We’ve all seen some of the horrible results that result from high-profile, big-screen video game adaptations.
[aditude-amp id="flyingcarpet" targeting='{"env":"staging","page_type":"article","post_id":694645,"post_type":"story","post_chan":"none","tags":null,"ai":false,"category":"none","all_categories":"games,","session":"B"}']Many of these movies were either poorly made or have not captured the essence of the games they were based on. Sometimes these films even ignore those titles completely. But, at the same time, many promising game-based films are in development, such as ones based on the Uncharted and Assassin’s Creed franchises.
As long as video games continue to develop and mature as an art form, many of our favorite interactive properties could become great movies … if they're executed well.
Many games are starting to introduce moral choices that are relevant in today’s world or that could be relevant in the near future. Deus Ex: Human Revolution explores these types of decisions. In the game, you deal with the morality of human augmentation and genetic enhancement. Human Revolution is one of many properties that are currently in the production phase for the big screen, and it could certainly be a powerful movie as long as it focuses on the narrative and thematic elements of the title and less on a single character.
Video games tend to be very centered on a player-controlled protagonist. These characters have few unique or individual qualities so that the player can live vicariously through his or her own hero. This issue, along with the larger number of important characters often found in movies, adds to the challenge of translating a game into a movie.
Franchises like Assassin’s Creed, Uncharted, and Deus Ex do not have these problems, though. They have unique main characters, a good amount of fleshed-out personalities, and the releases all have stories heavily inspired from cinematic storytelling. Ultimately, as long as film producers choose the right games — that tell mature, complex stories — the potential for incredible films will exist.
Originally posted on leviathyn.com.