Ten Games that Deserve the Holodeck Treatment

Deus Ex

While I have a healthy respect for Eidos Montreal's recent Deus Ex: Human Revolution, I want to see a holodeck remake of Ion Storm's original game. Place people in the role of JC Denton, and let us unravel this cyberpunk masterpiece however we choose. Besides the obvious thrills of being able to explore and complete challenges in various ways, it would be fascinating to see how a holodeck handles the concept of personal augmentation. Since I can't really become super strong or super fast, would these effects be simulated by making objects lighter, or reducing gravity? A week of my life could vanish in a hurry at the chance to be virtually superhuman, and chat it up with the likes of Gunther Hermann or Anna Navarre.

Starcraft

Adapting the world of Starcraft to a holodeck would require a change of focus, but it could certainly be done. I imagine a Starcraft holodeck program playing out in a few different ways, either as a first-person action game, or staying true to its RTS roots. As an action game, players could take on the role of any of the Terran units on various missions against the Zerg or Protoss, and Blizzard's brilliant mission designs certainly provide plenty of source material to draw from. As a Ghost, players could sneak around alien worlds, sniping aliens while cloaked, killing enemies with their mind, or even guide nukes to their targets. How could that NOT be fun? If holodeck technology allows for playing as non-human units, sign me up to play a Dark Templar.

If the holodeck programs go the RTS route, I imagine the player stationed in a flying chair or vehicle, hovering over the action. With the aid of touch screens and voice commands, players would command their forces and issue instructions while having a god-like view of the action. Perhaps in this distant future, we've perfected a neural interface, that would allow commands to be issued just by thinking them. Such technology already exists in a limited fashion with prosthetic technology, which translates brain impulses into action, but being able to control things by thought remains far beyond current technology.
                  

Star Wars: Rogue Squadron

No good holodeck should be without a Star Wars flight simulator. The Rogue Squadron series sought to give players the thrill of flying an X-Wing and taking out the evil Empire, but a controller can't come close to replicating what it would be like to be in the cockpit for real. Star Wars has such a rich catalog of space battles, that this game could stay fresh for months, without ever repeating a battle. Of course, this program would have the mandatory Battle of Hoth, but why not branch out to include some Clone Wars skirmishes, or branch out into the Expanded Universe? Most casual Star Wars fans may have no idea who the Yuuzhan Vong are, which is a shame, but could easily be rectified with a few melees against their organic ships and weapons. For the ace pilots out there, a skirmish against the Sith armada, either from the Sith era or the Fate of the Jedi era, could serve as a refresher course in humility. The Rogue Squadron franchise packs so much awesome, I can't understand why Lucasarts isn't trying to bring this franchise back, but I digress...

Red Dead Redemption

Rockstar really delivered with their open-world epic, creating easily the best Wild West themed video game ever. Red Dead provides more than just a Wild West simulator, which was done within several episodes of Star Trek. I'd love to be able to live John Marston's story, and enjoy the billion diversions, like poker, liar's dice, horse races, and more. While we're at it, why not include the Undead Nightmare expansion too? With a world so populated with interesting characters, like Bonnie MacFarlane or Nigel West Dickens, players could really own the story and go where the want to with it. Watch out Nigel, your conning antics are unlikely to be met with the strange patience Marston has for you.
 

Fallout: New Vegas

Fallout: New Vegas would be a superior holodeck experience for those seeking a healthy dose of exploration and customization, with a sense of humor included. Since the Courier in New Vegas has no real established character, players would be free to interact with the major characters of the world however they wish, creating a Fallout experience without being pushed by heavy-handed narration in a specific direction. If I could do it my way, I'd take over the Kings, and then move on to conquer the entire Mohavie Wasteland with my army of Elvis impersonators; NCR and Legion be damned. Naturally, be sure to play with holodeck safety protocols on, unless you feel like getting riddled with bullets or want radiation poisoning for real. 

Disgaea

Disgaea is a lighthearted strategy franchise that's not afraid to break the fourth wall to poke fun at itself, the player, or anything else. Nippon Ichi's flagship franchise has that special brand of insanity that would make for a tremendous, if bizarre, holodeck program. The game would maintain the traditional turn-based strategy format, except that players could walk around the board and talk to their units and issue commands personally, before returning to their spot to execute the turn's moves. This program would be worth making just to break out into arguments with Prinnies whenever they object to being sent off on suicide missions.

Dark Souls

If you've seen a theme yet in this list, it's that I favor large, open world games for conversion to holodeck programs. Dark Souls has an intricately designed world, with each area connecting organically with others. Players are given little to no help on how to proceed, and must therefore discover how to succeed on their own, in a brutal world where everything can kill the unwary. Like New Vegas, the main protagonist has no set character, allowing players to interact with the world as they see fit. If killing massive bosses and struggling through hard areas is satisfying now, imagine how much more so it would be if you're physically going toe to toe against enemies like the Gaping Dragon.

Skyrim

I'm taking a leap of faith voting for a game that has not been released yet, but Bethesda has a reputation for excellence that rarely disappoints. There will be dragons to slay, a massive world to explore, jobs to complete, and an open leveling system. Oh, and the Dark Brotherhood is back. Skyrim has enough physical space and content that it could be as much a fantasy vacation destination as actual holodeck game. I wouldn't be surprised if people found a nice little cabin up on a mountain in Skyrim's world and just spend a day there to relax, without really "playing" the game at all.

I've named ten different games that I think people from the future would do well to bring to a holodeck, but there are certainly many more great candidates. Didn't see one of your favorites listed here? Let us know about it in the comments!

Honorable mentions left out of the list, but loved in my heart: Star Wars: The Old Republic, Bioshock, Resident Evil 1 and 4, Starship Troopers, and Vampire: The Mascarade: Bloodlines.