‘SAGA’ Creator Talks Potential Game Adaptation

Thanks to the work of developer Telltale Games, the worlds of graphic novels and video games are closer than they’ve ever been. Games like The Walking Dead and The Wolf Among Us have proven that the vibrant and oftentimes morally complex tone of a graphic novel can be successfully transitioned into an interactive experience.

Telltale’s work has seemingly opened the door for new opportunities in graphic novel adaptations as well, with many creators now considering the idea of skipping film and moving right to video games. For example, writer Brian K. Vaughan thinks that his critically acclaimed comic series Saga would work best as a video game.

While speaking with The Verge, Vaughan was asked about the possibility of adapting any of his works to film in the future and he sees those adaptations going. As some know, Vaughan’s Y: The Last Man has made several attempts at transitioning to the big screen, but so far those efforts have returned no results. And there’s no doubt Saga will make its way through the same obstacles, but if Vaughan has his way perhaps the property might come to life through a different medium.

“As a player, I love it. As a creator, I find it extremely challenging — that idea of giving the audience so much control over the story. I like to be much more dictatorial, and to take you on this path. So I admire games tremendously, and I would have no idea how to go about creating one. And that’s actually something that has come up. A Saga video game, particularly if it’s sort of about characters other than the main characters in our story, is really exciting to me — even more exciting than a film or TV show. So, uh, never say never.”

As far as what genre or approach this proposed Saga game might take, Vaughan has some ideas but this is all just hypothetical at this point. The writer does say that he’s a fan of Telltale Games’ approach to their comic book adaptations, and could see a Saga game exploring a similar route. By that, he suggests that a game that follows characters outside of the main protagonists could be an interesting concept, and we would agree.

“I love those Telltale games that I’ve seen. It’s very clever. I like that it’s based on making moral decisions, it’s not just a button-masher kind of game.”

For those who might be familiar with Saga, the graphic novel puts its own spin on a Rome0 and Juliet story by casting its star-crossed lovers as members of two warring races. Their paths cross, they fall in love, and then flee from their respective armies, as well as a few other unseemly individuals. Things get more complex from there, but we’d rather not give it away. Instead, we’d recommend readers give the first issue a try and see if it grabs them.

Fans of Saga will know that Vaughan’s world is a rich one, filled with a lot of potential. The warring races platform could breed dozens of different stories, many of which wouldn’t need to tie back into Alana and Marko’s journey. There’s also a really intriguing sub plot involving high paying assassins that could be really cool to see explored.

But for now a Saga game is just an idea. Whether or not it actually makes the jump from page to screen (any type of screen) is still up in the air. And although Telltale might be a good fit, they are plenty busy with projects like Game of Thrones and Tales from the Borderlands, as well as their recurring series The Wolf Among Us and The Walking Dead. They also just announced a new Minecraft game, just in case their plate wasn’t already full enough. In other words, Vaughan may catch Telltale’s interest, but there’s still a lot of logistical work to be done.

Would you like to see Saga turned into a video game? Who do you think should develop the game and what genre should it be?

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Source: The Verge

Follow Anthony on Twitter @ANTaormina

‘SAGA’ Creator Talks Potential Game Adaptation

‘Tales from the Borderlands: Episode 1′ Review

With the shocking surge in momentum enjoyed by Borderlands‘ loot-and-shoot series following the game’s sequel, it went without saying that the developers were going to be pumping out more content than ever before. But fans and casual audiences were stunned to see Tales from the Borderlands, a choice-driven story from Telltale Games set within Gearbox’s fictional universe, announced seemingly out of the blue.

Now the first episode of the series, ‘Zer0 Sum’ has arrived in just as unexpected a fashion, offering the first glimpse of just how Telltale has turned their recent knack for tense, excruciating decision-making to work on the over-the-top, off-kilter characters of the Borderlands universe. Unsurprisingly, it seems to be a (at-times uneven) departure for the studio – but one that many fans of the shooter will find irresistible.

Thankfully, those unfamiliar with the Borderlands series’ fiction need little background to grasp Tales‘ central premise: with overpowered weapons/robotics manufacturer Hyperion fueling the search for Vaults on the planet Pandora at the expense (and safety) of those residing in its ramshackle communities, players take control of two different protagonists; Rhys, a Hyperion employee out to hurt a corporate rival, and Fiona, a grifter from the surface looking to lie, cheat and steal just to survive.

The paths of the two are fated to cross, with both sides retelling their stories to a third party. As a framing device, it’s a clever twist that fits perfectly at home in the Borderlands sensibility. The differing accounts of Rhys and Fiona (far less significant in story terms than some fans may expect) are played for laughs, and the mystery of how the two found themselves in their current predicament – now being forced to explain what led them to it – is enough of a hook to keep players interested for the whole of ‘Zer0 Sum.’

Predictably, slipping on the persona of Borderlands‘ irreverent and manic action takes its toll on Telltale’s now-signature format (seen in both The Walking Dead and The Wolf Among Us) almost immediately. The only real threat facing Rhys (and his right hand man, Vaughn) is an expected promotion being sabotaged, meaning the series’ first episode takes plenty of time to get moving.

That wouldn’t be as much of an issue if Tales relied as heavily on exploration – actually handing control to the player in a tactile sense – as Telltale players now expect. But the developers have made their emphasis on storytelling over traditional gameplay clear (imagine Wolf Among Us without clues or questioning). Thankfully, that focus proves promising once Rhys hands the episode’s reins over to his partner in crime, Fiona.

Blessed with an origin story that is far more compelling (Rhys’ path to Hyperion is still a mystery), and the more colorful characters of Pandora proper, Fiona’s story line will be what captivates those unfamiliar with Borderlands‘ universe and convinces them to stick it out for the first episode – with the climax banking on exactly that.

It’s hard to argue that Tales from the Borderlands isn’t a faithful adaptation of the property it’s based on; the humor is alive and well in almost every interaction, but where the line is drawn between the path charted by Gearbox and what Telltale has brought to it can be easy to spot. For existing fans of Borderlands‘ sense of humor, finding the value in Telltale’s writing won’t be hard. But for those who found the story or texture of the shooter series too odd, too off-putting, or too secondary to the gameplay, its survival here may prove a turn-off.

The first episode is certain to produce a few laughs, as Rhys attempts to take down a murderous Bandit only to be mistaken for a prankster co-worker, or Fiona’s attempts at intimidation criticized as simply rude. And while the player’s impact on a Bandit rendition of ‘Death Race’ may be minimal, simply watching the action unfold and hitting the button prompts as they pop on-screen, there’s no denying the sheer entertainment in watching these more pedestrian characters thrown into the deep end of Pandora’s lunacy.

All things considered, ‘Zer0 Sum’ may not be what Telltale fans will expect – put simply, it’s the Borderlands experience adapted to a different form. That itself is quite an accomplishment, with the pairing deemed a poor match by many skeptics early on. So in that regard, Tales from the Borderlands is a surprising success. Even if the overall experience feels more restricted, and more scripted than either The Walking Dead or The Wolf Among Us.

But the weight of decisions only becomes clear as time passes; for now, the choice of how to outfit one’s Loader Bot, or just who will be the recipient of Fiona’s single bullet lack the typical Telltale gravity. What the developers are attempting here is a new and singular challenge, so we’ll give them the benefit of the doubt that there’s more weight coming soon enough.

As it stands, Tales is a no-brainer for Borderlands fans seeking another story set within that universe, and those just as fond of the fiction as the fighting. For Telltale fans, it’s a chance to see the developers tackle a lighter setting, and prove there’s no source material they can’t recapture.

Tales from the Borderlands: Episode 1 is available to download now for PC, PS3, PS4 and Xbox One, with an Xbox 360 release coming December 3.

Follow me on Twitter @andrew_dyce.

Our Rating:

3.5 out of 5

TAGS: 2K Games, Borderlands, Gearbox Software, PC, PS3, PS4, Tales From The Borderlands, TellTale Games, Xbox 360, Xbox One

‘Tales from the Borderlands: Episode 1′ Review