8 TV Shows That Should Be Video Games

7. Life On Mars

This series follows a police officer who finds himself transported back in time to 1973 after being involved in a traffic accident. In the episodes that follows the officer tries to work out what has happened to him, whilst at the same time trying to work for the same police force he was with before the accident, only 30 years earlier. This premise is unique and rather fascinating, and could fit perfectly into a video game tie-in. Firstly, the overarching narrative of trying to figure out what has happened to the protagonist is one that numerous video games regularly employ to great success. Games ranging from 'Dead Island' to 'Assassin's Creed' all start with a similar sense of uncertainty surrounding the player's situation and the motivation of trying to get (back) to something familiar or "normal" drives them on throughout the rest of the game. This premise is interesting and proven to be quite functional, but probably not enough on its own to entice players into the game. Fortunately, though, the story of Life On Mars is well equipped with supplements for this. The day-to-day option of police procedural and investigative work could give the game a little extra meat for the bones. Players would have to continuously pause their search for the truth about their predicament when pressing matters such as stopping murderers or finding kidnapped children occur. This could also lead to an excellent climax later on in the game, where players may even be forced to choose between the option to return to normality, or remain stuck in the past and save a recurring NPC.
Contributor
Contributor

Gareth is 28 years old and lives in Cardiff. Interests include film, TV and an unhealthy amount of Spider-Man comics and Killers songs. Expect constant references to the latter two at all times. Follow on twitter @GJCartwright.