Video game adaptations ranked: The best 7 movies and shows based on games

[Karlston]

Video game franchises extend across mediums, and these are the best of the best.

The last few years have brought some fantastic adaptations of popular games into TV series and movies.

(Image credit: Prime Video | Riot Games/Netflix | HBO)

 

Video games being adapted into TV and film is not something new.

 

Dozens upon dozens of games have been shaped for the silver screen and streaming services alike, crafting blockbuster hits and infamous disasters alike. Even more are on the way, with more films, animated series, and live-action TV in the works for BioShock, Gears of War, Mass Effect, and many more.

 

To have some fun, I've climbed to the top of the mountain to sit and organize the best adaptations so far. In order to try and precede the inevitable yelling about "how dare you??!?! Clearly XYZ is the best!!" let me just set the table.

 

I wholeheartedly recommend each work on this list. We're not in the early 2000s anymore, and a movie being kinda fun to watch with half-decent casting for its time isn't gonna cut it. I'm sorting through the absolute cream of the crop, the best of the best, the ones that you simply have to check out. Ready? Here's the best 7 video game adaptations so far.

7. Dragon Age: Absolution

 

The fourth entry in the Dragon Age franchise eventually shipped as Dragon Age: The Veilguard, but once upon a time, it was supposed to be a very different game that centered around heists. That premise ended up being used in the 2022 Netflix series Dragon Age: Absolution, which centers around a group brought together to steal a powerful Tevinter artifact.

 

The result is a fun, animated series that provides a good look at another chunk of Thedas with a charming cast of characters, with particular mention going to the adorable Qwydion (Ashly Burch). It's not perfect, though, as the main thing holding Absolution back is that it really is just a part of a larger world, being a smaller slice of the setting than any of the games.

 

As a result, it's just a bit more inaccessible to newcomers than a lot of the other entries on this list. For anyone that's curious about the world of Templars, Blood Mages, and Demons, I'd still encourage you to give it a go.

6. Sonic the Hedgehog

 

Who would've guessed that a universally negative reaction to Sonic's initial live-action look would've resulted in one of the most surprisingly consistent adaptations a franchise has seen? The Sonic the Hedgehog films (and the Knuckles miniseries) are just plain fun to watch, capturing the energy of the title character in an enjoyable way.

 

A sizeable portion of that credit goes to the first film's delay, which allowed the animation teams to rework Sonic's design from an utter abomination into something that looked like an accurate translation from game into film. Praise also has to go to Dr. Robotnik (Jim Carrey), whose physical antics are always entertaining.

 

The fun looks to continue with Sonic the Hedgehog 3, which is introducing franchise dark horse Shadow the Hedgehog, being voiced by Keanu Reeves.

5. The Last of Us

 

With PlayStation Productions and Naughty Dog working alongside HBO, The Last of Us is a faithful adaptations of the 2013 narrative survival game that sees a smuggler and a teen girl travel across post-apocalyptic America. Joel and Ellie are given life by Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey in a series that often tracks beat-for-beat with the game it's adapting. That's not a bad thing, but it does mean that if you've played the game, you'll often find yourself comparing the moments while watching.

 

As a result, the series' best moments are where it strays from or expands on its source material, such as with a chilling opening segment starring John Hannah as a concerned scientist, or the near-entirety of the heartbreaking third episode that centers around the reclusive Bill (Nick Offerman) and Frank (Murray Bartlett).

 

The second season will begin to adapt the events of The Last of Us Part 2 starting in 2025, and according to some comments from series co-creator Craig Mazin, a third and fourth season might be needed as well.

4. Cyberpunk: Edgerunners

 

Studio Trigger and Cyberpunk is a match made in heaven, as the studio proved with Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, a prequel to Cyberpunk 2077 that tells the story of an ambitious street kid, the crew he connects with, the jobs they pull, and the danger they're all placed in when crossing paths with the Arasaka corporation.

 

Cyberpunk: Edgerunners masterfully takes you to the peak of a story before sweeping your legs out from under you with depressing precision. It's a fantastic story, but one whose heartbreaking conclusion is made crystal clear long before it all plays out.

 

No one makes it out of Night City.

3. Castlevania

 

There's about 100 ways adapting Castlevania into an animated show could've gone wrong, but Powerhouse Animation and Netflix teamed up to tackle it with gory finesse. The saga of the monster-hunting Belmonts stretches across hundreds of years, and the writing team here has smartly honed in on some of the most interesting stories, making liberal adjustments to flesh out the backgrounds and motivations of different characters.

 

A firmly adult tone, sleek style, killer soundtrack, and excellent casting — Dracula (Graham McTavish), Alucard (James Callis), and Trevor Belmont (Richard Armitage) are downright inspired choices — propel Castlevania firmly into must-watch territory across all four of its seasons.

 

Its sequel show, Castlevania: Nocturne, picks up hundreds of years later without missing a step, telling the story of a vampiric conspiracy during the throes of the French Revolution.

2. Fallout

 

When a Fallout TV series was first announced, many (including myself) were apprehensive. Yet with Kilter Films, Amazon MGM Studios, and Bethesda working together, this series absolutely nailed the tone and setting, delivering an original story that exists in canon alongside the main games, showing a darkly comical vision of America after the nukes fell.

 

Vault dweller Lucy (Ella Purnell), Brotherhood of Steel squire Maximus (Aaron Moten), and The Ghoul (Walton Goggins) are set on a collision course with each other in a power struggle between factions that threatens to reshape the Wasteland. It's got humor, gore, hope, and mutants, and like I wrote in my review of the first season, it's clear that everyone involved just gets the source material.

 

With a second season on the way, there's even more to be excited for in the future.

1. Arcane

 

Riot Games and Fortiche spent years and years trying to tell an animated story in the world of League of Legends. They succeeded.

 

Arcane is a story of dualities. Piltover and Zaun. Vi and Jinx. Oil and water. It weaves a tale of sisters torn apart and opposites attracting, even through constant heartbreak. Jaw-dropping animation and a stunning soundtrack back up a narrative focus on a handful of Riot Games' famous Champions.

 

More than anything else on this list, you don't need to play the game (or even be familiar with it in any capacity) to instantly fall in love with the way Runeterra is presented. Arcane is a genuine work of art, and while Riot Games is exploring new shows set in the world of Runeterra, it's possible we'll never see another series quite like this.

 

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