Originally published March 26, 2017. Updated April 16, 2018.
Thomas Roach with six franchises Telltale should adapt…
Telltale Games has created some of my favourite experiences in gaming over the last few years. After playing The Walking Dead a few years ago, I was blown away by how good it was. Telltale doesn’t really deliver traditional gameplay but rather focuses more on storytelling. With new franchises being adapted each year – Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy being next on the list -there are plenty of properties that I feel would be suitable for Telltale to adapt into games. Some of these may be unobtainable by the game studio; nonetheless, I would love to play in these worlds through a Telltale game. Here’s six of them…
Westworld
Westworld hit the small screens this year and delivered what I think is one of the greatest shows ever made after only one season. Like Game of Thrones, Telltale could develop a game that exists alongside the show and occasionally intertwines with the main characters of the series. Telltale’s Game of Thrones was adapted from the TV show and not the books and had many of the cast reprising their roles in the game. This could also work with Westworld. Both shows are produced by HBO so I don’t think this is beyond the realms of possibility. If this was to be adapted I would hope they would do it after a couple of seasons in order to flesh out the world a great deal more. This could easily be done within the game, but I want to get to know the universe a bit more first.
Superman
After playing Batman: The Telltale Series, I am keen to see them adapt more characters from the DC universe. Mostly, I would want to see them adapt to a game. This could be a great opportunity to making Superman work in a video game. Not only would it be a fantastic way to show of this great character, but with the art style being somewhat similar to comic books, Telltale would have the ability to craft something special. Focusing more on story than gameplay, you would be able to tell a decent story and show everyone why Superman is such a great character. Like Telltale’s Batman, the game wouldn’t need to be devoid of action sequences, but having a Superman game focused on gameplay just can’t seem to work. Look at Superman 64.
Alien
With the resurgence of the Alien franchise over the last few years with Prometheus and this year’s Alien: Covenant, I feel that exploring the universe created in the franchise would be a perfect setting for a Telltale game. I am aware of Alien: Isolation which admittedly I have never played, but I still think Telltale crafting a game with their style would work really well. With more films from the franchise coming in the next few years it would be great to see a video game expanding the universe further.
Star Wars
Since Disney purchased Lucasfilm and acquired Star Wars, the franchise has gone from from strength to strength. With a new film being released every year, a range of books and comics, as well as TV shows and video games, the Star Wars franchise is massive and has so much potential to tell great stories. With such a vast universe and millions of interesting stories going on in the galaxy far, far away, it would be good to see other games in the Star Wars universe outside of action and shooters. With plenty of material to adapt into a game so why not let Telltale have a crack at one?
X-Men
Telltale have been adapting their share of comic book franchises including The Walking Dead, The Wolf among Us and Batman. With Guardians of the Galaxy coming this year, I would love to see Telltale adapting another Marvel franchise. In particular, I think X-Men would be the perfect choice, and would love to see something in the vein of the animated series from the 1990’s. The films at Fox have been great, but I would prefer Telltale to adapt this franchise directly from the comic book material. This could also be a great opportunity to showcase a range of characters that have not been getting much screen time in the films over the past few years.
Harry Potter
The world of Harry Potter has been expanding over the past few years. Outside of the original books and films, a spin off, Fantastic Beasts has been released, as well as the stage play The Cursed Child. There have been Harry Potter games based on the movies beforehand but only the movie tie-ins and LEGO games which also directly tie in to the movies. Telltale could adapt stuff from the films or books, or be given the opportunity to tell an original story in the world created by J.K. Rowling. A Telltale game in the halls of Hogwarts would be fantastic. Clementine from The Walking Dead was a standout character in the game, so the prospect of a playable character as a Hogwarts student could certainly match that.
Which franchises would you like to see Telltale taking on? Let us know in the comments below…
Thomas Roach
