We love it when Australian talent goes global, especially when our actors make appearances in the most popular TV shows on the international stage. Many have done so in the last decade or so, featuring in mega productions that are watched by millions of people around the globe.
What’s more, those shows have also inspired a wide variety of online games, just to grab our attention even more. Arguably three of the most important over the last decade or so, these are three of the greatest TV shows with Aussie stars, which are now the inspiration behind major online game releases.
The Walking Dead
The zombie genre never seems to die, which is why The Walking Dead TV show became instantly successful when it hit our screens in 2010. While the main cast was largely American and British, some Australian actors did feature prominently. This includes Callan McAuliffe, who featured as part of the main cast between seasons 8 and 11.
The spinoff TWD shows have also featured more Aussies, including Alycia Debnam-Carey as one of the leading characters in Fear the Walking Dead, plus Hal Cumpston as a key protagonist in The Walking Dead: World Beyond. All are based on the original comic book creations of Robert Kirkman, which in turn inspired an entire series of narrative driven games.
Released via Skybound Games, which is owned by Kirkman, The Walking Dead Season 1 developed by Telltale runs parallel to the start of the TV show, at the very beginning of the undead apocalypse. Fans of the point-and-click genre of adventure games will certainly enjoy these, as we venture through the wasteland, making life or death decisions.
The latest addition to the themed series features a change of genres, heading into real-time strategy and action, with The Walking Dead: Survivors already boasting more than 1.5 million registered users online. More than 80 different characters are available, including those played by Aussie actors across the whole TWD universe of TV shows.
Game of Thrones
Easily the most popular TV experience of the last decade, Game of Thrones was epic in both scale and budget, running for eight seasons in total. Based on the George R. R. Martin books, this was a lavish production that featured numerous Australian actors, including Noah Taylor and Milly Alcock.
Such was the huge success of this epic fantasy show, various games were granted official approval by HBO, who certainly banked on the craze of interest surrounding their production. This includes the Game of Thrones online pokie by Microgaming, which still features prominently at best online casinos rated by topaustraliangambling.com reviewers, when checking information for sites offering the most appealing bonus and free spin promotions.
Capturing the very essence of the TV show, this exciting and visually spectacular 5-reel pokie features 243 paylines, while various features are unlocked by aligning character icons and images on the spinning reels. All the main story families are represented, such as Baratheon, Lannister, Stark, and Targaryen, along with the Iron Throne itself.
What sets this pokie apart from others, aside from being themed around Game of Thrones, the game includes 243 ways to win and plenty of interactive elements. Considering it was based around a TV show of such epic proportions, the developers certainly hit all the right notes, even down to grabbing player attention with the stunning introduction music.
Westworld
Just as fans were lamenting the inevitable Game of Thrones conclusion, HBO already had another ace up their sleeves running, once Westworld hit our screens in 2016. Inspired by author Michael Crichton and the 1970s movies, the science-fiction show boasted a stellar cast, including Australian acting talents Luke Hemsworth and Bojana Novakovic.
Set within a sprawling futuristic theme park based around the American Old West, biomechanical robot “Hosts” are indistinguishable from the visiting human tourists, although danger and intrigue looms when they gradually become self-aware. This also forms the basis for the virtual reality (VR) Westworld Awakening game, developed by Servios for the Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, and Steam VR platforms.
Released by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment in 2019, players get to step into the persona of Kate, one of the “Hosts” who has become self-aware, beginning a journey of self-discovery to understand her surroundings and what this means. Based around season 2 of Westworld, players get to explore both the Mesa and Underworld locations, featured in the TV show.
What makes this game truly excellent is the narrative, which is precisely what drives the Westworld TV show itself, exploring the fine line between human and futuristic artificial intelligence. In the role of lead protagonist Kate, we get to experience the programmed loops of the “Host” robots, eventually breaking those shackles as the intriguing story unfolds.
