Seven Franchises In Need Of The Telltale Treatment

It’s a very interesting time for adventuring gaming. Once the flagship developers for classic point-and-click adventures, Telltale has well and truly left old-school ventures in the capable hands of genre-titans like Tim Schafer and Ron Gilbert - to become the masters of their own episodic formula. 

It took a few false starts in the form of their Jurassic Park adventure game, but the company’s persistence to its cinematic (and highly customizable) approach to storytelling has earned them the respect of the industry, their audience and countless awards. They’ve brought a sense of respect and passion to the beloved franchises in their catalogue which have opened for them licensing opportunities other developers can only dream of. Their formula has proven so successful it's actually started inspiring others to take a stab at it (Dontnod's recent Life is Strange is a strong example here).

The question then, is which other films, TV shows and video game universes could be adapted next? What franchises are worthy of the ‘Telltale-Treatment'?

Firefly

 

This first suggestion may be an obvious choice for some - but for the many fans of Joss Whedon's beloved-but-tragically doomed space western, it's not one they'd likely turn down. Telltale have demonstrated their skills when it comes to balancing action and comedy with Tales from the Borderlands, and just like Tales, it'd be another great opportunity for the writing team to bring their comedic chops to bear. Knowing the passionate fervor of everyone involved with the series, it's hard to imagine a number of the series' original cast not jumping on the opportunity to reprise their roles.

Firefly's infamously short run has left the ‘Verse virtually unexplored - and Telltale's episodic formula could be the perfect vehicle to continue what Serenity started. 

2. League of Legends

Riot Games' League of Legends is one of the biggest games on the planet. It generated over a billion dollars in microtransactions last year, boasts a massive competitive playerbase of over 67 million monthly users and features one of the most varied fantasy settings in years. Warriors, mages and monsters of all sorts do battle in Runeterra but despite the game's rich backdrop, Riot hasn't really had the chance to tell many stories within it. It'd be fascinating to see League's roster in a new light and could prove a great tool for Riot and Telltale to appeal to new audiences. 

Given the recent announcement of Telltale's Minecraft adventure game, is it that hard to imagine?

3. HP Lovecraft

Over the last couple of years, Telltale have dipped their toes into stories from all sorts of genres - but they've yet to take a stab at horror that goes beyond the grim post-apocalypse of The Walking Dead. That's where HP Lovecraft, author of the Necronomicon, comes in. Lovecraft's works have a huge following and would offer some interesting creative freedom when it comes to visual aesthetic. Telltale have had great success with crafting tense moments in the past, I'd love to see them take this to the next level. 

Whether they try to adapt one of more popular stories like Call of Cthulhu or craft their own saga in his style, a HP Lovecraft Telltale adventure is something I'd definitely want to play.

4. Doctor Who

The last of the Timelords hasn’t exactly had a great run when it comes to video games but it’s hard to argue that Telltale’s skillset isnt a perfect fit for the madman with a box. Doctor Who is, after all, all about running, cleverly avoiding disaster and talking your way out of trouble. The series has an enormous catalogue of characters, monsters and Doctors to choose from - and the British-ness of the whole affair could help to differentiate it from Telltale's previous efforts.

It's an almost universally-revered franchise and more than a few gamer fans would love to see it get the interactive adaptation it deserves.

5. James Bond

Like horror, espionage and spy thrillers would be a fun genre to see Telltale tackle. While stealth, action and nifty gadgets are all but guaranteed, Telltale have some fun freedom here when it comes to Bond himself. They could use Daniel Craig's modern Bond, explore older time periods and stylings through his predecessors or even craft their own take on the character. 

A globetrotting spy thriller with secret-agents and double-crossing aplenty sounds like great fodder for Telltale's talents.

6. Heroes

The third and final TV series to make this list bears more of a mixed reputation, but I feel it has great potential should it receive the Telltale treatment. Heroes was a series that debuted with strength only to squander the goodwill it had earned amongst fans in the seasons that followed. In spite of its unravelling quality and coherence, it was a show with a really compelling tone and some fascinating mythology. 

Like Firefly, there’s always the possibility of former cast members dropping in for cameos but the flexibility of Heroes’ superpowered-people-with-human-dilemmas concept is more than enough to sustain its own Telltale adventure.

7. Anything Bioware!

As the gatekeepers to both the Mass Effect and Dragon Age universes, a partnership between Bioware and Telltale would be an electrifying prospect for fans of either company. Bioware are the best in the industry when it comes to building expansive and interesting worlds and, like Tales From The Borderlands, a Telltale-developed Mass Effect or Dragon Age adventure could see you explore these familiar worlds through the eyes of someone who isn’t the hero.

If there was any developer I’d trust with the memorable characters of Mass Effect or the expansive and morally-fascinating world of Dragon Age, it’d be Telltale Games.