There’s a long and noble tradition of adapting movies into video games. Over the years, we’ve seen everything from The Godfather to Napoleon Dynamite to Back to the Future adapted into the medium, but it’s safe to say nobody predicted that Cannibal Holocaust would join them.
Ruggero Deodato’s notoriously gory and violent 1980 film pioneered the found footage format and seemed so realistic that the director was put on trial for the murder of his cast (the charges were dropped when the actors confirmed they weren’t dead). Yesterday, Deodato and Fantastico Studios announced that the ‘cannibal cycle’ would continue in Cannibal, due to hit all major consoles (even the Switch!) and PC in November 2020. And here’s how the announcement went down:
A Cannibal Holocaust video game existing should only open the door for more horror movie video games. What I'm saying here is give me a puppet master video game.
— Tales From The Markside (@Markofgray) April 8, 2020
i'm more excited to see what an 80 year old man's vision of a video game is than i am for the cannibal holocaust video game
— Gorilla at Large Will Return After These Messages (@ZaaackKoootzer) April 8, 2020
A cannibal holocaust video game!!!!! IM SOLD!!! take my money!!! 🤩😍😍🤩 https://t.co/49BEpsW7cK
— TonyUncleAL (@tonyuncleAL19) April 8, 2020
Cannibal Holocaust video game announced like a week late!
— Kohina (@InitiatorKohina) April 8, 2020
https://twitter.com/Retrosoul22/status/1248037655796953091?s=20
I just found out that there is going to be a video game adaption of Cannibal Holocaust coming to PC and all consoles, yes including Switch. pic.twitter.com/BnlDO2urGM
— man fuck this place (@SquidPunkTV) April 8, 2020
https://twitter.com/ZenithianBlade/status/1248156648599883776?s=20
Listen, I’m a Cannibal Holocaust sympathizer in a couple of ways but by no stretch of the imagination do I think we need more of it. https://t.co/CPPka4XJCt
— Far Out Farons (@iFarons) April 9, 2020
https://twitter.com/neonwhite900/status/1247996420839419905?s=20
The Cooking Mama controversy was the wildest gaming news to happen this year. Nothing could possibly top that.
Oh wait they just announced a video game based on the 1980s exploitation horror film Cannibal Holocaust. Okay.
— Tomokocchi (@itsTomokocchi) April 8, 2020
I’m going to be keeping an eye on this simply because I don’t think there’s any way it can turn out boring. Cannibal Holocaust isn’t exactly the kind of movie crying out to be adapted into a video game, but if they put some of the genuinely screwed up and shocking stuff that’s in the film in there, then the Mortal Kombat fighters are going to look like Disney princesses in comparison.
My bet is given that this is releasing on the Switch, it’ll be a Telltale-like interactive story rather than some kind of shooter. But perhaps they could squeeze some interesting mechanics in if the player character was given a virtual camera to make their own found footage. It’s the kind of tactic used in the classic Fatal Frame horror series and more recently in Bloober Team’s underrated Blair Witch game.
Whatever the case, Deodato and Fantastico have got everyone’s attention. Now they jus have to live up to the hype.
