Dissecting HIStory: Part 2
Sometimes, a show is so enchanting, you want nothing more than to spend some more time with it after it ends. Sadly, in KDramas, there are very few second seasons. So, what if some of those dramas that you watched, loved, and wanted more of were made into video games? In no particular order, here are five KDramas that I've watched that I think would make amazing video games.
The Three Musketeers- Action RPG
Imagine Fable, only it’s set during the Joseon Dynasty. The Hero this time around would be Dal Hyang, who would help the Prince deflect the approach of the Manchu warriors and their attempts to take over Joseon.
The Korean countryside and cities would be so cool to explore as you make your way on horseback from one place to the next. All of the crazy events throughout the show would make for an interesting story and really cool quests (like when Dal Hyang is trying to get a job with the government). The part where Dal Hyang first meets the Three Musketeers would be especially fun to play, and would be the perfect opportunity to introduce how the combat in the game would work. Sequels to the first 'The Three Musketeers' game might finally satisfy my intense need to experience the cancelled second and third seasons of the show.
Iljimae- Action Stealth
One of my absolute favorite video games is Dishonored. Upon replaying through it again a few weeks ago, Corvo’s use of swords and his skill with stealth made me think of Iljimae, my first sageuk. All those weeks later when I thought of writing this article, I noticed my copy of Dishonored on a shelf and once again thought about how cool it would be to play as Iljimae himself.
Yong would gain new abilities and upgrades to his gear as the story progressed, turning him into the ultimate phantom thief that we see in the intro to the show. There could be training with the monk to sharpen his skills (similar to the Hero’s Shade in Twilight Princess). Choosing to kill or not kill could affect whether the people love or fear him, which might open up different routes that lead to alternate endings. The martial-arts combat would be a joy to play with (like the Arkham games, only with a character that isn’t as buff). For those of us who know the ending to the show, there’s also lots of room for a sequel *wink*
Kill Me, Heal Me- Otome
*This section contains spoilers for Kill Me, Heal Me* An otome like no other! Were there any personalities you sincerely wished Ri Jin would have saved instead of Do Hyun? You could make it happen in Kill Me, Heal Me: The Game.
Maybe Se Gi’s charms captured your heart, or maybe you thought Yo Seob deserved the chance to grow into a young man. In an otome based off KMHM, you could save any of the personalities you wanted to, but you would also have to deal with killing the others off, with each one clawing at life and the right to use Do Hyun’s body. Like the drama, the game would show not only the deep emotional interactions between Ri Jin and the personalities, but the silly stuff, too. The decision to give or not give Do Hyun his time and body back is in your hands!
Descendants of the Sun- Visual Novel
What can I say? Who wouldn’t want to woo/be wooed by Captain Yoo Si Jin or Dr. Kang Mo Yeon? In the DoTS visual novel, you could play through the game as either Si Jin or Mo Yeon, attempting to romance their respective love interest, save lives, and take down the bad guys.
Choices of what medical treatments to use on your patients and whether you attack or reason with an enemy would put matters of life and death into your hands. The show’s OST would be excellent for this type of game, since, like a visual novel, it covers a wide spectrum of emotions for every situation, and wouldn’t be too bad if made into instrumental loops. I bet the opening animation would be really neat too, showing Si Jin and Dae Young on the battlefield, while Kang Mo Yeon and Yoon Myung Joo would be in the operating room.
Bad Guys- Episodic Interactive Drama
What I wouldn’t pay to have this show in video game form! The story of Bad Guys would be perfect for gameplay like what is found in a game like 'The Wolf Among Us'.
Should you shoot Jung Moon the first chance you get, or should you spare him? Maybe you could have the option to play from each of the leading character’s perspectives in each episode, showing parts of the story that weren't in the show and allowing for more choices to be made. The quick-time-events Telltale Games loves to use for fight scenes mesh perfectly with Bad Guys, since there are a lot of major plot points that are settled through combat in the show. At many places in the series, if certain characters did things a little differently, the outcome could have changed dramatically, which means that multiple endings would definitely be an option in a game adaption of the show. It would just be so neat!
Other games that almost made the list include: Scholar Who Walks the Night as a hack n' slash adventure (like Devil May Cry, only with less guns) and The King of Dramas as a business sim (similar to The Movies).
Though there are plenty more shows I would love to see as video games, these are just a few that came to mind while I was brainstorming. If you're interested, I definitely recommend giving all of these dramas a go (even the ones that didn't make the final list).
What dramas do you think would make great video games? Tell me about the games you would want as video games in the comment section below. Thanks for reading!
