7 Video games that have been adapted into TV series
23rd Apr 2024 Film & TV
5 min read
TV adaptations follow trends, with films turning into series being a recent popular example, video games have slowly become a steady source for adaptations
With rich stories, lore and a plethora of characters, it may seem
logical that video games may be a natural fit being adapted for the screen, especially
with Hollywood historically trying and mostly failing with video game film
adaptations. Though the recent Super Mario and Sonic films are
notable exceptions to the rule.
Interestingly, we seem to be seeing an uptick in video game series
adaptations in recent years, with the success of recent series like Amazon’s Fallout.
Here are some of the biggest adaptations that have graced our screens.
1. The Witcher (2019—)
The Witcher is a series of fantasy novels by Andrzej Sapowski,
which have been adapted into three main video games. Netflix commissioned the
show with Henry Cavill cast as the titular gruff anti-hero Geralt.
The series could be classed as hard
fantasy, dealing with gritty and darker depictions of fairytale creatures,
alongside political drama and war. Netflix’s adaptation mixes aspects of the
story from the Witcher games, along with the main story from the novels,
with a few creative departures for storytelling.
2. The Last of Us (2023—)
Set in a post-apocalyptic America, The
Last of Us follows the story of Sony’s games of the same name. In a
post-apocalyptic future, humanity has been ravaged by a parasitic hive-like
fungus, that turns people into zombie-like creatures. Like the game’s story the
series follows smuggler Joel, who relentingly escorts the immune teenager Ellie
across the country in hopes of finding a cure, encountering threats and problems
along the way.
3. Fallout (2024—)
Recently released and based on Bethesda’s
long-running open-world RPG game, Fallout is set in a post-apocalyptic
America that has been decimated by nuclear war.
The show takes inspiration from different Fallout
games but creates a new story set in the same universe. The story follows Lucy,
a vault dweller that ventures out into the wasteland on a mission and discovers
the harsh reality of life outside of the safety she was accustomed to.
4. Halo (2022—)
The long-awaited Halo series
premiered on Paramount+ in 2022, after almost a decade languishing in development, being announced by
Microsoft in 2013.
The story follows augmented super soldier
the Master Chief (or John-117 if you know him), a seemingly unemotional
machine, coming to grips with his humanity. The story is set a few hundred
years in the future as humanity continues to find its footing in the galaxy, as
it battles against the alien forces of The Covenant.
5. Arcane (2021—)
Arcane is an animated steampunk action series set around
Riot Games popular title League of Legends, an expansive online game.
The story follows sisters Vi and Jinx, who are thrown into a conflict over
clashing beliefs and different character motivations.
6. CyberPunk: Edgerunners (2022)
CyberPunk:
Edgerunnners is a stand-alone
Japanese animated series that debuted on Netflix. It’s a sci-fi action story
set in 2077, based on the CyberPunk universe, made by game developers CD
Projekt Red.
The story follows amateur David in the
dystopian Night City, getting accustomed to the seedy criminal and dangerous
underworld of the future, filled with gang violence over trade deals and
black-market technology.
7. Castlevania (2020—)
Castlevania is a horror fantasy series produced by Netflix, based
on the long running action-adventure series Castlevania. The story
follows protagonist and vampire hunter Trevor Belmont, as he aims to fight the
legions of Dracula and protect humanity, alongside Dracula’s half-vampire son,
Alucard.
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