We have been experiencing a change in trend for years in which the big productions are television series, exceeding in demand and, in some cases, even in budget, than big movie releases. Adaptations have always been a source of inspiration for film and television, most of them coming from literature and books. But over the years, cinema and television have chosen to bring to the screen some series and films that are based on popular video games.
The results have been mixed; some titles are well received and others have been hated and even forgotten. Luckily, this trend is beginning to change, with greater investment and loyalty to the product on which they are based; with such big companies as Netflix and HBO behind them. Here are the top 5 TV shows based on top-notch online games.
The Last of Us
Today’s gambling houses, both online and land-based, are very focused on offering slot machines based on TV shows. As a result, apart from the classic fruitmania slot, you can find a great selection of TV-themed series, including Vikings, Peaky Blinders, Office, Friends, and the most recent buzzer The Last of Us.
In the case of The Last Of Us series, released January 2022, its popularity increases every week. This has now positioned the series as the most successful adaptation of a console game brought to television. The apocalyptic drama doesn’t just top the ratings charts. As of April 2023, this production is one of the only two television adaptations with a rating of more than 9 stars on IMDb.
Arcane: League of Legends
Next up for the new benchmark for video game-to-series adaptation is Netflix’s Arcane. It is set in the sister cities of Piltover and Zaun, a small area of the world of Runeterra within the massive League of Legends esports universe. French animation studio Fortiche collaborated with the creatives at Riot Games for several years to create a story that would work for both LoL players and viewers without any exposure to the game.
The series was created using a unique combination of computer animation and illustrated backgrounds that is visually stunning, but also allows for nuanced performances that transcend most other CGI animated series.
Castlevania
The Castlevania series of video games stems from a genre of side-scrolling video titles that allows players to explore a maze-like setting with secrets to find and new areas to unlock the correct team.
Being both very mission-oriented and meandering, Castlevania Netflix’s adaptation of the third game in particular, expertly translates this paradox to the screen. The original 1986 title received a 7.7 rating, surpassed by its television adaptation, which received an 8.2 IMDb rating.
The Witcher
From the moment Netflix had shared the first look at Henry Cavill in his white Geralt wig in 2018, there was some trepidation. For some, it looked good, for others it was the result of a mediocre and difficult cosplay. As it turns out, The Witcher looks amazing, avoiding the frills that other current fantasy series have.
The Witcher looks dirty, it looks worn, it looks real. It feels inhabited, which is more or less what people expect from their video games: to live in it. With the series only getting better in its second season, the Witcher makes audiences feel like they really are a part of that world.
Carmen Sandiego
Finally, fifth place goes to Carmen Sandiego, with an average rating of 7.02. In the late 1980s, many school-age children ingested their geography lessons through the popular computer game series called “Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?”.
The premise is that Sandiego is an international criminal mastermind traveling the world with agents from the ACME Detective Agency hot on his heels. In the 1990s, the game hit television screens via the highly entertaining and informative PBS game show that ran for five highly successful seasons. The game also spawned the catchiest Rockapella theme songs. And then, in 2019, Netflix brought the character back to television in the stylish 2D animated series, Carmen Sandiego, with actress Gina Rodríguez voicing the mysterious international woman. This version also meets the hype of the audience and does the character pride with globe-trotting adventures and a more contemporary edge.
Wrapping Up
To sum it up, all these five TV shows are hugely popular among its audience. Given the recent popularity of The Last of Us, it is fait to admit that this the best television video game adaptation of all time. It received an early renewal for a second season after the show’s premiere on Jan. 2022, the first chapter of which reached more than 20,000,000 concurrent viewers during its opening week.
These figures make it HBO’s second most-watched series debut, behind only House of the Dragon (with the final season averaging over 40,000,000 viewers per episode). The company also reported the show had a 25% audience growth over the following weeks after the show’s release.