Captain Laserhawk: A Blood Dragon Remix is now available for streaming on Netflix. The animated series brings together characters from popular Ubisoft games like Assassin’s Creed, Rayman, Watch Dogs 2, and Rainbow Six Siege in a retro-future dystopia inspired by Far Cry 3.
Showrunner Adi Shankar, known for his work on Netflix’s Castlevania series, the Bootleg Universe, and the upcoming Devil May Cry anime, aims to create a show that appeals to both hardcore gamers and TV enthusiasts. The result is a thrilling and unexpected mashup that utilizes the beloved staples of Ubisoft games in unique ways, setting the stage for another successful video game-inspired series on Netflix.
What truly sets Captain Laserhawk apart is its willingness to experiment. Shankar’s stylistic approach, reminiscent of parkour, allows for a free-flowing and boundary-pushing storytelling experience. For instance, one episode incorporates pixelated live-action footage to differentiate between timelines, eschewing traditional visual cues. This exemplifies the age-old principle of “show, don’t tell.”
The throwback aesthetic serves as a unifying element for the show. In one particular sequence, the creative team departs from traditional animation to pay homage to old RPGs, transforming the characters into 2D sprites. These visual shifts are seamless and surprising, adding to the thrilling and unpredictable nature of Captain Laserhawk.
Shankar’s love for these characters and the medium of video games shines through as he explores their roles in this dystopian world. One standout character is Bullfrog, an amphibious assassin with ties to the Assassin’s Creed games. Rayman, voiced by David Menkin, also has a compelling role as a disillusioned vigilante who discovers the system he once believed in does not value him.
Despite having only six episodes, the writers manage to cover a lot of ground, a testament to Shankar’s adeptness at balancing story and setting. Rayman’s transformation alone could have easily been a multi-season arc, but the show takes it on in just a few episodes, culminating in an explosive and captivating storyline.