Sci-Fi Franchises That Would Make Great RPGs

Summary

• Sci-fi franchises like Blade Runner, Dune, and The Expanse have untapped potential for engaging RPGs. (120 characters)
• Games exploring such worlds can delve into moral ambiguity, unique factions, and immersion into complex storylines. (116 characters)
• Existing IPs like Halo, The Matrix, and Star Trek have the potential for RPG adaptations beyond their original formats. (113 characters)

Fantasy and RPGs often go hand-in-hand, so it’s not surprising we often see them combined. The ability to get immersed in a compelling fantasy world is a great selling point, so is it really any wonder that it often gets combined with popular franchises? The Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, Dungeons and Dragons, Pathfinder, Game of Thrones, Warhammer Fantasy, and The Witcher have all dipped their toes in the RPG video game scene at one point or another. Sometimes they worked, sometimes they didn’t. But it seems to happen a lot more than the other genre that fantasy so often gets paired with: science fiction. Sci-fi is also a great genre for video games, and it has seen its share of RPGs. Maybe they don’t always work perfectly, but when done right a good sci-fi RPG can produce some amazing results. But how many sci-fi franchises have received the same treatment as Hogwarts Legacy or Baldur’s Gate 3?

It’s unfortunate, becuase science fiction has produced some amazing worlds of its own. They have settings every bit as engaging as Middle Earth or Westeros, but remain untouched. There are exceptions, for sure. But overall, there remains a lot of untapped potential. These are some great sci-fi franchises that could make some really interesting RPGs.

To avoid cluttering the list, this only includes franchises that do not currently have a single-player RPG tied to them. For instance, while there’s definitely potential for more great RPGs in Star Wars and Warhammer 40k, they have not been included due to Knights of the Old Republic and Rogue Trader already being big successes. Tabletop and MMO RPGs are not counted for the purposes of this list.

9

Blade Runner

The Original Cyberpunk

Ridley Scott’s iconic dystopian noir laid the groundwork for the cyberpunk genre, and influenced decades of science fiction movies, TV shows, and video games. And that includes a very successful RPG: Cyberpunk 2077, so there’s definitely interest in an RPG exloring a sci-fi dystopia. The movie followed police officer Rick Deckard (famously played by Harrison Ford) as he tracked down a group of “replicants” (artificially constructed humans whose existence has been outlawed), while also falling in love with one. It was an emotionally-driven film that packed action with moral questions about what it means to be human. And it made for a memorable experience. But a movie can only do so much with the extensive worldbuilding. There’s only so much of its harsh view of Los Angeles that could be incorporated into a feature film. A video game would have more room to build on the existing lore and detail aspects that aren’t seen, like the space colonization.

An RPG that centered around exploring Los Angeles and interacting with its inhabitants, and possibly making decisions that affect the story, could be a great vehicle for exploring the themes of the movie. Players wouldn’t even need to be Rick Deckard (though getting Harrison Ford back would definitely be a bonus). The main focus would need to be on the question of what defines a human. One way to do that could be to cast players as a replicant, flipping the script and offering a new perspective. But playing as a Blade Runner, even an original or custom one, could still have potential for interesting combat encounters and even boss fights. There’s some interesting opportunities here that could make for a really engaging experience.

8

Dune

A Harsh Future Full of Moral Uncertainty

Frank Herbert’s iconic novel, which launched a popular book series and inspired three different film adaptations, helped set the template for modern space opera. Everything from Star Wars to Warhammer 40,000 has clear influence from the beloved series. It has seen a few video games (Dune: Awakening, Dune: Spice Wars, etc), but an RPG could really get into a lot of what made it so interesting. After all, a big part of what resonated with readers was the moral ambiguity. Paul’s journey was so memorable because he blurs the line between hero and villain. This is the kind of setup an RPG could have a lot of fun with. A big part of a Dune RPG could easily be making decisions that lack a clear moral path and trying to decide who to trust, knowing it will have long-term consequences on other characters. Plus, there would be the obvious room for incorporating survival mechanics while exploring Arrakis in the same way as Dune: Awakening.

But if the developers were really ambitious, there’s another direction a Dune RPG could go. One of the major factions in Dune is the Bene Gesserit, an all-female religious order with special powers. The big one is being able to use “the voice”- literally influencing the world around them through spoken word. An RPG could take advantage of this, casting the player as a new member of the Bene Gesserit and allowing her to develop her abilities as she gains experience. And since the Bene Gesserit can be… morally gray at best, it’s a great opportunity to explore the roleplaying side as well, with the player having options for how loyaly they want to follow their order.

7

The Expanse

A Dangerous Solar System

A lot of people don’t realize that, before it became a series of novels and then a popular TV series, The Expanse was originally conceived as a concept for a video game, so it would be fitting to see it get that treatment. And its structure would lend itself well to an RPG format. The full series already features a multitude of competing factions, each of which also has its own sub-factions and inner conflicts. And a common theme of the series is people being thrown into situations that force them to make split-second decisions that end up having lasting consequences, which is itself a common appeal for RPGs. We saw a bit of that already with The Expanse: The Telltale Series, but a full-on RPG could go further with the decisions.

Imagine, for instance, building an original character and choosing their background (Earth, Martian, or Belter), maybe with different attributes for each. And having options to affect the solar system in the long term. That could include deciding which faction to side with, or maybe striking out as a pirate. Plus, there would be plenty of options for interacting with characters who could be affected by the player’s decisions.

6

Doctor Who

Adventure Through Space and Time

The long-running BBC series remains an icon of sci-fi television, but it hasn’t left much of a mark on video games. There have been several attempts, but nothing ever managed to really take off. This is unfortunate, since there’s a lot of interesting material in Doctor Who, and in the right hands, an RPG could be a truly unique experience. Now, it’s true that a game centered around freely driving the TARDIS across space and time is probably not feasible, but there’s a lot of material that could be used as a central point of focus. The big question would be where to start—playing as the Doctor could work. After all, a big part of his character in the show is problem-solving, interacting with characters, and a preference for outsmarting enemies over direct violence (though he is capable of it when sufficiently provoked). And the upside is the multitude of casting options. The Doctor’s already been played by 14 different actors (even more including non-canon appearances).

Sure, they could just go for the current one, or they could get Tom Baker or Peter Davison to do voicework while digitally recreating their younger selves in-game. The video game approach could even allow the return of William Hartnell, Patrick Troughton, or John Pertwee, since it would be easier to get away with a replacement voice actor. Maybe there could even be an option to choose which iteration to play as.

But the Doctor isn’t the only major character who could be used. Throughout the show, the Doctor travels with various companions, many of whom have their own skill sets. In fact, one might say the doctor often leads a party of adventurers. They could bring in some iconic companions from the show, maybe even taking advantage of the digital medium to bring back some who otherwise wouldn’t be possible. Either way, there’s a very obvious basis for the party system that defines a lot of RPGs, and different companions could conceivably have different skill sets. The other upside is that this could be a fun way to revisit old friends from the series. For instance, a virtual platform could bring back Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart, something impossible in the main series due to Nicholas Courtney’s death. Alternatively, a new original character could be used, specifically one who has to develop their skills to handle the current crisis. There are a lot of interesting options here that could make something really unique.

5

Escape From New York

Ruthless Dystopia Run By Criminals

John Carpenter’s 1981 cult classic featured a simple plot that explored a ruthless dystopian world. America has turned full authoritarian, and crime rates are so out of control that they literally turned the entire city of New York into a maximum security prison. Like literally, the city is surrounded by walls and mines with a militaristic police force patrolling the outside. The premise might be a little dated now (this allegedly happened in 1997), but it’s still the setup for a creative dystopia. And one advantage that video games have over a movie- they have more room to explore and interact with the setting. Even if it weren’t full open-world, an RPG could take full advantage of the film’s worldbuilding, allowing the player to explore how New York is shaped by a population of convicted criminals, work with or against different factions, and introduce a wide range of crazy characters.

The original movie, as well as its less successful sequel Escape From LA centered around the iconic one-eyed anti-hero Snake Plissken. It would make logical sense to bring him back in some form, especially if they could get Kurt Russell to reprise the role. It probably wouldn’t be that big a stretch to include a mechanic where his skills and equipment can be developed by the player. However, this wouldn’t necessarily have to be the case. A custom protagonist could still be a great way to interact with the setting and would give players options for how they want to interact with Carpenter’s chaotic dystopia.

4

Halo

Who Said it Has to Be a Shooter?

Halo is best known as a first-person shooter, but that doesn’t mean it has to be confined to that genre. The franchise successfully branched into RTS with Halo Wars, so why not try something different? Halo has such detailed worldbuilding and there’s only so much that can be shown in a linear shooter. An RPG could focus more on the games’ detailed worldbuilding and get players a lot more invested in its characters. Now sure, it might be hard to imagine Master Chief in an RPG, but it doesn’t have to be about Master Chief. In fact, why not move away from SPARTANs or even the UNSC entirely? There are other factions, aren’t there? A Halo RPG could dive into a lot of the deeper conflicts surrounding the lore, and give players options for who to side with, if any. This could be a fun opportunity to dive more into the various human conflicts that have been an issue throughout the series, and to shape how they play out.

On the other hand, there’s no reason the game has to be centered around humans. What about an RPG from the perspective of the Covenant? The opportunity to play one of the various species Master Chief normally plows through would flip the script and give a lot more depth. Or they could take advantage of some of the crazy galactic history and make a game around uncovering Forerunner secrets. And depending on choices, those secrets could shape the fate of the galaxy as a whole, so there’s a lot of pressure there. While some fans might find this approach jarring, a Halo RPG could be a good way to breathe new life into a struggling IP.

3

The Matrix

Virtual Carnage In a Digital World

The Waschowskis’ 1999 action blockbuster is kind of already structured like an RPG. It features a hero who unexpectedly rises from humble beginnings and finds a party of allies as he develops his skills and encounters various characters in a quest to solve a much bigger problem. And it kind of makes sense, since what is the Matrix ultimately if not a video game that traps its players? This is something a video game could have some fun with, and there have been a few attempts. But a full RPG could really take advantage of the setting. A big part of the movies, for instance, is the power that comes once one understands that the Matrix isn’t real, which gets to the point of literally defying physics. Everything from dodging bullets to outright flying could be an unlockable ability- there’s a leveling system right there. And it wouldn’t even have to be about Neo. It could easily be a custom protagonist.

Of course, becoming more powerful isn’t the only thing that makes RPGs appealing, and The Matrix could offer some interesting options. For starters, interacting with different characters and factions is already a major part of the story. And there could be some good potential to offering choices that affect the fate of humanity. The obvious route would be to play as a resistance member, but what if, say, they included an evil option to side with Agent Smith? And such choices could affect what powers people get access to. And side quests? Well, there’d be people all over the place in both the real and virtual spaces who could offer something. How is this not already an RPG? And no, The Matrix Online doesn’t count.

2

Starcraft

A Galaxy of Cosmic Crises

Starcraft remains best-known as a real-time strategy game, but there’s a limit to what can be done with that genre in terms of story, especially when the lore gets as complex as it does here. A lot of the plot and characterization gets limited to cutscenes while actual gameplay focuses on commanding armies. That’s not a bad system in itself, but it does come with the downside that the typical RTS structure doesn’t leave a lot of room to get personal with its cast. Usually, it involves commanding armies of generic anonymous soldiers from a safe distance. But who says that it has to be limited to the confines of an RTS? If shooters like Gears of War and Halo can make the transition to strategy, why can’t the reverse also be true? Or better yet, what if Blizzard tried doing an RPG?

A single-player Starcraft RPG would be a great way to get immersed in the series’ chaotic universe from a new perspective. And it wouldn’t even have to sacrifice the tactical aspect. It would need to be reworked from entire armies to a small party, but incorporating elements of a tactical shooter and making use of party skills would retain the need for strategic thinking. But it would also mean getting to know people more as individuals instead of anonymous units. And there could still be fun opportunities to play with the unique abilities of its different races. Playing as a zerg could take advantage of its parasitic nature, emphasizing character progression by obtaining skills from consumed life forms, while controlling a Protoss could focus on developing psychic powers.

1

Star Trek

Boldly Going Where No One’s Gone Before

Star Trek has been going strong for a long time, and left such a huge impact on pop culture, it’s amazing that it’s seen as few video games as it has. And most of the ones that do exist are focused around commanding a ship. There’s never really been an RPG that could focus on story and worldbuilding (no, Star Trek Online doesn’t count). Why not? Star Trek has already had success in the tabletop RPG scene, so transitioning to a video game format can’t be a huge stretch. Its longstanding influence on sci-fi includes inspiring several successful RPGs, like the Mass Effect trilogy, which, funnily enough, would probably be a pretty good inspiration for a Star Trek game. An RPG could explore a lot of what goes on in the world to a degree not possible in the shows, with the player being able to explore and interact with characters and impact major events. And there are few aspects of the series that could easily lend themselves to RPG mechanics.

For starters, there’s already an easy class system. We can just use the divisions already in the show – command, security/engineering, and medical/science, with each offering different skillsets. Of course, this is if we just want to stick to Starfleet, since a game wanting to go further could experiment with options to join other factions. Then there’s the potential for a morality system. Star Trek may be on the more optimistic side of sci-fi, but that doesn’t mean right and wrong are always clear-cut decisions. Perhaps something like the paragon/renegade system in Mass Effect where the player can determine whether they want to be more aggressive like Kirk or diplomatic like Picard. And from there, it would just be a question of which setting to pick. Of course, that’s assuming a decision to stick with Starfleet. There could be potential to try something new by showcasing one of the other major factions. Imagine being able to side with Klingons, Romulans, strike out as a space pirate, or even join up with the Borg.