Staff Picks, April 2025: All The Adaptations (opens in new tab)

The April 2025 edition of Discord’s “Staff Picks” highlights video game adaptations across television, film, and anime. Staff members praise adaptations such as The Last of Us, Five Nights at Freddy’s, and Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, while suggesting games like BioShock, Ace Attorney, and God of War for future projects. Their choices emphasize strong storytelling, distinctive worlds, memorable characters, and creative visual adaptation.

Upcoming Video Game Adaptations

• April 2025 features several major releases:
  • A Minecraft Movie on April 4
  • Season two of HBO’s The Last of Us on April 13
  • The Until Dawn movie on April 25
• The article uses these releases as a starting point for discussing staff members’ favorite adaptations and dream projects.

Veronica: The Last of Us and BioShock

• Veronica considers HBO’s The Last of Us her favorite adaptation.
  • The original game’s cinematic presentation made it seem naturally suited to television.
  • The series exceeded her expectations and expanded the game’s lore.
  • She specifically praises the emotional impact of the third episode.
  • She is enthusiastic about the adaptation of the divisive but personally beloved second game.
• Her ideal future adaptation is the BioShock series.
  • She wants to see the underwater cities of Rapture from BioShock and BioShock 2.
  • She is also interested in seeing Columbia from BioShock Infinite.
  • Although adaptation rumors have circulated, she remains cautiously optimistic.

Cody: Five Nights at Freddy’s and Ace Attorney

• Cody selects the Five Nights at Freddy’s movie despite its relatively mild scares.
  • He enjoys its predictable jumpscares and accessible PG-13 horror style.
  • The film’s animatronics are especially effective because they were built as real puppets by Jim Henson’s Creature Shop rather than created entirely with CGI.
• He would like the Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney trilogy to receive an anime adaptation.
  • The original Ace Attorney trilogy already has an anime series.
  • The Apollo Justice games feature a more comedic and cartoony cast that could translate well to animation.
  • After spending more than 100 hours playing the trilogy, Cody also hopes Capcom eventually produces a new mainline entry.

Emi: Cyberpunk: Edgerunners and God of War

• Emi praises Cyberpunk: Edgerunners as a standout adaptation.
  • The anime quickly builds emotional investment in David, Lucy, and the residents of Night City.
  • Studio Trigger’s animation and visual effects are so striking that she rewatched individual scenes.
  • The series’ music, particularly “I Really Want to Stay at Your House,” remains emotionally powerful.
• Her dream adaptation is the God of War franchise as a television series or film.
  • The Greek and Norse storylines provide a large narrative scope.
  • Kratos’s character development, cinematic scenes, and supporting cast give the series strong adaptation potential.
  • She hopes reported plans for a screen adaptation eventually lead to a release.

The staff’s recommendations show that successful game adaptations can preserve a game’s atmosphere while expanding its characters, lore, and visual identity. Viewers looking for game-inspired entertainment can start with The Last of Us, Five Nights at Freddy’s, or Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, while fans can look forward to possible adaptations of BioShock, Ace Attorney, and God of War.