We live in the golden age of video game adaptations. Gone are the days of those laughably over-the-top Resident Evil films, the dreadfully dreary Max Payne, and does anyone even remember 2020’s Monster Hunter movie? Nowadays, video games are being adapted into prominent live-action TV series that rank among the most popular offerings of every major network.
Think HBO’s The Last of Us, Amazon’s Fallout, Netflix’s Arcane, and Peacock’s criminally underrated Twisted Metal. Of course, there are still a few duds here and there, the Borderlands movie springs to mind immediately, but the thought of video game adaptations now sparks excitement instead of unmitigated concern.
With new TV shows and movies being greenlit left and right, we decided to draw up a wishlist of video game IPs that deserve the live-action treatment. For this list, we will avoid titles that are reportedly already in development, such as God of War, Ghost of Tsushima, and Sleeping Dogs, to name a few.
1. Red Dead Redemption
Getting the most obvious pick out of the way, the Red Dead Redemption games are basically Western epics realized in video game form. Their characters, themes, and motifs would all lend perfectly to the silver screen, and the series could even be transformed into a television show akin to Deadwood.
With that being said, I’d love to see a cinematic trilogy that richly explores the central narrative of Red Dead Redemption 1 and 2. Imagine starting in media res fashion with a sequence of John Marston scaling the snow-cored Grizzlies like a vengeful spirit. He could then be ambushed by Micah’s goons, setting up that moment from RDR 2’s epilogue, with American Venom blaring in the backdrop. The hypothetical movie could then cut to the Van der Linde gang’s halcyon days, perhaps covering something yet to be seen, like their infamous Blackwater heist.
The potential here is, frankly, ridiculous. Inspired casting choices and a production team that truly understands the source material could elevate a Red Dead Redemption live-action adaptation into a modern monolith of the Western genre.
2. Mass Effect
When it comes to sci-fi universes, Mass Effect stands out as one of the most richly detailed and emotionally complex out there. Its vast galaxy, teeming with diverse alien races, ancient mysteries, and political intrigue, offers a storytelling playground that’s practically begging for a live-action adaptation. Given the sheer breadth of its lore, BioWare’s franchise could even be transformed into a space saga capable of rivaling pop culture juggernauts like Star Wars.
The Expanse is living proof that a galaxy-spanning sci-fi adventure grounded in believable characters and wonderous locations can capture mainstream audiences and critical acclaim alike. Mass Effect’s blend of personal stakes, moral ambiguity, and epic scope offers fertile ground for a similar success, especially if it goes the Fallout route and ditches the Normandy crew in favor of an entirely new story.
3. The Elder Scrolls
With five mainline games carrying hundreds of hours worth of stories, The Elder Scrolls has everything required to become the next high fantasy series to capture the world’s collective attention. It’s got supernatural elements, warring kingdoms, schools of magic, and of course, dragons, because who doesn’t love dragons?
Beyond these elements, TES has a distinct charm, a portion of which can frankly be attributed to the glorious bugginess of the games. But outside of that, the franchise does a great job of mixing whimsy and gravitas. Only in an Elder Scrolls game could you stumble into a talking mudcrab before getting caught up in an ancient prophecy. It’s this unpredictability that could help a TES adaptation stand out among high fantasy fixtures such as the grim and subversive Game of Thrones or the incredibly solemn Lord of the Rings.
With Fallout being a raging success, we can only hope that Bethesda is willing to take the live-action leap with its crown jewel.
4. Alan Wake/ Control
Instead of picking between the neo-noir trappings of Alan Wake or the mind-bendingly creative Control, I’d love to see a TV show that explores the ‘Remedy Connected Universe’ as a whole. Of course, jumping between the two distinct atmospheres can cause tonal inconsistencies, but their intertwined nature could end up heightening the mystery behind the FBC or the Dark Presence even further.
Thematically, both IPs share that unique blend of psychological horror and supernatural mystery that could make for compelling TV shows. Alan Wake 2 already mirrors prestige television, complete with cliffhangers, shifting perspectives, and talk show detours that turn into musical medleys.
On the other hand, Control operates like a season of The X-Files cranked up to eleven, with its eerie encounters and unexplained phenomena. Together, they could deliver something that feels like Severance by way of Twin Peaks, where every episode peels back another bizarre layer of the larger mystery.
5. Metal Gear Solid
There’s arguably no video game franchise more inherently cinematic than Metal Gear Solid. Hideo Kojima’s stealth-action saga has been blurring the line between film and game since the 90s, making that gradual leap to live-action all the more satisfying. It’s postmodern, quirky, self-serious, and deeply fascinating; all the ingredients for an espionage thriller.
MGS’s core themes of nuclear proliferation, digital surveillance, shadow governments, and genetic cloning remain painfully relevant. With Kojima’s eccentricities sprinkled on top, the live-action adaptation could explore those topics with the added context of its alt-history universe. There’s room here for a dense, conspiratorial thriller with cyborg ninjas and mech battles folded into the mix.
The challenge would lie in balancing the political gravitas with the franchise’s surreal flourishes, but if done right, iconic moments like Naked Snake’s endless climb up a ladder or Psycho Mantis breaking the fourth wall would be nothing short of unforgettable.
6. Dead Space
Dead Space screams ‘sci-fi horror smash hit.’ The franchise’s blend of claustrophobic tension, grotesque necromorphs, and a lone engineer’s struggle against cosmic horror feels tailor-made for the screen. It also helps that the scares have more to do with the eerie atmosphere than gore-filled encounters, anchored by intentional details such as the clang of metallic corridors and the frenzied flickering of lights.
Pair this brand of spooky with a skilled director and a frontman that embodies the weathered yet determined demeanor of Isaac Clarke, and you have a horror film primed to haunt audiences long after the credits roll.
7. Dark Souls
With Elden Ring (confirmed) and Bloodborne (rumored) receiving live-action adaptations, Dark Souls really shouldn’t be far behind. It’s an iconic and instantly recognizable franchise, about toiling away in a gothic hellscape riddled with monsters of all sizes, ripe for a melancholic dark fantasy treatment.
A series of films or a television show could properly explore the franchise’s cryptic lore. However, it’ll have to nail down a central premise more entertaining than dying over and over again, perhaps by focusing on the cycle of rebirth at the heart of the game.
That wraps up our wishlist of video games that deserve live-action adaptations. Which video game IPs would you like to see in the live-action format? Be sure to let us know in the comments below.
