In this article, I will look at some tabletop RPGs, books, films and comics which I think would make great RPG videogames. I’ll explain what it is about the setting that I like and what style of RPG I think would suit it. First up, I’d like an RPG version ofDune.
TheDunenovels were set in the distant future. It showed an interstellar society where noble houses, controlled planets. The nobles owed allegiance to the Padishah Emperor. Dune tells the story of Paul Atreides, whose noble family accepts stewardship of the desert planet Arrakis. As the only source of the most important and valuable substance in the universe, oracular spice melange, running Arrakis is a coveted—and dangerous—task. The rich story involves politics, religion, technology, ecology, and human emotion. Factions of the empire confront each other in a struggle for the control of the planet and the spice.
There have been five sequels by the original author Frank Herbert and both prequels and sequels co-written by his son. There has also been aDunemovie and TV series. Such an expansive, well-crafted and detailed setting would make for an epic RPG. I’d be hoping for an open world RPG, which was similar to the Mass Effect games.
“I will have Arrakis back for myself! He who controls the spice controls the universe” - Baron Vladimir Harkonnen
2) Ghost in the Shell
I actually enjoyed the Scarlett Johansson live action version ofGhost in the Shellbut it is the original anime movie and the anime seriesGhost in the Shell: Standalone Complex that I remember most fondly. It’s an intelligent anime that brings up philosophical concepts such as the nature of life.Ghost in the Shelltakes place in the year 2029, when the world’s become interconnected by a gigantic electronic network that touches all aspects of life. People rely more and more on cybernetic implants.
It also features Artificially Intelligent machines. Much of the story centres on the Public Security Section 9 police force. Section 9 investigate cases like the Puppet Master and the Laughing Man. However, often the criminals are revealed to have more depth to them than Section 9 first thought. It raises questions such as : “What is the definition of ‘human’ in a society where minds can be copied and the body replaced with a synthetic version?”
A videogame version would probably be something like theDeus Exgames but with anime visuals instead. You could either be a member of the Section 9 police force or you could be one of the criminals on the run from them. Perhaps you were setup for a crime that you didn’t commit? If you were an android, there would be a lot of potential for some cool upgrades.
3) Discworld
The Discworld is the setting for many stories by Terry Pratchett. It’s a very funny fantasy series that parodies many tropes from fantasy novels and science fiction. Nippon Ichi has similarly parodied fantasy RPGs with its Disgaea series and other games such as Phantom Brave. I’d like to see a similar approach to a game set in the Discworld. There have been some decent point and click games based on Discworld. Why not an RPG too?
4) Neverwhere
Neverwhere is a brilliant fantasy novel by the ever reliable Neil Gaiman. It introduces us to a dark world under the streets of London. It is a world of monsters, angels and demons which would be ripe for exploration. There is already a tabletop RPG based on Neverwhere. Why not a videogame adaptation too? I’m imagining it to be something similar to the Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines game.
5) The Lies of Locke Lamora
The Lies of Locke Lamora is a fun fantasy novel by Scott Lynch, the first in the Gentleman Bastard series. Locke Lamora is a con man, a thief and an all-round bastard, as you may have guessed from the title of the series. He would make for a fun character for an RPG videogame. I’m thinking ofThiefmeetsAssassin’s CreedmeetsHitman, with all the usual tasty RPG trimmings thrown on top. You could recruit new rogues to join Locke’s crew and control them in some of the missions.
I hope that you enjoyed reading this article. What books, movies, anime, myths or tabletop RPGs would you like to be adapted into an RPG videogame? What style of RPG would you like them to be? Please comment below and let us know.
Did you like this article? If so, you may want to readMy Top 5 Most Annoying RPG Charatersnext. Alternatively, you could readDo You Stroke the Kitten or Put it in the Blender?next.
