Video game adaptations have been notoriously hit-and-miss, but a few outstanding TV shows have delighted players and newcomers alike. After years of mediocre offerings, there are promising signs that the so-called video game adaptation curse could be breaking, with an uptick in great movies and TV shows. TV is perhaps better suited to video game adaptation than movies because the experience of watching TV is more similar to playing a video game. TV and video games require long breaks between sessions and a steady build.
Despite the advantages of TV, there have been surprisingly few video game adaptations until recently. The video game TV shows have been mostly disappointing, with a few notable exceptions. Players all have ideas about how a TV show should interpret different characters and adapt a story to suit the medium, and such high expectations can be difficult to live up to. Video game adaptations have to entertain audiences while completely stripping away the autonomy and the gameplay that makes certain games so popular, and only a few shows have pulled this off.
10
Halo (2022-2024)
Original Game Released In 2001
6/10
- Release Date
-
2022 – 2024-00-00
- Showrunner
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Kyle Killen
- Directors
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Otto Bathurst, Jonathan Liebesman, Roel Reiné, Dennie Gordon, Debs Paterson, Craig Zisk, Jessica Lowrey
Halo fans have wanted to see a worthy movie or TV adaptation for years, with a complex lore that extended far beyond what most players would ever notice in the games. The Paramount+ series divided critics and hardcore fans alike, but there were some promising signs for the show. The series focused on Master Chief Petty Officer John-117 and other characters and it plays out like a standalone story separate from the actual video game series stories, which is what divided fans.
The sci-fi combat was spectacular from the beginning, and Halo season 2 marked an improvement in terms of the show’s character development and focus on specific elements of its sprawling plot. The first season received mostly positive reviews from critics for its action and story, but fans were not as impressed. The second season, however, was seen as a major improvement and a positive outlook for the future. It didn’t matter, though, as Paramount+ canceled it after two seasons.
9
Gangs Of London (2020-)
Original Game Released In 2006
- Release Date
-
April 23, 2020
- Network
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Sky Atlantic
- Directors
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Corin Hardy, Xavier Gens, Marcela Said
Gangs of London isn’t the most famous video game, so some people might not even know that the British crime drama is an adaptation. Based on the third installment in the Getaway series of games for the PlayStation Portable, Gangs of London follows the turmoil on the streets of England’s capital city after an influential mob boss is assassinated. The struggle to fill the power vacuum is brutally violent, but the show also spends time focusing on shady deals and street politics.
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The first season of Gangs of London came out in 2020, and critics loved the series, praising its performances and storylines, although there were some complaints about the excessive violence. The series follows the power struggles when Finn Wallace (Colm Meaney) dies and everyone (including his wife and son) tries to take his place, while the violence and crime from other criminal organizations threaten to overwhelm London. Gangs of London season 3 arrived in March 2025.
Original Game Released In 1995
Twisted Metal has breathed new life into a PlayStation franchise that is celebrating its 30th anniversary in 2025. The games are all about racing action, so the show’s creators had to find a way to create a compelling story out of a post-apocalyptic demolition derby. Fortunately, Twisted Metal was a success, incorporating the games’ dark humor and explosive action while making an original addition to the universe.
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Anthony Mackie stars as John Doe, a delivery driver with amnesia who ends up being asked to transport goods to retrieve a package from New Chicago to gain citizenship in New San Francisco. On the way, he encounters some dangerous and wild characters, many pulled straight out of the game (such as Sweet Tooth, played by Samoa Joe and voiced by WIll Arnett). Twisted Metal season 1 left plenty of mysteries unsolved for season 2 to dig into in 2025, and the car-based carnage will likely increase, too.
7
The Cuphead Show (2022)
Original Game Released In 2017
The aesthetic of the Cuphead games is heavily inspired by classic animation from Walt Disney and the like, so a TV adaptation was a nice way to bring the homage full circle. The Cuphead Show bears no resemblance to the plot or gameplay of the games. Instead, it’s a cheerful throwback to another era of animation, replete with creative touches in every corner. The series is set in a 1930s-style world with the trouble-making Cuphead, the easily swayed Mugman, and their caretaker, Elder Kettle.
Cuphead and Mugman’s adventures often get them into trouble, which allows some of the bosses from the games, such as the Devil and the Dice King, to appear. Most critics praised the voice acting, animation, and humor, but others felt it lacked direction and cohesion and often seemed repetitive. The Cuphead Show only lasted for three seasons and 36 episodes before Netflix ended the animated series.
6
Castlevania: Nocturne (2023-)
Original Game Released In 1993
- Release Date
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September 28, 2023
- Showrunner
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Clive Bradley, Kevin Kolde
- Directors
-
Sam Deats, Adam Deats
The first season of Castlevania: Nocturne explores the true potential of the Castlevania TV franchise. Based on Castlevania: Rondo of Blood from 1993, the series is a sequel to Castlevania that focuses on Richter Belmont, descendant of Trevor Belmont and the current holder of the Vampire Killer whip. Nocturne adds new elements to the franchise, and its French Revolution setting presents a fascinating alternative history of a young vampire hunter trying to stop the apocalypse threatened by the Vampire Messiah.
The sequel show carries on the good work of the original series in a bold new direction, showing that the end of Castlevania wasn’t such a tragedy. Much like the original series, this was met with critical acclaim, with reviews praising it for keeping the quality up while not repeating what the original series had already done. It had its first season air in 2023, and the second hit Netflix in 2025.
5
Cyberpunk: Edgerunners (2022)
Original Game Released In 2020
- Release Date
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2022 – 2022
- Network
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Netflix
- Writers
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Mike Pondsmith, Yoshiki Usa, Masahiko Otsuka
Cyberpunk 2077 had infamous problems when it was first launched. After delays in its production, the game was still riddled with glitches. Although the game remains divisive, the anime adaptation, Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, was a huge success. In a dystopian, self-reliant city with extensive corruption, cybernetic addiction, and violence, a talented street kid named David Martinez loses everything after a drive-by shooting and becomes an edgerunner for Cyberpunk.
The series was always planned to be a standalone season-long story, and that kept it at a tight and impressive 10 episodes.
The miniseries uses humor and heart to explore its dark tech-ravaged world, and the relationship between David and Lucy is endearing from beginning to bittersweet end. Edgerunners delivers on all the high-stakes action that fans of the game could have hoped for, and it does so with gorgeous visuals. The series was always planned to be a standalone season-long story, and that kept it at a tight and impressive 10 episodes.
4
Castlevania (2017-2021)
Original Game Released In 1986
A full three decades after the Castlevania franchise’s first vampire-slaying game, the animated series was released to similar critical acclaim. The first two seasons adapt the 1989 game, Castlevania III: Dracula’s Curse, following Trevor Belmont, Alucard, and Sypha Belnades as they defend their nation from the wrath of Dracula and his minions. There is also Alucard’s backstory, which was from the 1997 game Castlevania: Symphony of the Night.
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The show’s dark visual style perfectly suits its allusions to Gothic horror literature. The style may mimic anime, but there are just as many touches of Bram Stoker or Mary Shelley’s influence. Castlevania‘s best episodes strike a perfect balance between horror, mystery, and action. The stunning fight scenes and character development all reach toward a magnificent crescendo, just like the games do. Castlevania captures all of the game’s most important elements.
3
Pokémon (1997-)
Original Game Released In 1996
- Release Date
-
1997 – 2023-00-00
- Network
-
TV Tokyo, TV Osaka, TV Aichi, TVh, TVQ, TSC
- Directors
-
Kunihiko Yuyama, Daiki Tomiyasu, Jun Owada, Saori Den
-
Rica Matsumoto
Pikachu (voice)
-
Mayumi Iizuka
Satoshi (voice)
Released just a year after the first pair of Pokémon games caused a worldwide frenzy, the animated series expanded the world in the best way possible. The technical limitations of the Game Boy meant that players were left to imagine how their favorite Pokémon would behave in real life. The show presents a fully fleshed-out world filled with colorful creatures waiting to be discovered.
The show has more humor than those original games did, and the battles are much more visually lavish. Overall, Pokémon helped boost the franchise’s profile, and it remains the most successful video game adaptation ever. Amazingly enough, there were over 1,325 episodes of the original Pokémon series, and it airs in 192 countries worldwide. It even picked up more fans, thanks to streaming, and it ended up as one of the most-watched shows on Netflix worldwide.
2
Arcane (2021-)
Original Game Released In 2009
9/10
- Release Date
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2021 – 2024-00-00
- Showrunner
-
Christian Linke, Alex Yee
- Directors
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Pascal Charrue, Arnaud Delord
Although Arcane is based on League of Legends, it’s just as entertaining for newcomers. During the unrest between the wealthy city of Piltover and the oppressed underbelly of Zaun. It focuses on sisters, Vi and Powder, who get embroiled in a conflict over arcane technology. Arcane‘s world-building and characterization are so carefully executed that even viewers with no knowledge of League of Legends will find plenty to enjoy.
It ended up as the first streaming series to ever win a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Animated Program.
Any fans of steampunk or the fantasy genre as a whole will appreciate the bold animation and dynamic action sequences. Fans of the game will find even more hidden details to enjoy. Arcane season 1’s cliffhanger ending set up a tantalizing season 2, which arrived in 2024. It ended up as the first streaming series to ever win a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Animated Program. The series has ended, but there are spinoffs in the works.
1
The Last Of Us (2023-)
Original Game Released In 2013
The gameplay was never the most important factor in The Last of Us‘s immense success. What truly makes the game stand out is the story of Joel guiding Ellie through a hostile zombie apocalypse. The HBO adaptation wisely sticks to the script, creating a faithful adaptation of the story that is just as immersive as the game. The casting is also key, as Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey strike up a delightful bond as the two leads.
The Last of Us is the first video game adaptation that can be classed as truly prestige television, banishing the old curse once and for all. The second season arrived in April 2025, following a first season that won eight Primetime Emmy Awards in 24 nominations. There will also be a third season, as the streaming series has received some of the highest ratings of any video game adaptation in history.
This story originally appeared on Screenrant
