Re:Zero
Re:Zero is by far the most recent entry on this list, but it’s here with good reason. For many it was the big hit of 2016 and to date remains a popular and beloved franchise within the anime community. The series is an Isekai show, meaning it features its protagonist Natsuki Subaru suddenly awakening in a different world akin to something one might find in a video game. What set Re:Zero apart from its peers however was its gimmick: Subaru enters this fantasy world with the ability to respawn like in a video game. Unlike in games however, the series uses this to great effect in exploring dark and gruesome themes.
So how would this work for a game adaptation? By design Subaru is completely weak, and being able to die and respawn is his only noteworthy ability; and as tempting as it is to suggest this ability be used in some sort of macabre Dark Souls-style RPG, I think his character lends himself quite well to an adventure game. In a series where the protagonist is stuck trial-and-erroring his way through the story until he stumbles upon the right chain of events, it’s a natural fit.
