Back in the day, we used to have playground discussions about which superhero could beat up another superhero in a scrap. Nowadays, the conversation my friends and I get into revolves around which video game studio would deliver which franchise the best. A kind of dream scenario, if you will.
This got me thinking about some of the AAA studios we have now, and some of the indie darlings, the ones that have put out Game of the Year winners and contenders, and which pop culture franchises or gaming staples they would nail. Strap in.
Rocksteady - Daredevil
We all know that Rocksteady has the pedigree to make a brilliant superhero game, despite the recent misfire of Suicide Squad, but what if they shifted over to Marvel comics from DC? Creating a slice of New York for a Daredevil game would be a simple affair for the developer who brought so much character to Arkham Asylum and Arkham City. Then, when we look at Daredevil in comparison to Batman you’ve got a similar opportunity to highlight enemies, and then combo them to bits when you get the drop on them. Plus, Daredevil has always had a very grimy aesthetic that Rocksteady could pull off. Let them sprinkle in some court cases to solve as Matt Murdock and we’re onto a winner.
Larian Studios - Lord of the Rings
I don’t care if this is a CRPG or a more modern third-person RPG, but the lore, the conversation options, and the care that Larian shows to their cast would make for a brilliant Lord of the Rings story. If the Tolkien estate gave them carte blanche to develop an original narrative we could see a very cool story of a small band of heroes on a journey, much like Fellowship of the Ring, but with a new spin on the journey across Middle-Earth. Not sure who I’d romance Gandalf with, mind.
Nintendo - Harry Potter
I’m not thinking of a platformer or an adventure game like Zelda. I want Animal Crossing, but make it Harry Potter. I want to make little potions for villagers, collect furniture and pets, and build a little cottage I can fill with books. It doesn’t need any action, I can just mooch about growing herbs, using my magic spells to help out villagers with their tasks,and send off post owls to my friends via Wi-Fi. All while dressed like a hippy Emma Thompson, or growing a massive beard ala Dumbledore.
Naughty Dog - Tomb Raider
Okay, this might be a home run given the company’s experience with the Uncharted series, but it comes with an addendum - it can’t be ‘gritty.’ I want camp adventures where I can still go home and lock the butler in the freezer. I don’t want to be slaughtering mercenaries, give me a dinosaur out of nowhere, but all with the witty stories Naughty Dog can tell and the worlds they’re so astute at creating. Hell, you can throw in Nathan Drake as a cameo for all I care, I just want proper exploration with a silly story about demons that will awaken when I pick up a statue. I can just imagine the worlds they would create, especially if they could be based on somewhere distant and remote.
Half Mermaid - Twin Peaks
I’m shoehorning this in because it’s my list and I don’t care. Twin Peaks is my favourite TV show of all-time and Half Mermaid’s Sam Barlow, along with his team, can create some properly kooky games. Smash the two together and you’re onto a winner. We can leave Dale Cooper behind, just give the town of Twin Peaks to the developer and watch them create something so off-the-wall and surreal that it’ll keep you awake at night. And given the series’ roots in being a show about a mystery, this is something that Half Mermaid has always kept at its core - a good mystery.
CD Projekt Red - Star Wars
Take the sword fights from The Witcher 3 and make them lightsabers. Take Roach the horse and make it a Tauntaun. Actually, you can keep your Jedis, just make it a story about the history of a distant planet, a tyrannical government, and a rag-tag bunch of rebels. The depth that CD Projekt Red gives their stories would work so well for the Star Wars universe and the franchise deserves to go back to the RPG genre properly, particularly with plenty of action involved.
Supermassive - Scooby Doo
I’ll make an admission, I was never a huge fan of Scooby Doo, however, I think I’d be converted if a game was made by Supermassive. In fact, my colleague Kate has already made a good pitch for this, but I wanted to echo the sentiment. Supermassive already makes relatively campy horror and if we got the chance to direct Mystery Incorporated around a theme park, haunted house, or trippy bayou, it would be a real treat. Have the gang face off against real monsters and put gravitas on decisions and it would make for a hugely enjoyable solo or social game. Even the developers are into the idea.
Guerilla Games - Pirates of the Caribbean
When I first saw the world of Horizon Forbidden West I was floored. It was just gorgeous. A stark contrast from the world of the first game just because of the inclusion of oceans. Now make it a pirate game. I want to sail across those lush waves in vast ships, across an open-world where stopping off at islands gives the choice of stealing, giving, or rebelling against the governments. Let’s be honest, nobody is making a good pirate game nowadays (Sea of Thieves excluded), and developing something around Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean gives any developer a good base - humour, adventure, and some cool cameos, all in a luscious tropical world.
Concerned Ape - Zelda
Okay, hear me out. Stardew Valley, but Zelda. Instead of having Ganon be a massive pain in the rear he can be a cranky innkeeper, Zelda can run a little store with Navi as a helper, and Link can construct himself a little farmstead and trade in exotic fruits, the seeds of which are found in small dungeons throughout the land. Or maybe Zelda can finally relax in her own house while Link sells tools to the villagers. Yes, I know there are games similar to this already, there may even be a mod for this exact setup, but I want it official and I want to be able to visit my friend's farms and weed their fields to find rupees.
Rockstar Games - Peaky Blinders
You can’t really take Rockstar Games away from stories that involve crime, those narratives are in their DNA. They’ve not only centred the world’s most popular franchise around it, but even Bully flirted with breaking the law, and don’t forget they made Manhunt and Max Payne, too. Give them Peaky Blinders, give them Birmingham in the 1890s, and get a more personal story played out that focuses more on a sense of time, rather than place. Imagine the drama of Red Dead Redemption, more personal stories, told through the period history of England and its older gangs. That would slap.
Insomniac - One Piece
Yes, I’m a One Piece nerd. However, although the recent One Piece Odyssey got close to being a very good game, I felt like it missed the mark because there was no sense of exploration and nutty humour. I know that Insomniac can do detailed open worlds and they can do over-the-top comic book action with bombastic effects, they also have a penchant for humour and cartoon visuals. The crew doesn’t even need to be at sea (though that would be awesome) but showcase what makes each character so much fun with huge brawls and an emotional story.
Square Enix - My Neighbour Totoro
Really, you can exchange My Neighbour Totoro for a Studio Ghibli game that brings together all of their wonderful characters under one sprawling RPG, the likes of which Square Enix has been producing for years, but change out the Pokemon for Totoro, Jiji the cat, or even some Soot Sprites. It doesn’t even have to include any fighting, just let me traverse a world with the Ghibli characters as friendly companions who each have a set of skills for solving puzzles and mysteries. The studio had already nailed it with the Disney Kingdom Hearts crossover, but how about leaving out the convoluted story, eh?
Topics: The Lord Of The Rings, Nintendo, Harry Potter, Naughty Dog, Tomb Raider, CD Projekt Red, Star Wars, Guerrilla Games, The Legend Of Zelda, Rockstar Games, Insomniac Games, Anime, Animal Crossing, Square Enix