The Next Potential Anime Series Based on a Video Game
What video games could join Cyberpunk, Castlevania, Resident Evil, and other games in the anime medium?
Video games and anime have long been a popular facet of pop culture. They are often both focal points of comic and popular culture conventions. We have seen some anime series be completely based on video games from franchises such as Tekken, Cyberpunk, Castlevania, Resident Evil, Tomb Raider (in production), and others. What are some other titles that could transfer to the anime sector?
This list is by no means meant to be comprehensive. There are many gaming titles across different eras that would translate well to the anime medium. Let’s look at a few potential candidates for gaming-to-anime crossover.
What Games Could Translate to an Anime Series?
Metal Gear Solid
The Metal Gear Solid franchise from Kojima Productions is an action stealth franchise with many repeat characters with complex backgrounds. Look no further than the three different versions of Snake who are genetic clones of super soldier The Big Boss.
The series also has characters that change drastically such as Raiden who goes from child soldier to government operative, to a genetically engineered cyborg.
The series also tackles complex subject matter such as the use of artificial intelligence, social engineering, cyber warfare, and other complex themes.
All of this lends itself well to a deeply involved thematic anime akin to Attack on Titan or Ergo Proxy with characters that an audience can connect with. There is more than enough background story and characters for a spin-off series (or two) to take place.
Jak and Daxter
One of the PlayStation 2 consoles’ notorious platform duos Jak and Daxter has a trilogy of core entries to source material from. The series takes a much darker and series tone starting with the second entry in the franchise. This allows for a split anime series to have a more humorous and lighthearted tone in the beginning before transitioning to a more serious tone similar to shows like Slayer.
The game has not had a mainline release since 2009 with the controversial release of The Lost Frontier. Although it’s been 15 years since the last release, the series still had a dedicated following. An anime series would gather a large following quickly within the online community of Jak and Daxter fans.
Tony Hawk’s American Wasteland
This one seems unconventional but hear me out. Tony Hawk’s American Wasteland’s theming and art style look like it was ripped from a comic book. Different parts of Southern California were recreated in a punk rock comic book setting. It wouldn’t be the first-time skateboarding was the central theme of an anime as SK8 the Infinity has been running since 2021.
The art style would lend itself to a unique style of anime. The storyline would also be fun to explore. Much like Tony Hawk’s Underground and Underground 2 the game left the arcade style of the series behind and focused more on a character-driven storyline. The story follows an unnamed skater who is new to California and meets up with a group of skaters as they collect pieces for the ultimate skatepark. Trouble arises as they work on the park which includes their leader ending up in jail and another member needing rescued from a local gang.
All of this is done in an over-the-top comedic fashion that incorporates physical humor as well. The goofy nature of the game would lend itself well to an over-the-top anime.
Saints Row
Another unconventional title to translate to anime could be Saints Row. The Saints Row series can be described in many ways. Early entries into the series drew many comparisons to the Grand Theft Auto series before turning to a more zany, whacky, and over-the-top comedic approach to an action shooter.
As the series progresses the titular gang the 3rd Street Saints becomes a pop culture icon and starts to sell their own branded merchandise. All while still being involved in violent altercations that often turn comedic quickly.
This unconventional and whacky formula is the perfect recipe for an over-the-top action comedy similar to that of Black Lagoon.
Ico
This early PlayStation 2 exclusive Ico features very little voice work. This gives an anime studio a lot of creative freedom to add dialogue via voice acting to expand upon the story. It would feel like Castlevania but without the vampires and more spirits.
The plot follows a boy born with horns which is seen as a bad omen and is therefore locked in a castle. He meets a girl who is held captive in the castle but speaks a completely different language. It turns out she is the daughter of the Queen of the castle who is a shadow figure much like the enemies in the game. The duo battles their way out of the castle and escape after defeating the Queen.
Ico is considered a cult classic and received great reviews despite low sales figures. Although the source material isn’t plentiful, there is plenty of room to expand for an anime series. The lore of the castle, Queen, shadow figures, and village of Ico can be explored. There is enough source material for a base, but enough creative freedom for writers to flush out a compelling story with meaningful characters.
Dark Souls (and Other Soulslike Games)
Dark Souls and other FromSoftware Soulslike games are known for their intense difficulty. The games take place in a dark high fantasy setting and are known for intense bosses that often make gamers change their strategy multiple times before successfully defeating the boss.
The Dark Souls series has also gained acclaim for its world-building and the setting of the games. This would give an anime studio a great starting point for a setting to build upon a plotline around. The plot could strictly follow the Dark Souls timeline or draw inspiration from other Soulslike games to create a new cohesive story set in the Soulslike universe. The dark fantasy theme has been successfully played out in animes such as Claymore.
If an anime were to follow the plotline of the Dark Souls games directly, gamers who have been stuck on key parts could watch the plot play out through the anime without the hours grinding away in the game.
Runescape
Keeping with the fantasy theme let’s look at one of the biggest massive multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPG) in history. Runescape has been a browser-based PC game since 2001. The game itself has a backstory that includes Gods that shaped the world gamers play in. The game also blends humorous elements in it.
Many millennials have fond memories of spending hours leveling their skills. The game became a YouTube sensation in the 2000s with gamers creating Runescape music videos. A fan-made series, Runescape Gods Exposed which was a comedic interpretation of the three Gods from the game was also released. This showed a user interest in related content to the game and with the open world and open story aspects of the game, there is plenty of room to make a high fantasy action anime with plenty of comedic elements.
The Urbz
Keeping the 2000s (and earlier) trend going let’s look at The Urbz, Sims in the City. It took the life simulation formula of The Sims and added a social element to it. The goal of the game is to travel to different districts and gain the needed reputation to get into a late-night party. Reputation is gained by socializing with other “Urbz” and dressing to meet the theme of each district.
The so many unique districts and characters in the source material, there is plenty of room to write a plot that deals with everyday social happenings while telling a larger and more compelling story.
What games did I miss? Sound off in the comments below.
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