Walter and Jesse never looked so… pixelated
Breaking Bad is one of those shows that’s so good, it remains relevant almost a decade after it goes off the air. As its legacy lives on, I have to wonder if it’ll ever get a true video game adaptation, maybe as a GTA-style open world, or a Telltale-style narrative adventure. There’s a lot of potential there, but for now, we can continue to imagine the possibilities to tide us over. That’s exactly what this fan did when they envisioned what Breaking Bad might look like if it were made to be a game for the PS1.
The video was created by YouTube user PotBoiler, and features over a minute of “gameplay” from the hypothetical PS1 title. The “game” opens with Walter White’s classic pre-cancer chemistry lecture from the pilot. The player then takes control of Jesse, who is tasked with killing Gale before a timer runs out. As he drives through the streets, he hits another car, which gets the cops on his tail. No need to worry, though, because Jesse can just stop by Saul’s place to get rid of the fuzz. Unfortunately he fails the mission, so I guess Heisenberg is dead in this alternate timeline.
I wish we had more info about how PotBoiler actually made this mockup, but they did disclose in the description of the YouTube video that it was specifically inspired by GTA, so it seems we agree on what type of game would be best suited for a Breaking Bad adaptation (something the show’s creator wanted as well). As per usual, I am constantly impressed by the type of fan art fans can come up with, and while this particular version looks (purposefully) janky as hell, I’d love to play a more modern version.
Check out some other PS1 “demakes,” including Horizon Zero Dawn and Bloodborne.