Now that Dark Horse Comics has opened its own video game division, many fans have begun to dream about a game based on Hellboy. Dark Horse already has an established background in gaming, having produced comics for a myriad of game properties like The Last of Us and Fallout. The new department is reportedly in talks with a number of studios to develop triple-A titles, and a Hellboy game could be a good move for the fledgling Dark Horse Games, given the infernal detective's abilities and deep lore attached to him and the other members of the B.P.R.D.
With Dark Horse getting into gaming, many fans jumped to the idea of a Hellboy game almost immediately. As one of its biggest names, Hellboy hasn't had much presence in gaming save a recent-ish appearance in Injustice 2 as a DLC fighter. His last appearance before that was in Hellboy: The Science of Evil back in 2008. Unfortunately, the game adapted from the 2004 Hellboy film didn't see much success commercially or critically. Now that Dark Horse is looking to work directly with studios to bring their IPs to gaming, it could be the perfect chance for a new Hellboy game.
Imagining a New Hellboy Video Game
It's surprising that there haven't been more video games based on Hellboy. The character seems almost tailor-made for a horror/action game in the vein of Resident Evil or something closer to Bioshock. His abilities, like super strength and extensive knowledge of the paranormal, could transition into the video game format well. Imagining a triple-A over-the-shoulder shooter that blends Resident Evil's action with the unraveling mysteries of Bioshock and detective mechanics similar to the Batman Arkham series is pretty enticing on its own. Hellboy is a popular brand with a dedicated fanbase, so it's likely at the top of the heap of Dark Horse IPs to be adapted.
The Hellboy series is also steeped in lore. Traditional supernatural threats like vampires and monsters that are right at home in a Ravenloft DnD game spiral into more esoteric threats that can become rather Lovecraftian. Hellboy has a wide array of villains to choose from and stories to utilize if it is going to be adapted into a new video game. One of the things that fans have missed out on in previous Hellboy games is just that, an exploration of its deep lore and storylines. Character development over the course of a narrative and Bioshock-style world-building through discovering audio recordings and journal entries would feel right at home in a Hellboy game.
While nothing has been confirmed as of yet, fans could start seeing Dark Horse Games in action as soon as spring of 2022. Hellboy could be part of the plan to bring original Dark Horse properties to video games, and that's got some fans salivating over the possibilities. Horror titles that blend in mystery and action like Bloodborne and Resident Evil are as popular as ever and the Hellboy franchise seems tailor-made to fit a similar model. For now, however, fans are left to speculate about what might be on the horizon for Hellboy and Dark Horse Games at large.
No official announcements have been made yet about upcoming Dark Horse Games projects.