Joss Whedon's Firefly series has become a bit of a cult classic over the years. It first premiered back in 2002 and introduced sci-fi fans to a new universe of possibility following the renegade crew of the Serenity. It mixed the style of westerns with sci-fi, and it was a lot of fun. The show was sadly canceled by Fox after only one season, but its fanbase has only grown. Fans have been clamoring for someone to revive Firefly ever since, and Telltale Games may be the perfect place.
Telltale Games has made a name for itself by crafting intriguing episodic graphic adventures set in very popular IPs. The studio has told its own Batman story through Batman: The Enemy Within, explored its own slice of Westeros in Game of Thrones, and garnered immense praise for its series set in The Walking Dead universe. The studio seems to excel at telling very powerful stories within its graphic adventure framework, and it could do a lot with Firefly if given the chance.
Firefly Fans Have Wanted A Revival for Years
Firefly quickly gained a cult following after it got canceled by Fox, and fans have been clamoring for more ever since. The show was aired out of order, and it did not receive high ratings despite the reviews. Joss Whedon had originally planned for the story to run for seven years, but fans will probably never get to see that. Despite the popularity, reception, and campaigns to revive it, there does not seem to be any revival in the works.
The Firefly series has also struggled to gain any traction in gaming despite its popularity. There was a time when Firefly was supposed to get an MMO aptly titled Firefly Online, but that project has had no updates since 2016. It was supposed to be a mobile MMO that would have let fans assume the role of a captain in the 'Verse, and would have left them to explore it at their leisure. The majority of the Firefly cast were also supposed to reprise their roles, and that made it feel like a dream come true. However, the project has been in limbo, and it is very unlikely that it will ever see the light of day.
The most that Firefly fans have gotten is a sequel film in 2005 and a series of novels that feel like lost episodes of the show. Serenity served as a closing chapter for this renegade crew, and it was pretty well received by fans. The film failed to make an impact at the box office, but it did at least give the show some closure. The novels have also helped revive the IP and expand the series past the live-action projects. There have been seven novels in total with an eighth releasing this year, and there have also been a slew of comics that have further expanded the story even more.
Telltale Games May Be the Best Studio for the Job
While the film, books, and comics have gone a long way in giving Firefly fans something, it is still not the continuation that the series deserves. Joss Whedon had planned for seven years of story, and he only got to tell a season's worth. The Firefly universe deserves to be explored in visual media again, but there does not seem to be any indication that it will be. If its exciting universe cannot be explored on TV then perhaps Telltale Games should step in to give fans the story they desperately want.
Telltale Games excels at making exciting story-driven games, and its style would be perfect for the Firefly story. Players could assume control of the crew of the Serenity, and take to the stars on a wild adventure that picks up right where the show left off. It could bridge the gap between Firefly and Serenity, and give fans the continuation that they have been clamoring for. Every choice the player makes could shape the trajectory of their crew, and they could have the chance to change the 'Verse forever.