Toss a Coin to Your Witcher: 5 Other Video Game Franchises That Would Make Amazing Fantasy TV Series
Earlier today, The Hollywood Reporter announced that four new cast members have joined season three of Netflix's high fantasy series The Witcher, starring Henry Cavill as Geralt of Rivia.
The exciting new additions include Robbie Amell from Upload, Meng'er Zhang from Shang-Chi and The Legend of The Ten Rings, Hugh Skinner from Fleabag, and Christelle Elwin from Half Bad.
Season three of The Witcher seems poised to take the epic story's stakes to new heights - especially after all the exciting events that unfolded in Season 2.
Netflix's description of that season reads:
"As monarchs, mages, and beasts of the Continent compete to capture her, Geralt takes Ciri of Cintra into hiding, determined to protect his newly-reunited family against those who threaten to destroy it. Entrusted with Ciri's magical training, Yennefer leads them to the protected fortress of Aretuza, where she hopes to discover more about the girl's untapped powers; instead, they discover they've landed in a battlefield of political corruption, dark magic, and treachery.
They must fight back, put everything on the line - or risk losing each other forever."
All this intriguing The Witcher news had me thinking: What other video game franchise would make amazing fantasy television series?
Here's what I came up with.
5 Video Game Franchises That Would Make Amazing Fantasy TV Series
1. Dark Souls
Originally released in 2011 and developed by FromSoftware, Dark Souls is the spiritual successor to FromSoftware's Demon Souls.
Notable for being incredibly difficult to play - expect your character to die quite a few times before you get to the end - and cryptic lore, players of Dark Souls play as a cursed member of the undead who must fulfill a prophecy and decide whether to link a flame to preserve the Age of Fire or let it die out to instigate the Age of Dark.
The fascinating lore of Dark Souls is complemented by its intricately designed world, which is directly inspired by the legendary Japanese manga and anime Berserk by Kentaro Miura (yet another property that would make an amazing fantasy series.)
2. Elden Ring
The newest entry by FromSoftware, Elden Ring is its 2022 collaboration with famed Game of Thrones novelist George R. R. Martin, who wrote the overarching backstory for the game.
In this story, players play as Tarnished who must traverse the realm to find all the Great Runes, restore the Elden Ring, and become the Elden Lord.
According to game director Hidetaka Miyazaki, who also directed Dark Souls, Elden Ring may be an even more accessible version of his previous game, due to Martin's character-driven story contributions. With this winning combination - clearer story and world-class visual worldbuilding - any television series developed from Elden Ring is sure to impress.
George R. R. Martin talks Elden Ring in new interview:
— Mordecai (@EldenRingUpdate) June 17, 2021
-His work on the game was done many years ago
-He wrote the worldbuilding & characters
-From would periodically show him enemy & graphic designs
-He is excited for the final game :) pic.twitter.com/y5gUDvo2Hd
3. Bloodborne
Also from FromSoftware (this is the last entry from them, I promise) Bloodborne is a 2015 game that takes influences from the Gothic and Victorian eras.
In a world where there is a blood-borne disease, the player plays as the Hunter, who must unravel his city's mysteries while fighting beasts and Lovecraftian cosmic beings.
With literary influences from H. P. Lovecraft and Bram Stoker, a Bloodborne series would be an captivating take on themes and monsters already familiar to Western audiences and would make a great fantasy adventure series.
4. God of War
From Gothic Victorians to the ancient Greek pantheon; God of War is a game franchise that was developed in 2005 by Santa Monica Studio that follows Kratos, a Spartan warrior and eventual God of War, who is tricked into killing his family by Ares, his former master. This leads Kratos to go on an epic revenge quest that pits him against the Greek and even the Norse pantheons.
Drawing on familiar source material, and featuring a brutal world filled with sex and violence, God of War would easily find its audience among TV viewers - especially after its planned feature film adaptation stalled and failed.
5. Dragon Age
Developed by BioWare in 2009, Dragon Age is the spiritual successor to its previous Baldur's Gate and Neverwinter Nights franchises.
Players assume the role of a warrior, mage, or rogue coming from an elven, human, or dwarven background. They are then recruited into the Grey Wardens and tasked with defeating the Archedemon of the Darkspawn, thus ending the Darkspawn invasion.
Giving strong Dungeons and Dragons vibes, Dragon Age's elements political intrigue and different possible character roles and backgrounds could result in a television series with a complex world and truly memorable ensemble cast.
With the success of The Witcher and Game of Thrones, film studios are certainly taking notice of the video game arena more than ever before - heck, even Sonic has a successful movie franchise now!
Are these video games franchises the next big fantasy series waiting to happen? It seems there's no end to the public's appetite for them, especially with Amazon's The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power around the corner.
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