Horror fans know Junji Ito as "the" Japanese horror mangaka, specializing in stories that disturb and frighten readers like few authors can. As such, when it's rumored that the Tomie and Uzumaki writer has met with Hideo Kojima, fans immediately got their gears spinning. Would the Death Stranding and Metal Gear creator finally have a shot in making another Silent Hills horror game?
Moreover, if rumors about a Kojima x Ito game become true, just what sort of story would that create? It's very likely that Kojima Productions has the firepower to elevate Ito's horror ideas into a visual masterpiece. After all, Kojima Productions already showed this capability with the Silent Hills prototype P.T. As such, it's interesting to wonder just what Ito story would the rumored duo transform into a video game. Moreover, just which Ito story would fit Kojima's signature "cinematic" game style?
10 Needs A Game: Unbearable Maze
Of all Junji Ito's stories, Unbearable Maze is one of the few that isn't entirely grotesque or outright strange. This story tells the tale of two friends on a hike inside the mountains. However, they soon discover an ancient temple with believers that are practicing a "corrupted" version of Buddhism.
Players in need of an interesting horror-adventure might get the right chills from an Unbearable Maze adaptation. Since it's a short story, Kojima and Ito might need to spice things up to extend the overarching story. Thanks to modern survival titles, the primary crux of the game might involve Amnesia-like mechanics where players have to manage their sanity and resources while outlasting opponents.
9 Better Off A Story: The Thing That Drifted Ashore
Aside from paranormal encounters, Ito also specializes in horror that involves grotesque and weird creatures such as in The Thing That Drifted Ashore. In this short story, people stumble upon an unknown creature on the Pacific Ocean, with a head seemingly made of tumors and various small tendrils.
Unfortunately, despite the disturbing nature of the story, The Thing That Drifted Ashore might be better off as a short story. Of course, fans might want to explore the origins of the unknown creature. However, like the Loch Ness Monster, The Thing That Drifted Ashore gets its appeal precisely from lacking an in-depth explanation.
8 Needs A Game: Long Dream
In Long Dream, Dr. Kuroda explores the stories Tetsuro, a patient who has been experiencing year-long dreams in a single night. His condition worsens as he starts experiencing decades or even centuries in his dreams, which slowly mutate his physical and mental state.
Thanks to a film adaptation in 2000, Ito fans may see how Long Dream might work as a survival horror adventure game. Interestingly, given Long Dream's premise, its game adaptation might want to take a Silent Hill approach. In this theoretical game, Mukoda may spend some time in the "real world" trying to stitch his memories of the past, while the rest of his adventures take place in the dream world where he needs to fulfill certain objectives to "survive" the night.
7 Better Off A Story: Souichi
Junji Ito's Souichi isn't a story, but rather a character across different stories. People who meet Souichi might see a troubled kid (or an adult) with a knack for pranks and biting steel nails. Unbeknownst to them, Souichi is a black magic practitioner with terrifying powers.
Despite his popularity, Souichi's tales might be better off as short stories of dark humor. Unfortunately, the nature of Souichi's stories might not be suitable for a full-blown title, given they happen under different circumstances and feature different people. A remedy to this problem would be making a title that "tries" to weave all these stories together.
6 Needs A Game: Uzumaki
Considered as one of Ito's best works, Uzumaki tells of the story of Kurôzu-Cho, a foggy town that's supposed to be cursed. The story is told from the perspective of Shuichi Saito and his partner Kirie Goshima as they notice various spiral shapes overtaking the town.
Like Unbearable Maze, an Uzumaki game might be more narrative-centric instead of focusing on threats and creatures. As such, the game might take a similar approach to Amnesia. In a hypothetical Uzumaki game, Shuichi and Kirie may slowly uncover the secrets of Kurôzu-Cho and the mysterious spiral patterns that soon overtake it.
5 Better Off A Story: The Red String
In this story, The Red String talks of the tale of Ishii and the strange occurrences in his body since he and Momoko broke up. After resting for a few days, Ishii soon notices a red string stitched on his wrist with no recollection of who made it. More stitches soon appear around his body, all of which impervious to cutting.
Despite its chilling nature, The Red String might serve its purpose better as a short story than a game. In fact, The Red String follows the Ito signature of unsettling horror, with no need for a premise or an ending unlike most games.
4 Needs A Game: Gyo
This story serves as one of the weirdest among Ito's works yet. In Gyo, people who encounter the "death stench" soon see sea creatures with sharp metallic legs. People will soon associate this revolting smell with the arrival of these creatures. Moreover, they started out as fish but are now appearing as larger sea creatures.
Interestingly, unlike the other stories, the Gyo manga expands enough on the origins and outcome of the strange creatures that Gyo might make the perfect action-horror title. Interestingly, a Gyo game might play out as a Resident Evil-like title, where survivors can find various weapons to repel and eliminate the creatures in the story.
3 Better Off A Story: Tomie
Tomie Kawakami, the titular character in the Tomie stories, is a young woman possessing "true" beauty. In fact, she's too beautiful that men would be obsessed with her. Unfortunately for them, Tomie possesses an unbelievable terror coupled with her selfish and manipulative nature. As a result, a lot of Tomie stories end up becoming chilling and unsettling.
Despite being one of Ito's most popular characters, Tomie may be better off in stories instead of games. Thanks to various film adaptations, fans have a clear vision of how various filmmakers interpret Ito and Tomie's machinations. Unfortunately, Tomie's mysterious and chilling nature is more suitable for manga than a game.
2 Needs A Game: Hellstar Remina
Of all of Ito's works, Hellstar Remina remains one of the most unsettling. Delving into cosmic horror, Hellstar Remina is a star-sized entity that eats other planetary bodies. A Japanese scientist first discovered this star, which he named after his daughter, Remina. Unfortunately, the closer the Hellstar approaches, the more terrifying its presence becomes. And all hell breaks loose when people realized the Hellstar is a living entity.
The premise of Hellstar Remina should make for a great survival horror title. Given the story's inclination to cosmic horror, Call of Cthulhu seems like a perfect inspiration. The game may take span across the days as the Hellstar approached, with goals ranging from survival to finding a means to try and fight the cosmic horror.
1 Better Off A Story: Army Of One
It's interesting to see Army of One in a list of Ito's titles "not recommended" for a game adaptation. After all, Ito fans consider this story as one of his best works. In this story, the shut-in Michio gets reacquainted with some of his high school friends. Unfortunately, his "resurfacing" into the world becomes matched with incidents involving the "Army of One" and horrific murders that have been going around the city.
Enthusiasts who get to read Army of One will understand why Ito fans go to this story as a must-read. However, it's exactly because of Army of One's acclaim that it shouldn't become a horror title. Aside from being a short story, Army of One concludes in both a mysterious and distressing note that remains as an Ito signature. As such, creating an overarching story that "might" explain its chilling premise can blemish the natural "wow" factor of the story.