FX's Adaptation Of 22-Year Video Game Franchise Can Last Forever

FX's upcoming adaptation of a 22-year-old video game franchise might just last forever, thanks to the unique approach the series is going to have. FX is home to a number of ongoing TV series that have become staples of the network including a number of adaptations from various source materials. From the in-development Shōgun season 2, to the X-Men spinoff series Legion, the network is no stranger to taking a familiar intellectual property and putting its own spin on it to deliver a new experience to viewers.

One creative who's developed a number of acclaimed TV shows on the platform is Noah Hawley. The showrunner, writer, and producer is best known for his TV show Fargo, an anthology series taking place in the same universe as the classic 1996 crime thriller. Each season follows a different, interconnected story that typically takes place in the area, or has some tangential connection to it. He's also the mind behind Alien: Earth, a spinoff TV show of the sci-fi horror franchise. Alien: Earth season 2 is currently filming.

But Hawley is also involved in another TV show poised to be a major release for FX once it finally begins: Far Cry. Based on the video game series of the same name, Far Cry promises to adapt the games' typical approach of featuring protagonists in isolating, harrowing locations attempting to survive against antagonistic forces. The video game series has been running since 2004, with the latest installment, Far Cry 6, coming out in 2021. But the TV show promises an approach that, if done right, would make it an additional long-running staple of the franchise.

Far Cry's Anthology Format Means It Can Go On Forever

Much like Fargo, every season of Far Cry will follow a different set of characters in a different setting. This mirrors the video game series it's based on, with each game taking place in a self-contained location with minimal connectivity to the rest of the franchise. Far Cry season 1 will star series co-creator Rob Mac, alongside Lizzy Caplan, Steve Buscemi, Brendan Gleeson, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Hamish Linklater, Sam Spruell, and Jamie Demetriou. Filming for the series began earlier this month.

However, what makes the show even more compelling is that it won't be based on any of the video games' established storylines. Although the source material has its own approach that makes its stories feel more like an anthology, it appears the TV series won't be pulling stories directly from the games. This opens the door for plenty of original stories in intense, isolated locations. Which, in turn, means there's creative freedom for the show to continue for as long as Hawley and Mac can think up new ideas that fit thematically.

What Far Cry Needs To Keep From The Video Game Franchise

Of course, there are elements of the video game franchise Far Cry should keep. The games are action-heavy first-person shooters, with open world, base conquest mechanics that keep its main characters in mortal danger. The games keep up a fast pace, while some of the later ones make survivalism important as well. This combination of high-octane violence and survival in harsh conditions are crucial to making the video game franchise work, which is why these elements needs to be translated over to the TV show.

More importantly, the game series has a number of plot elements and classic villains, from Vaas Montenegro to Joseph Seed, who would make for good antagonists in remixed stories. Even if Far Cry is dead-set on not adapting some of the most compelling storylines in video game history, it can still utilize characters and ideas from the source material to its betterment. This would help ground the show in the video game series' universe while allowing it to still carve out its own place.