In a recent interview, the creator of Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul revealed that he wanted to adapt Breaking Bad through a game like Grand Theft Auto. One of the biggest television properties would have combined with one of the largest franchises in gaming for an experience that could have been a lot of fun. It was also not the only video game that could have adapted Breaking Bad and its spinoff, but the majority of the titles never left the planning stages. It came down to the fact that video games are just very hard to make, and the products may not have met the high standards set by the TV shows.
Video game adaptations are always a mixed bag, and a Breaking Bad video game may have followed that trend. However, the hard-hitting writing of Breaking Bad could have made for a fantastic game. The concepts at play may have blended very well with the Grand Theft Auto formula, and the creators of the show seemed committed to making sure that the video game would have been great. However, it will probably never see the light of day as Vince Gilligan prepares to close the Breaking Bad universe when the last episode of Better Call Saul airs. That leaves fans wondering about what could have been, and it may have been great.
The Story of Breaking Bad
The Breaking Bad franchise started back in 2008 with Breaking Bad, and it has gone on to receive immense critical acclaim. The story follows a high school chemistry teacher known as Walter White. He discovers that he has lung cancer and wants to financially provide for his family. To do this, he teams up with a former student of his Jesse Pinkman and the two of them begin to cook meth. What ensues is five seasons that are considered by many to be some of the best writing that TV has to offer. Surrounding Walter White and Jesse Pinkman is a large cast of fully realized characters that act as allies or adversaries to the duo, like the terrifying Gustavo Fring, the elusive Mike Ehrmantraut, and the lovable lawyer Saul Goodman; the subject of the prequel series Better Call Saul.
Breaking Bad was only the start of a much larger franchise that has been able to maintain the same level of quality. Two years after the climatic end of Breaking Bad, Vince Gilligan created the spin-off series Better Call Saul. That show has followed Saul Goodman and other characters before, and after, the events of Breaking Bad. In 2019, Gilligan directed a film sequel to Breaking Bad known as El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie. It tied up loose ends left by the award-winning series and was lauded by critics.
The Grand Theft Auto Formula Could Mesh Very Well with Breaking Bad
The Breaking Bad story is vast and loved by many, and it could have made for a fun Grand Theft Auto-like video game. Just like Breaking Bad, Grand Theft Auto follows characters that make questionable decisions and are thrust deeper into the criminal underworld of whatever city they live in. They must take down adversaries while also avoiding the law in some of the best stories that gaming has to offer. Blending the best stories that TV has to offer with GTA could be a recipe for success.
Breaking Bad cannot just be put into the Grand Theft Auto formula though; there would have to be changes. None of the main Breaking Bad characters walk through the streets of Albuquerque guns blazing like Grand Theft Auto characters do. The focus of Breaking Bad is very much on the characters instead of large spectacle or set pieces like Rockstar Games likes to do. It would have to be smaller scale, slower, and more reined in compared to games like Grand Theft Auto 5.
It would not be too hard to mesh the Breaking Bad story with a game like Grand Theft Auto, but the developer would have to tread carefully if it wanted to match the quality of the shows. However, the likelihood of this occurring is very small as Vince Gilligan has said that he is moving on from the idea. In another reality, gamers may have been able to experience the critically acclaimed story of Walter White from his perspective. Instead, viewers will just have to stick to the award-winning TV shows to get their Breaking Bad fix.