Since tens of thousands of video games are released every year, its practically a given that many would slip through the cracks and not get their moment in the sun. However, there is a way that these forgotten gems could see a second life, with an adaptation on the silver screen.
Video game movies are not known for having the best reputation, but sometimes they can be fantastic. With so many attempting to make a profit off of successful franchises, perhaps Hollywood could find more success in adapting video games that didn't hit it big when they came out, but have developed followings and have great stories to work off of.
Silent Hill 4: The Room (2004)
Silent Hill 4: The Room would make a great movie! To be honest, the game itself is heavily flawed, but the story deserves to be presented in a more appealing package.
The Room, not to be confused with Silent Hill, but the tone and story beats fit the franchise perfectly.
Alan Wake (2010/2012)
Developed by Remedy Entertainment, the people behind the most excellent Alan Wake is a semi-ambiguous horror game that is just as good, albeit a bit more obscure. Alan Wake, an author paying a visit to the fictional small town of Bright Falls, Washington, soon finds himself on a dark journey that mirrors the events of his latest novel.
Sounds like a pretty cool movie, right? To be honest, its likely that Alan Wake will become a TV show, as writer Sam Lake has mentioned that a proposed series is still in development, but the game would work just as well as a film adaptation.
Nocturne (1999)
One thing that prevails in the arsenal of Nocturne, the 1999 PC game that went on to influence Bloodrayne, is its world-building. Nocturne is essentially Men In Black, but its set in the early 1900's, and there are werewolves in it, which has the makings of a fantastic film.
Seriously though, Nocturne is an awesome concept let down slightly by some less than ideal controls. With the right crew, Nocturne could be the modern equivalent to the Blair Witch.)
Snatcher (1988)
The name Hideo Kojima will likely put a smile on a hardcore gamer's face. The mastermind behind the Metal Gear series would occasionally venture into other games, with Snatcher being one of the most beloved.
Taking more than a few cues from Akira, Snatcher follows an amnesiac detective in a futuristic world who soon discovers that humanoid robots are murdering humans and taking their place. With so many cinematic influences, Snatcher could translate well to celluloid, besides, the world needs more cyberpunk movies.
Klonoa: Door To Phantomile (1997/1998)
Klonoa: Door To Phantomile, created by the creator of Ninja Gaiden, is about an adorable anthropomorphic animal with stupidly big ears attempting to save his world from an evil menace. Sounds like fairly standard kids film nonsense, but it comes packed with a twist that will catch everyone off guard.
What that twist is shall not spoiled here, but needless to say, its a punch to the gut that puts the whole adventure into a new context.
American McGee's Alice (2000)
Alice in Wonderland is already pretty kooky as it is, but American McGee's Alice decided that aspect needed to be cranked up to eleven. Directed by former Id Software dev American McGee, Alice is a dark, twisted interpretation the Lewis Carroll classic.
After losing her parents in a fire, Alice goes insane and is placed in an institution, only to be dragged into a far less inviting Wonderland. A film adaptation was actually tossed around with the late Wes Craven involved, but nothing ever came of it.
MadWorld (2009/2010)
The strange lovechild of Manhunt, Frank Miller created Manhunt and let PlatinumGames' Atsushi Inaba develop it into a game, that game would be MadWorld.
The game is about Jack Cayman, an ex-cop with a chainsaw arm, as he tries to win a snuff film game show. To do this, he must hack and slash his way through the game board that doubles as a city and face the other players who are far more mad than him. If this were ever made into a film, it'd be loaded with stunning visuals, buckets of blood, and a dynamite soundtrack.
Killer7 (2005)
Much like Alan Wake, Killer7's horror status is up in the air, but its equally equally worthy of being made into a film. The game is about Harlan Smith, a wheelchair-bound man with the ability to transform into one of seven different assassins who are sent to kill demonic terrorists.
Regardless of its status as an action-adventure game, there is an element of unnerving psychological terror under the surface in Killer7. With a world, characters, and series of themes that could be explored in a movie, perhaps this could stave off those fans that are still begging for a sequel.
Grim Fandango (1998)
Though it could be argued that an adaptation of Grim Fandango could be seen by newcomers as a ripoff of Coco, the Tim Schaefer vehicle is perfect for a movie. Grim Fandango follows afterlife real estate agent Manny Calavera as he attempts to save a woman with a pure soul from a dark fate.
A tribute to classic noir films from the 1940s such as The Maltese Falcon, Grim Fandango portrays the afterlife in a humorous fashion.
Clock Tower (1995)
In spite of the fact that the original game never saw a release in North America, the original Clock Tower for the Super Nintendo has captured the imaginations of gamers for years. A game featuring an orphan girl trapped in a terrifying mansion, the game becomes an exercise in tension when the mysterious Scissorman arrives to try to kill her.
Described by developer Hifumi Kono as an experimental game with minimal fuds and a skeleton crew, the game pays homage to Italian giallo films such as Phenomena, which gives the game an uncanny atmosphere. Much like Alice, Clock Tower almost got a movie a long time ago, but it never came to be.