10 video games that would make great TV shows

6. Dishonored

Like Blizzard, Bethesda Softworks has a few amazing series that could easily translate to television. The proof is in the pudding already, since Bethesda is the company responsible for reviving Fallout (though not creating it — that accolade goes to Obsidian Games). And while it might seem like we should be talking about The Elder Scrolls, Bethesda’s open-world fantasy epic…I actually think Dishonored would translate better to the small screen.

On the surface, Dishonored’s plot is pretty simple: the Empress of a steampunk island nation is killed by assassins with supernatural powers, and her bodyguard/lover, Corvo Attano, is framed for the deed. Swearing to get revenge for the woman he loved and to clear his name, Corvo escapes prison and sets out on a quest for vengeance that would make even the Count of Monte Cristo pale.

One of the coolest things about Dishonored is the sliding scale for how brutal the player can be. It’s possible to go the entire game without killing a single person outright, preserving Corvo’s moral fiber and the Empire’s stability. Or you can go on a bloody killing spree, and send everything spiraling into chaos.

A TV show could explore crushing moral dilemmas of the kind we see on series like The Walking Dead. How does Corvo feel about killing his own countrymen, and how does it change him? It could make for some really juicy television. And like The Last of Us, Corvo’s daughter Emily is a huge factor. She watches how Corvo deals with his enemies, and the choices he makes ultimately shape who she becomes as a person as well. Tell me that wouldn’t be gut-wrenching to watch!

It would only get better as the series introduced Daud, the assassin who killed the Empress, who goes on his own difficult journey toward retribution.