As its brand continues to grow alongside an animated series adaptation,Critical Roleis poised to keep expanding into even more mediums outside itsDungeons and Dragonslive-play origins. Following recent comments indicating that a video game based on the adventures in Exandria could have been in the works for some time already, fans of the cast’s campaigns may finally end up experiencing the world ofCritical Rolein an interactive format.
While bringing thestory ofThe Legend of Vox Machinato life as an animated series is already remarkable, bringing the collaborative storytelling experience of aDnDcampaign into a video game is a different beast entirely. There’s an inevitable split in the directions this project could take due to the dynamic between improvisation and defined lore that defines the franchise, and a commitment to certain compromises seems to be the only feasible way to handle a faithful game adaptation.
The rumored Critical Role video game hasn’t been officially announced or revealed yet.
The Challenge of Reflecting Critical Role’s Open-Ended Spirit in the Gaming Medium
A Non-Linear Structure Would Struggle to Match the Tone of Any Actual Play Campaign
Thefreedom of an open-world RPGwould more closely mirror the feel ofDnD, but it would also hamper the compelling pacing of the character development at the heart ofCritical Role. While combat is important to all the campaigns, the true charm of the streams mostly lies in how the cast handles the relationships of their characters. Despite the popularity of open-world design, it arguably wouldn’t play to the strengths of the brand, as its association with prominent video game voice actors would probably be better oriented toward a more structured plot.
Solidifying a Narrative May Compromise the Core of Dungeons and Dragons
Although there’s hardly any doubt that theteam behindCritical Rolewould be able to deliver an ambitious storyline in a more linear game, this could conversely come at the cost ofDnD’s flexibility. This prospect makes the concept of directly adapting an existing campaign into the medium seem the most probable, but reusing what theVox Machinashow has already covered might feel redundant to long-time fans while also alienating uninitiated newcomers.
Why Balancing the Direction of a Critical Role Video Game Could Be Worth the Risk
RPG Formats That Lend Themselves to the Unconventional Adaptation
Despite the issues that it would face, certain subgenres could strike a balance that makes aCritical Rolevideo game adaptationworthwhile. Directions which have the means to support a blend of character-driven storytelling and meaningful player agency include:
The depth of experience ofCritical Role’s cast when it comes to video game voice roles means they’re no strangers to all sorts of genres, but any adaptation would face the same dilemma of possibly contradicting the lore established in the official campaigns. Regardless of the subgenre, this project would likely serve an ideal role by focusing on expandingCritical Role’s world of Exandriawithout stepping on the toes of existing canon. This leaves the space for either a compelling linear plot or a fully open-world outing, with the only true necessity being that the spirit of the live-play is maintained along the way.
