Since the end of the 20th century, video games have steadily become more and more popular among people. Not only do they offer a unique experience that can’t be found anywhere else, they allow players to enter and interact with fantasy worlds in a way that wasn’t possible before. Over the past decade, stories in video games have become more and more intricate, with plot lines that are as engaging as the gameplay. In fact, some games, like those created by Telltale Games, put the story first and leave gameplay as a secondary priority.
One aspect of the medium that sets it apart are that video games allow fans to play in worlds based off of their favorite TV and movie properties for the first time. This has led to many manga and anime getting video game adaptations. With that in mind, there are still plenty of video games with great stories worthy of an anime adaptation that have sadly never received one. These 5 games should be given a chance to shine on screens in a brand-new way, with the potential to surpass their source material.
Guilty Gear
For those who already know of the series, this is a no-brainer. The Guilty Gear franchise is one of the most ridiculous and over the top fighting game series of all time, featuring an insanely cool cast of characters that ooze style, paired with a crazy story. In other words, it already feels like an anime, with the graphical style and character designs being heavily inspired by anime. The roster’s attacks and powers are also very anime-like, featuring crazy elemental abilities and form transformations reminiscent of many shonen series.
Set in a world where humans have found a way to infuse humans with magic, creating beings known as Gears, the Guilty Gear franchise has incredible potential to be adapted into animation. Following a bounty hunter known as Sol Badguy, players follow his quest to eliminate all Gears and their creator, a being known as “That Man”. While the first game was lacking in terms of plot, since then the series has put a lot of effort into building the world and story. An anime adaptation would be perfect, as it could streamline the series’ rich lore and provide further context to the events of the story. It could also serve as a great way for potential fans to jump into the series.
inFAMOUS
Back in the PS3 era, inFAMOUS was the main reason many chose to buy the system over its competitors. With an action-packed story about a man waking up after an explosion with electrical powers trying to keep his friends and loved ones safe in a city quarantined and overrun with crime, inFAMOUS was a blast to play and the perfect series to adapt into an anime. With superhero anime being all the rage these days, inFAMOUS could end up being a hit amongst fans, old and new.
Cole MacGrath is a fantastic protagonist who deserves more time to be explored in-depth. His powers were reminiscent of popular heroes like Static from DC, and could even summon powerful lightning strikes. What makes inFAMOUS such a great property to adapt is that in many ways, its original story never concluded. Offering two distinct endings, one good and one evil, the second game of the series originally designed itself around the evil ending being the definitive choice, with Cole becoming something of an anti-hero revolutionary for powered individuals. While fans never got to see that story fully play out, an anime adaptation would be a great way to explore this original concept and turn the already complex Cole MacGrath into a character with even more layers.
Code Vein
Much like Guilty Gear, this choice may seem obvious. Code Vein is a soulslike game about vampires trying to maintain their sanity and the survival of humanity in a world where human blood is impossible to find. Following a character created by the player who wakes up with strange powers that allow them to revive plants that produce blood, the game was as fun as it over the top. With intricate weapons and a varied assortment of blood-based powers, the player can mow down hordes of vampires who have gone mad due to starvation.
What makes an anime adaptation for this game a bit on the nose is that unlike many soulslike games, it chose to adopt an anime aesthetic to go along with its very anime inspired story. There are unique characters with complex designs armed with interesting powers, complicated weaponry, and unlike many games of its genre, Code Vein actually takes its time developing the story and lore. The player has the opportunity to explore its characters, learning their motivations and backstories. For a game that had so much potential to be something revolutionary, it’s unfortunate it failed to live up to its potential. However, there’s a chance that an anime adaptation could do what the game could not.
God of War
The God of War franchise is easily one of the biggest and most beloved franchises of all time. Following the demigod Kratos, the series is set in Ancient Greece and follows its protagonist on his quest for revenge against the gods of his homeland. While the original games were action-oriented experiences, as time went on the God of War games started becoming more layered, with 2018’s soft reboot of the franchise blowing many away with its impactful story.
If there’s one thing anime fans enjoy, it’s exciting battles. A God of War anime adaptation has potential to provide high-stakes action. While most anime play with the idea of evil gods, very few have had their full cast consist of mythological pantheons, creating a unique feeling to the series. Interesting aspect would be the opportunity to explore Kratos in a more introspective way. Kratos was originally a character fueled by his hatred of gods after they tricked him into killing his family. As iconic as Kratos is, it wasn’t until 2018’s God of War reboot that his character was given room to grow. An animated adaptation would be able to provide the much-needed depth Kratos lacked in the original series.
Mortal Kombat
For some reason, there’s something about fighting games that make them perfectly suited for anime, and Mortal Kombat is no exception. With a diverse roster of characters and surprisingly rich lore, NetherRealm Studio’s flagship franchise would make for one of the best battle anime of all time. It has everything from ninjas, soldiers, cyborgs, evil wizards, monks, gods, and even a super-powered b-list actor. It’s definitely over the top — but that’s what makes it so much fun, and ideal for an anime adaptation.
For a series so ridiculous, Mortal Kombat has a deceptively interesting story that is blends its blockbuster action with drama. Since the franchise’s reboot back in 2011, the series’ story became just as crucial as the gameplay mechanics, with many new characters added to the roster to develop relationship dynamics. In an anime adaptation, not only would the story have more time to be fleshed out, the fights would become eye-catching spectacles that not even Demon Slayer could rival. With the franchise at an all-time high, there’s no better time to capitalize on Mortal Kombat‘s global popularity and release an anime.
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