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- Video game adaptations have long been the joke of the industry, but recent additions have raised the bar significantly.
- Modern, quality productions based on video games are breaking records and earning large amounts of praise and money.
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It seems like the dark days of terrible video game adaptations are finally behind us. As the content and audience of video games mature, the money involved with making quality content based on those video games, like books before them, also increases.
But, out of all the adaptations that have been made, which ones are the best? It’s no coincidence that most of them have been released in just the last few years, and the trend shows no sign of slowing down. We compared the scores of all the top TV and film releases and made a list of the top 14.
For this list, we used the scores available on Rotten Tomatoes and picked the highest between the critic score and the audience score. Additionally, we included only major releases that had scores as there are too many that were released online and in many other formats and didn’t receive scores. Finally, we excluded any series that were produced only for children (like the famous Pokémon series), even though they are beloved and highly successful, it is hard to get an accurate ranking for such a wide, deep, and varied form of media as children’s cartoons.
Why Are We Talking About This?
There is big money in video games and in movies and television when you combine the two there is potential for some of the largest box office and streaming audiences in history, but if you’re looking to invest in a film or game company, then it pays to know what the trends are, and which ones have done well, and why.
#14 The Witcher
- Rotten Tomatoes: 80%
- Category: TV series
Technically, The Witcher is based on the series of books the videogame by the same name is based on, but it is nearly impossible to separate them at this point and more people are familiar with the game than the books themselves.
Even though it began with rave reviews, high praise from both audiences and critics and widespread acclaim, The Witcher suffered from some of the same issues that destroyed the legacy of Game of Thrones: creators who abandoned the source material and forgot what made earlier seasons successful. Reviews suffered as a result, and high early reviews gave way to a low 54% audience score for the series overall. In the end, show lead Henry Cavill left the production due to creative differences, being replaced for the fourth upcoming season. It is safe to say that expectations are low.
That being said, the first and second seasons remain fantastic examples of television.
#13 Werewolves Within
- Rotten Tomatoes:86%
- Category: Film
Werewolves Within is a horror comedy based on the 2016 video game of the same name. The game, Werewolves Within, is a Mafia-style game common in other games. The game itself received lukewarm reviews, and the success of the film adaptation is a pleasant surprise. It might be because the premise of the game is so universal and common, and many people are familiar with games like Werewolf or Mafia they might have played in school or with friends. Audience scores also agree with the critics with a rating of 80%
#12 Gangs of London
- Rotten Tomatoes: 86%
- Category: TV series
Gangs of London is based on a 2006 video game of the same name and both explore the struggles and fights between rival gangs in modern-day London. It was produced and released in the UK before being broadcast to the United States. It has since produced a second season with a third being announced in 2022. The only real criticism of the show is the excessive use of violence, though this might be an added positive for the show, depending on who you are. If you like shows similar to Peaky Blinders, then you should give this one a shot.
#11 Detention
- Rotten Tomatoes: 86%
- Category: Film
Detention is based on a video game of the same name released in 2017. The game and the film are both set in Taiwan during the White Terror. Detention is a psychological horror film and was very successful all across Asia but was banned in China by a government order because of the setting of the film. A subsequent television series was released in 2020, also based on the game but with a different story.
#10 Uncharted
- Rotten Tomatoes: 90%
- Category: Film
Oh boy, if there is one entry on this list that the critics and audience don’t agree on, it’s this one. As of the writing of this article, there is a 50-point spread between the critics’ reviews at 40% and the audience score of 90%. Even within the audience, there is a hard line between fans of the game who disliked the movie because of its poor adaptation of the source material, and everyone else who enjoyed a fun, exciting adventure movie.
Uncharted is a fantastic movie and a great example that our pre-formed opinions can negatively impact our enjoyment of simple pleasures.
#9 Sonic the Hedgehog
- Rotten Tomatoes:93%
- Category: Film
The critics were lukewarm on Sonic, but audiences loved it. Why? It is our opinion that Sonic did what any proper adaptation should: use the source material faithfully while making something original which you can tell everyone had a blast making it. This is a fun movie with jokes that appeal to children and adults without being watered down and boring.
#8 Castlevania
- Rotten Tomatoes: 94%
- Category: TV series
Critics and audiences were surprised and blown away by Castlevania when it was released, being impressed by its animation quality, great characters, moving writing, and overall story. The first two seasons of Castlevania follow the plot of the 1989 game Castlevania III: Dracula’s Curse. The third and fourth seasons suffered from pacing issues, but this is a thrilling ride from beginning to end. If it doesn’t have you dabbing the corners of your eyes at least a couple of times, you’ll be in the minority.
#7 Fallout
- Rotten Tomatoes: 94%
- Category: TV series
Our first and only Amazon Prime Video series, Fallout is based on the best-selling Fallout series, taking place in the same universe but not based on any single game in particular. It was produced and directed (the first three episodes, at least) by Jonathan Nolan who also created the Westworld series, so it was bound to be good from the get-go. It was released in early 2024 and has already been renewed for a second season.
#6 The Super Mario Bros. Movie
- Rotten Tomatoes: 95%
- Category: Film
The critics had no love for the Mario movie, giving it an aggregate score of 59%. Audiences, on the other hand, couldn’t get enough of it. It isn’t based on any specific video game but does give an origin story to the beloved characters Mario and Luigi. It is a modern-day miracle that Nintendo allowed this movie to be made after the disastrous 1993 live-action Super Mario Bros.
When it was released, The Super Mario Bros. Movie set the record for the biggest worldwide opening for an animated film, the highest-grossing movie based on a video game, and the first movie based on a video game to make $1 billion in theaters. It is the highest-grossing movie made by Illumination and the fourth-highest-grossing animated film of all time.
#5 Sonic the Hedgehog 2
- Rotten Tomatoes:96
- Category: Film
In typical Hollywood fashion, after the resounding success of the first Sonic film, a second one was quickly announced and released. This sequel is based on a handful of different Sonic video games, adapting new characters across the Sonic universe. It was the highest-grossing film based on a video game until it was passed by The Super Mario Bros. Movie. A third movie in the Sonic franchise is due to release in 2024.
#4 The Last of Us
- Rotten Tomatoes: 96%
- Category: TV series
The Last of Us adaptation of the 2013 video game of the same name has been hailed as some of the best television ever produced, which goes to show you the quality of not only this show but the remaining entries on this list. Show producers worked closely with the creator and writer for the original game, and the composer for the game wrote the music for the show adaptation.
The show follows the main story beats of the game but adds additional character development and deeper exploration of the world and those who live there.
The Last of Us won eight Primetime Emmy Awards and was nominated for 24 in total. It had the second-biggest season premiere for HBO since 2010. The second episode had a 22% audience growth over episode one, to 5.7 million viewers, on its first night, which is the largest audience growth for an HBO drama in its history. It won several additional awards and was the first live-action video game adaptation to do so.
#3 Castlevania: Nocturne
- Rotten Tomatoes: 96%
- Category: TV series
This is certainly a divisive inclusion on our list, as critics absolutely adore this show, but the audience seems to despise it with a rating of 45%. It is a sequel to the other Castlevania series on this list and based on the 1993 game Castlevania: Rondo of Blood and the beloved Castlevania: Symphony of the Night.
As a sequel to one of the most successful adaptations, it would make sense that some of that magic would transfer to this series, and for the most part, it did. Naturally, comparisons to the original series are to be expected and let many viewers down.
#2 Arcane
- Rotten Tomatoes: 100%
- Category: TV series
You don’t need to know anything about the game League of Legends, which Arcane is based on, in order to enjoy it (much like all the shows on this list) because while it uses characters, settings, and other themes in League of Legends, their stories and character arcs are wholly original to Arcane.
Critics and audiences agree on the near-perfection of this series, with an audience score of 96%.
Arcane set the record for the highest-rated series on Netflix (NASDAQ:NFLX) within the first week of its release and reached the top spot on the Netflix ranking in 52 different countries. It was the first streaming series to be awarded a Primetime Emmy Award. It also won an Annie Award.
Following its incredible success, a second season was quickly announced.
#1 Cyberpunk: Edgerunners
- Rotten Tomatoes:100%
- Category: TV series
Cyberpunk: Edgerunners is an entirely original story based on the video game Cyberpunk: 2077, which is itself an adaptation of the popular tabletop role-playing game. It is a prequel to the game but very few of the characters are mentioned in the game itself, so people don’t miss anything essential if they haven’t seen the show.
Cyberpunk: Edgerunners’ characters, world-building, and animation all received high and widespread praise. It won the 2022 IGN Best Anime Series award, the 2023 Crunchyroll Anime of the Year award, and many other awards for voice acting, production, and more.
If you thought an animated television series couldn’t make you cry, we dare you to test your resolve with this final entry.
It was announced that a second season would not be made.
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