Fans of Alan Moore's seminal graphic novel Watchmen have another reason to be excited (or apprehensive). The upcoming Warner Bros. Pictures film adaptation is already faced with the daunting task of capturing the nuanced and layered story of the original comics, but the studio's interactive entertainment arm today announced it would further adapt the film into games.

　　The Owlship watches a Watchman. Set for release on the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC, Watchmen will be an episodic downloadable series developed by Deadline Games, the Danish studio behind Chili Con Carnage, Total Overdose, and Faith and a .45. Described as action-brawlers, the games will serve as prequels to the film, chronicling the vigilante team of Rorschach and Nite Owl in their earlier days. The game will not only build up the backstories of various characters from the film, but also introduce new opponents into the mix.

　　Like the comic, the film kicks off with Rorschach's investigation into the murder of a former teammate and superhero. Set in an alternate-universe 1985 where the Cold War stalemate hangs heavy over the world, the film is working off a screenplay from Alex Tse and David Hayter (writer of the new Lost Planet film and voice of Solid Snake in the Metal Gear Solid series).

　　Watchmen is being directed by Zack Snyder (300, 2004's Dawn of the Dead) and stars Stephen McHattie (A History of Violence, Theodore Rex), Jackie Earle Haley (The Bad News Bears, Maniac Cop 3: Badge of Silence), and Billy Crudup (Big Fish, Mission: Impossible III). The film is scheduled for a March 6 release in the US.