10 video games that would make great TV shows

1. Horizon Zero Dawn

Released in 2017 by developer Guerilla Games, Horizon Zero Dawn is one of the breakout hits of the last five years. It’s easy to see why: a young warrior sets out on a quest for vengeance and justice, making her way through a post-apocalyptic world where nature has reclaimed the land, people have returned to tribal societies, and robotic dinosaurs rule the wilds. Add to that a story that has some serious science fiction twists, and it’s a perfect recipe for a killer show.

Aloy is an Outcast from her tribe, shunned for a mysterious reason that she’s never been quite able to get a straight answer about. Her tribe, the Nora, revere pre-collapse technology, which means they either worship or fear it, but never wholly embrace it. Aloy is kind of like the atheist in the room; she has an almost supernatural affinity for tech, and is fearless about saying so.

In one memorable scene, the Nora explain to her why they worship a door with a computer programmed voice as a representation of “the Goddess.” Aloy’s response? “It’s just a door.”

These sorts of interactions are plentiful, and add to the seamlessness of its world.

A  big part of what would make Horizon Zero Dawn work well as a show is the unique setting and world. The robotic animals are breathtaking and threatening by turns, forces of nature that people hunt for parts…or end up being hunted by, when they’re on their own in the wild. The tribes — from Aloy’s own Nora to the Shadow Carja (who have no qualms about relying on old world technology) to the Inuit-inspired Banuk of the far north — are all well-developed and memorable.

Really, the hardest part about pulling off a show based on Horizon Zero Dawn would be figuring out how to pace the story, since there’s only one game released to date. But with the recent announcement of a sequel on the way, it seems like the perfect opportunity for more adventures with Aloy.