Who wants to live forever is my favorite song by Queen. Given the band's incredible discography, I don't make that statement lightly. Not only is it profoundly beautiful, but it also perfectly suits its inspiration: Highlander. The classic supernatural fantasy movie, released in 1986, is a personal childhood favorite. Following the story of Connor MacLeod of the clan MacLeod, a Scottish warrior who was born in 1518, it chronicles his life across the centuries as an immortal who can only be killed if he's beheaded. It's full of swordfighting action, flashes of lighting that evokes the power within immortals, and one of the best over-the-top villains in Connor's imposing opponent, Kurgan. Topped off with music written by Queen for the film – with hits like It's A Kind of Magic, Princes of the Universe, and my aforementioned favorite – I've always loved the way it explores mortality, humanity, and what it really means to live when you can't die naturally.
The movies also gave life to a TV series that focuses on Connor's fellow clansman, Duncan MacLeod. Thanks to my grandparents who lived in Seattle when I was growing up, I can remember watching a US import of the show on DVD, and I've just recently started re-watching it after dropping some money on Amazon Prime. With every episode I watch, I keep thinking the same thing: I want to play a modern Highlander video game adaptation that lets me play as an immortal.
We're the princes of the universe
Naturally the first thing I did was look into whether or not a Highlander game had already been released in the past. While there were a few – including a fighting arcade game that launched in the '80s to coincide with the movie on the ZX Spectrum, Commodore '64, and Amstrad CPC, along with an adventure on the Atari Jaguar in 1995 – what really caught my attention was a Highlander action RPG that was cancelled in 2010. In development from Eidos Interactive and Widescreen Games, it apparently was set to introduce a new immortal by the name of Owen MacLeod, with a focus on sword-based combat.
I'm sad this never saw the light of day, but it just reinforces my firm belief that Highlander is ripe for a great modern game adaptation. In fact, I think Highlander makes for the perfect set up for an RPG. It could either be one that lets you create your own immortal, or brings in a new lead like the cancelled project. From there, there's no end of possibilities when it comes to when or where it could be set, but if it were to stay true to the movies or show, it could begin in the Scottish highlands. Upon meeting what we think is an untimely death early on, the adventure could take us anywhere once our immortal state is awakened.
Now, I'm just spitballing here, but there's a lot of fun that could be had with the immortal aspect. In terms of combat, Duncan MacLeod could be knocked out for a time when he's shot, stabbed, drowned, or concussed, (he sure did get hurt a lot), which could be worked into the combat system as a kind of penalty – after all, you can't actually die and get a real game over until you're beheaded. Each time an immortal kills another of their kind, they absorb their power, with the idea being that the last one remaining will have the "ultimate prize" – aka be the most powerful immortal alive. You could take this idea and run with it as a progression system, with each successful boss battle against an enemy immortal unlocking a new upgrade or ability.
There can be only one
Being a Highlander could also give rise to some engaging and unique choice-based quests that tap into the overarching themes both the movies and show explore. With different immortals popping out of the woodwork in the show - that Duncan Macleod just so happened to bump into over the course of his 400-year life - each one had a unique background and place in history, which makes for some very entertaining, and sometimes dark, plotlines.
But not every immortal is outright evil or antagonistic, and I always loved the way the TV show pushed Duncan to make some difficult decisions that aren't always cut and dry – such as having to kill an old immortal pal to protect mortals. It could borrow a page from The Witcher 3's book in that respect, with CD Projekt Red's fantasy RPG delivering a host of situations with morally grey solutions that always kept you guessing.
Above all, Highlander has stayed with me all these years because of the very question Queen's power ballad is all about – Who wants to live forever? An immortal life is laced with sadness and loss, and it can be a very lonely existence. The show does well to address this in different ways, but I could see a game adaptation dialing into this aspect within its story, with the protagonist trying to find their own meaning when a natural death is out of the equation.
Can you tell I've given this too much thought? As a longtime fan, indulging in some conceptual ideas is really my way of trying to manifest it into existence. I'm still not entirely sure how I feel about the movie reboot starring Henry Cavill, but heck, if it gets more people drawn into the sword-fighting, supernatural goodness of Highlander, perhaps someday seeing a game adaptation isn't such an outlandish idea. I wholeheartedly recommend checking out the underrated TV show, and if you haven't yet seen the original '80s movie, do yourself a favor and give it a watch. You won't regret discovering for yourself why "in the end, there can be only one".
For more, check out our pick of the best action movies you can watch right now, or our list of the best RPGs around.
