Fantasy stories seem to be all the rage right now as every streaming service tries to capture the success ofGame of Thrones.Netflixin particular is trying to adapt numerous fantasy novels into brand-new franchises. One of these IPs is the YA seriesShadow and Boneby Leigh Bardugo, and it seems to be going well so far. The second season just released, the studio has plans for a spin-off, and even a game is supposedly on the horizon. There seems to be no shortage ofShadow and Bonecontent, butNetflixcould take the series to new heights by followingHogwarts Legacy.
Hogwarts Legacyhas successfullyexpanded the Wizarding World franchise, and has finally givenHarry Potterfans the experience they have been dreaming about. It has truly been a delight, and Netflix may want to take some notes. Just like the Wizarding World,Shadow and Bone’s Grishaverse offers viewers a fantastical world to explore with stories waiting to be told. If Netflix wants to be taken seriously in the gaming world, thenShadow and Bonemay be its ticket to get there.
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Shadow and Bone’s World Is Waiting to Be Explored
Shadow and Bonewhisks players away to a fantasy world filled with magic, interesting characters, and a whole lot of conflict. Thestory ofShadow and Bonefocuses on the Kingdom of Ravka, a kingdom that has been split in half by the mysterious Shadow Fold. This fold has engulfed the area in darkness and put the entire kingdom at risk. It is up to Ravka’s army to keep it all together, but that is easier said than done.
The mainShadow and Bonetrilogy focuses on Alina Starkov, a Grisha with the ability to summon light. It is up to her to finally break the Fold, but to do this she must travel far and wide to gain power. At the same time, the vile Darkling actively tries to manipulate and use her to conquer the world. The show adapts the majority of this trilogy, but it also throws in some of Leigh Bardugo’s other Grishaverse adventures.
Leigh Bardugo expanded the Grishaverse with theSix of Crowsduology, and Netflix chose to integrate those characters into the main series. This duology introducedShadow and Bone’s Crowsand the city of Ketterdam, a city filled with criminal enterprises that serves as the capital of Kerch. The Grishaverse was further expanded with theKing of Scarsduology that explored the events after the two previous series ended and featured characters from both.
Each Grishaverse novel has expanded the world in interesting ways, and Netflix has finally shown readers what this world looks like. Now, it is time that fans actually got to live in the world. Bardugo’s universe is filled with interesting stories, unique kingdoms, and dozens of characters waiting to be realized. The novels and TV show have barely scratched the surface of the story potential, but a game could delve even further intoShadow and Bone’s fantasy world.
A Grishaversegame likeHogwarts Legacywould be a delight for fans of the series. It could put players in control of a Grisha, and let them experience the turbulent world that Leigh Bordugo created. It could be set during the events ofShadow and Bone, it could take place during theKing of Scarsduology, or it could explore the past and possibly the creation of the infamous Fold. The studio could also create a slew of new interesting characters for players to interact with and could bring fans to the less explored kingdoms of the universe.
Netflixhas been trying to get its game division going for a couple of years now, but none of the games have really been huge hits. That has the potential to change with the release of a large-scaleShadow and Boneaction-adventure game. The fantasy world is just as worthy of being explored as some of the bigger IPs, and now would be a great time to do it.
