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The world of anime/manga and video games pretty frequently cross over. There is a sort of shared and mutual inspiration between the mediums that is more than apparent to most observers, whether it be the power levels and special moves present in anime like My Hero Academia or Jujutsu Kaisen or the intense and drama-centered action present in games like God of War or Monster Hunter.
It’s also safe to say that many fantastic video games from the last few decades have been adapted from or aligned with popular anime/manga like Dragon Ball FighterZ, Digimon Cyber Sleuth, or Sword Art Online: Fatal Bullet. With that in mind, there are still plenty of anime that need video games out there. The surge in great titles from recent years certainly opens up the possibilities for interesting games coming hopefully at some point in the future.
Chainsaw Man
Without a doubt, one of the buzziest anime and manga in the world right now is Chainsaw Man. Tatsuki Fujimoto’s modern hit is captivating audiences with its bizarre, often grotesque humor contrasted by gory fights and touching characters.
A Chainsaw Man video game could go the route of My Hero Academia or Dragon Ball Z by planting itself firmly in the fighting genre. It definitely has the potential for a wide-roster traditional fighting title where players can choose between Devil Hunters, Devils, and Fiends. There’s also potential for a game in the Souls-Like genre, though, where players could hone Denji’s chainsaw abilities while facing off against increasingly terrifying devils wielding insane amounts of power.
Kaiju No. 8
Kaiju No. 8 is one of the most popular manga in Japan right now and its anime adaptation that’s set to premiere in April 2024 could very well skyrocket the story into worldwide acclaim. It’s not an out-of-the-box take on the Kaiju format, but it blends tongue-in-cheek humor with fleshed-out characters to add powerful context to the massive monster fights that always feel like a blast.
A Kaiju No. 8 video game could be something akin to God of War where the player controls Kafka Hibino and takes down massive Honju along with waves of Yoju with other characters like Ichikawa and Shinomiya providing assistance. It could even take on the gameplay style of the older God of War trilogy that many fans of the series are nostalgic for. An alternative could be a gameplay style more similar to the Attack on Titan video games. Similarly action-oriented with a larger emphasis on movement to take down the game’s massive threats.
Vinland Saga
Vinland Saga was an extremely successful manga for the better part of a decade and a half before getting its own anime adaptation starting in 2019 and finding equal levels of success in that medium. The Nordic historical fantasy epic has to be one of the most original concepts to hit the anime industry this century, and the bloody battles paired with strong characters that come along with the story make it a must-watch for anyone, anime fan or not.
The first thing that naturally comes to mind when considering a Vinland Saga video game adaptation must be God of War: Ragnarok. The intense fights of that game in its mythological Scandinavian setting could be perfectly tweaked to fit Vinland Saga like a glove. In lieu of that, something more like Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor could also make a lot of sense, especially considering the parallel revenge plots of the two stories.
Blue Lock
There haven’t been many sports anime in recent years that have seen much international success, but Blue Lock is blowing all expectations away with a soccer story that is as thrilling as it is potentially confusing for all the Americans out there who don’t know the rules of the game.
A Blue Lock video game would naturally need to revolve around playing soccer. It could be something more standard like something in the FIFA franchise with an anime tinge, or it could be something that leans a bit more into the cartoon aspect of the show, like Super Mario Strikers. The latter may be the best move, considering the anime is full of ridiculous maneuvers and overpowered kicks that just wouldn’t make as much sense in a game that is going for a more realistic approach. A mechanic revolving around the elimination hook of Blue Lock could also make the game stand out among its peers
Dai Dark
Q Hayashida’s follow-up to the critically acclaimed Dorohedoro maintains the dark and strange atmosphere Hayashida is known for while being injected with a surprisingly large dose of effective humor. The manga has yet to receive any kind of plans for an anime adaptation, although it really feels like it’s just a matter of time, but that doesn’t mean a video game adaptation couldn’t still be planned for such a fresh concept.
A video game for Dai Dark could be incredibly unique, taking advantage of the “fugitives on the run” atmosphere the story exudes as Zaha Sanko and his partner attempt to avoid being exploited for bones. The game could be a massive chase around the strange worlds present within Q Hayashida’s setting, something not often seen in modern games.
