It’s no secret that video game adaptations can be hit-or-miss. Gamers have gone so far as to say that there’s a curse seemingly preventing Hollywood from successfully pulling off a well-received gaming adaptation. Well, that was until now. 2023 saw the release of one, not two, but several high-quality, well-reviewed and successful video game adaptations. Importantly, these adaptations weren’t only universally praised by critics. They also captured the hearts of seasoned gamers and drew newcomers to the genre who were fascinated by of richness of these worlds.
Personally, I’m dubbing 2023 a love letter to the gaming community. Hollywood is finally giving video games the respect they deserve as a narrative medium, leading to the recent slew of adaptations that not only appreciate their source material but elevate it as well. This, in turn, has allowed a whole new audience to redefine their relationship with video games.
With titles for mega-hits like “Bioshock“, “Fallout” and “Borderlands” in the works, here are three TV shows that have completely revolutionised the future of video game adaptations.
The Witcher
It’s a shame how much “The Witcher” ended up deviating from the source material in later seasons. But I still stand by the show’s powerful and captivating beginning. With Henry Cavill playing the gruff and lovable Geralt Of Rivia, the show pulled audiences into a dark fantasy world filled with dangerous monsters, political battles and catchy folk songs performed by the one and only Jaskier (I still have “Toss A Coin To Your Witcher” stuck in my head).
One sign of a successful gaming adaptation is if it encourages people to try out the game it’s based on. That’s exactly what happened after Netflix aired the first season of “The Witcher”. It resulted in a massive 554% increase in sales for physical editions of “The Witcher 3”. There was also a 562% increase in sales of the physical “The Witcher” books. Because, in case you didn’t know, “The Witcher” is originally a book series written by Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski which was turned into a video game and then a Netflix show.
How about that for impact? It’s completely true, though. I had never even heard of “The Witcher” before seeing the series. Immediately after binge-watching it, I was itching to play the video game.
Cyberpunk: Edgerunners
A collaboration between Studio Trigger, CD Projekt and Netflix, “Cyberpunk: Edgerunners” is a shining example of the magic that can happen when production studios and game developers harmoniously work together to tell a new story while still retaining the vibe of the source material. While “Edgerunners” doesn’t feature any of the main characters from the video game it’s based on, the anime takes place in the same universe and acts as a prequel to “Cyberpunk 2077”.
By incorporating elements of gameplay and in-game locations into the show, “Edgerunners” establishes a level of familiarity for fans of the game. At the same time, it acts as the perfect introduction for those new to the corruption, cybernetic addiction and gang violence present in Night City, because of its fresh story. Not only that, but it’s a good one too. Filled with striking visuals, memorable characters and emotional highs and lows that will (and I’m speaking from experience) devastate you.
Similar to “The Witcher”, the adaptation of “Edgerunners” had a wide-reaching cultural impact, resulting in the video game seeing over one million players almost every day. That’s the highest number of players the title has had since its release in December 2020.
Arcane
Released in 2021, “Arcane” quickly took the world by storm, securing its place as one of Netflix’s highest-rated original series to date. It even boasts a critic score of 100% on Rotten Tomatoes and an audience rating of 96%. The series, which is based on the popular video game “League Of Legends,” is a masterpiece in visual storytelling. The animation is striking, the storyline is exhilarating, the characters are complex and the voice acting is top-notch. However, where “Arcane” truly shines is in its exploration of the game’s lore. It manages to satisfy longtime “League” fans while remaining accessible enough for someone who has never heard of the game to still enjoy. It annoys me how criminally underrated “Arcane” is. So if you haven’t watched it yet consider this your reminder to do so.
