10 video games that would make great TV shows

2. Enslaved: Odyssey to the West

Enslaved isn’t the best-known game on this list. Released in 2010, it never had the massive success of titles like Horizon Zero Dawn or The Witcher. But it tells a story that’s aged incredibly well, thanks in no small part to the fantastic performance capture animation for its three main characters: Monkey, Trip and Pigsy.

In the game, Monkey is played by Andy Serkis, so it makes sense that his performance is amazing. Enslaved was way ahead of its time in terms of using facial expressions in games to add nuance to the storytelling.

Like Horizon, Enslaved is set in a robotic post-apocalypse where nature has reclaimed much of the world. But unlike Horizon, there are almost no people to be found in this world. They’re rounded up by robots, who put inoculating collars on them and take them away to some mysterious location where they will be, you guessed it, enslaved.

I can say with 100% confidence that Enslaved would make a great TV show, although my reasoning might surprise you. You see, Enslaved is a reimagining of the classic Chinese novel Journey to the West, which might just take the cake for “most adapted story ever.” Even if you’re not familiar with it, you’ve probably seen some takes on the classic tale of a monk who goes on a quest with the Monkey King and a cadre of other companions. Dragonball is one example that springs to mind. So is the TV show Monkey, and Netflix’s The New Legends of Monkey. We have plenty of examples of Journey to the West working onscreen, so much so that it’s hard to keep track of them.

But there aren’t any versions of the story quite like Enslaved, which takes the classic ideals of bringing knowledge to the people and blows them up onto a sci-fi setting. There are huge robots battles and powerful, quiet character moments both. And since Enslaved has a small cast, those budget dollars could be used on some top notch CG. Just saying…