sense of humor, which allowed me to connect with him on a more personal level. Since playing this game, every subsequent game has had to do what Mass Effect 2 did; make me care about the character. I'm sure I cared about character depth on a subliminal level prior to playing Mass Effect 2, but now I'm hyper-aware when a shallow character acts as the protagonist. This isn't really a bad thing, though, as character development does a lot for a game. Mordin, who in my opinion is on the weaker side when it comes to offensive ability, was one of my favored characters whereas Grunt, who was a less cool version of Wrex with less personality, was one of my least favorites, even though he was probably better suited to be on the battlefield in most cases. 

I was also glad to see not only recurring characters like Garrus and Tali, but the way in which they developed was also impressive. Garrus, like you’d expect, treated Shepard like an old friend. It was interesting to actually feel the connection they had and understand the familiarity between the two. In other games that feature war buddies, you simply are told that you and some other character have a history, but to have experienced the war stories Shepard and Garrus are sharing first hand in the first game greatly enhances the experience. 

Thinking back now, I loved the recruitment aspect of the game as well. Going after the Archangel and the scientist on Omega was one of the coolest experiences ever. Gang wars have not been so well done since the days of GTA: San Andreas. In addition, the recruitment of the prisoner was by far one of the coolest parts in the game. After learning Jack’s name, I expected a huge, burly dude that was capable of making Grunt cry. What I got, instead, was a bald-headed, tattooed girl with a bad attitude. I recall first seeing her and being half confused and half elated, because I saw so much potential for her to be a deep, interesting character. Unfortunately for Jack, I was also very taken by Miranda, the Cerberus office who aided in rescuing me from my old ship’s wreckage. Must’ve been the accent (or the bodysuit). Anyway, I recall actually being engaged with the conversations they had, and wanting to know more about her especially after completing her loyalty mission. 

Miranda & Samara | masseffect.wikia.com

As far as my squad is concern, I generally used Miranda and Samara, but I changed the party as the situation dictated, utilizing everyone at some point in the game (with maybe the exception of Jacob and Grunt, as I didn’t really care for them that much). I also rejoiced in the diversity of level design this time around. During Mass Effect, aside from main-story missions, the planet surfaces and dungeons/building interiors were very similarly designed (with some exceptions like the Luna mission). Additional, the item management of this game was much better. Instead of worrying about inventory like I did in the first game, I was free to focus on character development and action. All in all, Mass Effect 2 was not what I expected; rather it was something far greater. As I fought against the Collectors, there were several major decisions that I made:

• ·      Imported my Shepard from Mass Effect (and got the associated perks)
• ·      Recruited all squad members and completed all loyalty missions
• ·      Pursued a romantic relationship with Miranda (Sorry, Ash!)
• ·      Managed to save all of my crew and squad
• ·      Fully upgraded the ship
• ·      Survived the suicide mission
• ·      Destroyed the Collector’s ship
• ·      Never did any of the DLC

Now that my Xbox is done updating and the DLC is done downloading, I must venture off, dear readers, to save the galaxy from impending doom. I’ll keep you posted!

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