For so many years, many producers have tried and sometimes failed to turn video games into movies and TV series. Well, the gaming community can be hard to please, that’s for sure. They’ve spent hours of their lives to play these games just to end up watching a movie that throws the plot out the window or a TV show that feels like a watered-down version of the original experience. Character personalities get butchered, iconic storylines are rewritten, and sometimes the visuals completely miss the mark. It’s no wonder gamers often walk away disappointed.
But even though it’s often a hit-and-miss, more and more studies are starting to learn from their past mistakes. That means we now get to enjoy quality movies and TV series based on video games that we can watch on various platforms like Netflix, HBO Max, Hulu, Dish TV, Sling TV, and more.
- The Last of Us (2023)
The Last of Us received a 96% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, which is extremely high for typical video game TV series adaptation. Remember that one where you play as this tough guy named Joel and gotta protect this teenage girl, Ellie, across a messed up America? This show gets it right. They didn’t make massive storyline changes, so if you played the game, you’ll recognize everything and literally see your favorite game come to life.
If you plan to bingewatch this TV series, you must have a fast internet connection like the one from HughesNet or other reputable internet providers. This series has only one season with nine episodes, but the season 2 is confirmed and already underway. The expected release will be on 2025.
- Gran Turismo: Based on a True Story (2023)
If you love playing Gran Turismo, you’ll definitely appreciate this film. It’s the real life story of Jann Mardenborough who went from playing Gran Turismo to becoming a real race car driver. Talk about making dreams a reality, right? But of course, the journey wasn’t easy. He entered a competition where they picked the best gamer to become a real racer, but it doesn’t stop there.
Him being in the same racetrack with pros created some issues, especially since most professional race car drivers look down on him at first. But he persevered and made a name for himself. It’s an great true-to-life movie for gamers like Jann.
- Arcane: League of Legends (2021)
Would you believe that this TV show received a 100% Rotten Tomatoes rating? Well, it’s not your typical game-to-screen flop as many people worldwide loved it. It’s about two sisters Vi and Junx who live in a messed up city with two sides: the Piltover (fancy rich area) and Zaun (the dark and ugly area). When Jinx gets mixed up with some crazy magic, Vi has to step in to keep her sister and the entire city from getting blown to bits.
This is the type of show that you won’t need to play League of Legends to enjoy or understand. Right now, you can only watch Arcane on Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime. Hopefully, it’ll be available on other streaming platforms and even niche-focused platforms like Spanish TV.
- Fallout (2024)
Here’s another video game millions of people worldwide loved since its release. And this adaptation is also considered a success by individuals who have played the Fallout games. The movie takes place in a nuked-out Los Angeles. After a nuclear war, people live in underground shelters called Vaults, wherein they must protect themselves from radiation and other threats that lie ahead. If you love post-apocalyptic games and shows, this one is definitely a must-watch. The season 1 has eight episodes and Amazon Prime recently confirmed its season 2 renewal.
- Werewolves Within (2021)
Werewolves Within is a fun game that relies on how good you lie. If you’re unfamiliar with the game, it’s a fast-paced 5-8 multiplayer game that gives you hidden roles. The main goal is to survive and get rid of all the werewolves. This horror-comedy film is the same. It’s all about the characters getting suspicious of each other. From there, accusations fly, and the suspense builds as they try to know the truth before it’s too late.
The Bottom Line If you’re a gamer who’s tired of watching poorly executed video game adaptations, don’t worry. There are still a lot of great video game movies and TV shows out there, and this list is just the tip of the iceberg. Give these movies a try, and if you loved it, let us know so we can create another list for y’all to watch. Happy watching!
