The relationship between movies and video games can be complicated at times, with some adaptations falling off the wayside. However, there are diamonds in the rough, with a few standout picks among the many other media adaptations of video game franchises. This is our top 6 list of the best movies/tv shows/comics based on existing video games.
#6 Warcraft
Warcraft is best known for its Warcraft RTS games and World of Warcraft MMORPG. The movie, directed by Duncan Jones, goes beyond the franchise’s main draw of attacking bases, raiding dungeons, and farming WoW gold. The movie is taken from the perspective of Durotan, chieftain of the Frostwolf clan, and Anduin Lothar, the Lion of Stormwind. Much of the movie’s plot is based on the first Warcraft game, which centers around the Orcs and Humans, though the narrative takes many cues from some of the other games, in terms of characters and settings.
Avid WoW fans will see the attention to detail with places like Elwynn Forest, Stormwind, Dalaran, Karazhan and even the Dark Portal in their full glory. The movie does a solid job at staying faithful to the lore, story, and spirit of the Warcraft games, with many fans of the franchise appreciating its respect for the games.
#5 Path of Exile: Origins
Path of Exile does not have much in terms of external media work—only having a short comic series that tells the tale of Wraeclast and its people. Yet the comic series has a strong narrative, with characters from the time of the Purity Rebellion like King Kaom, High Templar Voll, and Chitus Perandus. Fans of the game will appreciate the comics as there are a few references to certain PoE currency and items. Amongst the ruins and desolate that are present on Wraeclast and even Oriath, it’s nice to see what life was like during the more civilized times in Path of Exile.
#4 The Super Mario Brothers Movie
The Mario games are light-hearted fun with nice and wholesome stories. This is also true for the Super Mario Brothers Movie spinning its own take on the titular siblings.
#3 Fallout
The Fallout games have always been known for their unique 50’s retro-futuristic vibe and many post-apocalyptic stories that make each entry memorable. Initially as a series of CRPGs, now a first-person shooter with some RPG elements, the games let you play as a major player in the Wasteland, making decisions that will greatly affect the future of the Wasteland. With Amazon announcing the production of a TV show based on the Fallout series, fans were initially skeptical whether or not it would turn out fine.
Fast-forward to today, and people are singing the praises of Amazon’s Fallout show. The show’s producers, Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy, have previously worked on another solid TV show with Westworld, and Fallout continues to carry its momentum. Fallout fans love this show since it has many narrative and gameplay nods to the games. The show presents three protagonists, Vault Dweller Lucy MacLean, pre-War Ghoul Cooper Howard, and Maximus, a squire to the Brotherhood of Steel.
The narrative of the show is a fun jaunt with some well-earned drama that highlights the story. We get to see the struggle of Lucy trying to adapt to the brutal Wasteland after years of coddling in the Vaults and Maximus’ test of faith with the Brotherhood. While these two represent the modern-day Wasteland, Cooper Howard/The Ghoul gives us a glimpse of America before the bombs dropped, showing us how he turned from a noble actor to the cold-blooded gunslinger that he is today.
#2 Arcane: A League of Legends Story
League of Legends is, first and foremost, a competitive MOBA Esport with an emphasis on the pro leagues and tournaments that make the game a staple for many players all around the world. The game itself provides some brief bits of lore, but it doesn’t have much in the way of an actual story. This all changed with the release of the hit TV series Arcane: A League of Legends story.
This show follows a few of the game’s Champions, featuring Jinx, Vi, Caitlyn, Ekko, Jayce, and Viktor. The plot of the show is quite character-focused and has a lot of heart-wrenching moments between Jinx and Vi in particular. Its animation is also quite superb, with a bombastic art style and color palette, looking like the game’s splash art at times. Arcane is a complete TV show package, where even people who have never played LoL can still fully appreciate the show as it is.
Arcane shows us the world of Runeterra in a way that not even League of Legends has done before. We get to see the lives of the people of Zaun and Piltover, going beyond the taller-than-life Champions that some players main in the game.
#1 The Last of Us
The Last of Us is one of the many games that Sony is pushing to be a cinematic experience with gameplay. This makes the game prime material for either a movie or TV show adaptation. Directed by Craig Mazin, creator of the Chernobyl TV series, The Last of Us matches vibe for vibe with the post-apocalyptic feel of the former. With Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey having a strong presence on the screen as Joel and Ellie, the show really pulls at the heartstrings as their relationship grows.
The show takes a few liberties from the game, but it is all in done to add more gravitas to the show and works to its favor. It is still the same story of Joel taking Ellie across the country to deliver her to The Fireflies, a faction dedicated to curing the Cordyceps infection. Diehard fans still appreciate the show keeping faithful to the games with a few easter eggs thrown in the show for them to see and enjoy.
It has won a series of Emmy and Golden Globe Awards for its high production value and story. Viewers who have never played the game will still enjoy the show in the same way as the players who completed the game in their first playthrough.
