There's been a lot of criticism surrounding video game adaptations into shows and movies, as many fans have felt that the adaptations haven't accurately captured the story of the respective games. However, HBO has changed that narrative with The Last of Us. The show, starring Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey, has been a massive success, gaining more and more viewers every week.
Perhaps above all else, the success of The Last of Us has proven that video games can be properly adapted into shows, and it can be done by being faithful to the source material while still making necessary changes for the new format. There are loads of story based games that would make for must see television, and HBO should consider making them.
10 Grand Theft Auto V
Grand Theft Auto has been a very popular video game since the original GTA came out in 1997. It's known for being an open world story based game where players complete heists to make money. GTA V, arguably the most popular version of the game, follows three main characters as they navigate the city of Los Santos looking to get rich.
While certain liberties would have to made to make it more appropriate for a TV audience, a GTA series would garner a lot of buzz online and could certainly be very successful. There's a clear storyline for the creators to follow, and it would have the potential to be a top tier heist show.
9 Gone Home
Everybody loves a good mystery, and one of the best story based mystery games is Gone Home. The first person game follows a young woman named Katie who returns home from studying abroad to find her whole family is missing. She then must explore her house and figure out what happened to those she loves.
The game was met with a lot of praise upon release, and it has the framework to make a great investigative show on HBO. While it is likely that some things would need to be added to flesh out the story, it's very likely that viewers would fall in love with Katie as it's a role with a lot of potential.
8 BioShock
If there's one game people have been clamoring to see an adaptation of, it's BioShock. The first person game follows a man named Jack as he navigates the ruins of an underwater city that was destroyed by a war between the rich and poor of this new enhanced society.
BioShock contains lots of different fight sequences and a very rich backstory that would translate perfectly into a TV show. The city of Rapture is a perfect setting to bring to life that HBO is very capable of doing. There's no doubt that the show would rake in millions each week, as the game already has a large following.
7 God Of War
People love Nordic mythology, with Thor in the MCU being a prime example of that. Another prime example is the God of War franchise, with 15 different games within the franchise, the most recent being God of War Ragnarök coming out last year. The games follow Kratos on a path of vengeance to avenge his family by killing the other gods.
HBO has dabbled in the fantasy realm quite often, and the success of Game of Thrones has shown that people are willing to watch fantasy shows. It's possible that God of War will not be as popular as it is right now, and that makes it the perfect game to adapt next.
6 Detroit: Become Human
Another genre that tends to do very well is science fiction, particularly stories revolving around AI and the dangers it poses on the future of humanity. One game that looks at AI in another light is Detroit: Become Human. The game is about three androids, all of whom are on different paths to gaining or stopping sentience and fighting or preventing the freedom of androids.
The question of what it truly means to be human has long been explored in television and in movies, and for good reason. It's a deep question that forces people to evaluate themselves and what they want out of life. A Detroit: Become Human series would do just that, and could be an easy hit for HBO.
5 The Legend Of Zelda
This is a bit trickier being that it's a Nintendo game, but the world of Hyrule is a near perfect setting for a series to take place. The Legend of Zelda has been one of the most successful and beloved video game franchises for decades, and it's already made the jump to television with an animated series that came out in 1989.
There are countless games and storylines to choose from, and the possibility of multiple seasons is very real given the amount of content. Being one of the greatest games of all time, it has all the potential to be one of the greatest shows of all time too.
4 Her Story
Her Story is a great choice for a TV adaptation because it's a game that's already set up almost like a movie or show. It's a collection of police interviews with a missing man's wife being sorted through by the player, as the objective is to solve the case of his disappearance.
There's a likely chance that if this game was ever made into a show, there is more plot that would need to be added, including who the actual main character would be, since it isn't revealed until the end. While some restructuring is necessary, the story is strong enough to create a very entertaining mystery show.
3 Assassin's Creed
Assassin's Creed has been a well-beloved video game franchise since the first game came out in 2007, and its fan base has steadily grown since. The franchise follows different real world historical events, except they're fictionalized versions of those events.
There are a lot of places an Assassin's Creed show could begin, but the ability to follow the assassins as they're assigned to murder historical figures and other high profile missions would make for must see TV. The production design on this show would undoubtedly be incredible, and HBO would see a huge uptick in viewers thanks to the name value alone.
2 Mass Effect
Space is cool, and one game that has perfectly shown how exciting space stories can be is Mass Effect. The game takes place in the far future with civilization in the Milky Way under threat from an advanced race of sentient machines. The main character, Commander Shepard, can be cast as anybody thanks to the game allowing them to be customizable before it starts.
A Mass Effect series would see adventures all across the galaxy, and it would expose the game to a whole new audience of sci-fi lovers that may have not been exposed to it before. Any show set it space is going to cost a lot, but if HBO is going to spend its money somewhere, this would be a great place to start.
1 Red Dead Redemption
One of the greatest stories in any video game is the story of Arthur Morgan in Red Dead Redemption. The franchise consists of two games, both taking place in the American West at the turn of the 20th century. While the show would essentially just be a western, it would be an excellent western.
Not only would the show have a steady stream of viewers thanks to it's established fan base, but with the right people working on it, the show would stand to gain more viewers each week with its potential to be some of the greatest television ever. Red Dead Redemption is a beautiful story that evokes many emotions and has the ability to be an absolute classic.