With its 20th anniversary coming up soon, it’s easy to see howFullmetal Alchemisthas become such a belovedmangaseries for fans around the world. A tale about family and brotherhood in a steampunk world where alchemy is the norm,Fullmetal Alchemisthas all of the components of a captivating, emotional story. Yet to this day, no video game adaptation of theFullmetal Alchemistseries ever got off the ground.
Despite being published by big names like Square Enix and Bandai, many of theFullmetal Alchemistgames simply couldn’t replicate the experience of watching the anime or reading the manga. Though they were appealing for the biggestFullmetal Alchemistfans, they all had different flaws that held them back from success.
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The Difficulty in Making a Video Game Adaptation of Anime
For the most part, transforming an anime into a video game is often difficult as it requires turning a scripted, visual medium into an interactive, non-linear one. Adding mechanics that will appeal to both fans of the series and newcomers is difficult to balance and is typically whyvisual novels like theSteins;GateorClannadseries are the most common medium for video game adaptations. In the case ofFullmetal Alchemist,there is quite a bit of potential for game mechanics such as an open-world version of Amestris, alchemy-based combat, and rich, detailed lore. At the same time though, budget constraints or hardware limitations can easily pose problems during development. Furthermore, localization costs can end up becoming extremely expensive and is a big reason why many video game adaptations of anime remain Japan exclusive.
Fullmetal Alchemistreceived a number of video game spinoffs, but the most famous trio was a series of ARPGs developed by Racjin and published by Square Enix. Although the games achieved moderate commercial success, they received mediocre to negative reviews for dated graphics, predictable plots, and reused assets. Ultimately, like many other anime adaptations, theFullmetal Alchemistgames were decent fun for die-hard fans of the series but rarely attracted other gamers.
Moreover, the technical limitations of thePS2meant that the beautiful, steampunk setting of Amestris couldn’t be fully realized in any of the games. Although a number of otherFullmetal Alchemistspinoffs appeared over the years on the Wii, DS, PSP, and Game Boy Advance, most of them were never released outside of Japan and none of them were able to capture the magic of the original manga.
The Potential for a Modern Fullmetal Alchemist Game
Unfortunately forFullmetal Alchemistfans, the potential for a modern adaptation is slim given that the series reached the peak of its popularity back in 2005. Over the years, anime adaptations have improved andmodern series likeMy Hero AcademiaandAttack on Titanhave been receiving video game counterparts. While anime has experienced a big resurgence of popularity this past decade, the story ofFullmetal Alchemisthas already come to a close and is no longer as popular as it was when it was first released. That said, if there’s any anime series that could make use of next-gen hardware, it’d beFullmetal Alchemist.
The potential for a newFullmetal Alchemistgame is limitless given how vast and detailed its worldbuilding is. An alchemy-based combat system offers many possibilities and alchemy as a general mechanic has already beensuccessful in games like theAtelierseries. The steampunk setting of Amestris is great for open-world exploration and would feel right at home on the PS5 or Xbox Series X.Fullmetal Alchemistis a series that strikes the perfect balance between nostalgia and potential so while a modern video game adaptation is unlikely, it also can’t be ruled out. With its 20th anniversary approaching this year, hopefullyFullmetal Alchemistwill eventually receive the proper video game adaptation it deserves.
