Summary
For the longest time, it seemed that any movie based on a video game was doomed to fail. After all, a video game is supposed to entertain audiences with great gameplay, and not storytelling. However, that has changed in recent years. The newest generation of gaming allows developers to immerse players in a fully 3D world, experiencing compelling narratives.
Very few attempts at turning video game properties into movies and TV shows have been met well by critics, though. Movies likeAssassin’s Creedand the original live actionSuper Mario Brothersflopped at the box office and failed to get an aggregate review score above 30%. Things are turning around for the genre, though, as there have been some truly great movies and TV shows in recent years that are based on video games.
Updated July 21, 2025, by Melody MacReady:Audiences are currently witnessing a resurgence of video game adaptations after years of unsuccessful attempts. This trend mirrors the experience of comic books, which faced poorly made movies and shows for years before finally finding success in the late 2000s and early 2010s. With the recent release of the third Sonic the Hedgehog movie and the second season of The Last Of Us coming to Max in April 2025, many people are convinced that we are entering a new era of well-crafted video game films and series. Additionally, several past adaptations also deserve recognition.
Almost everyone was convinced that a post-apocalyptic action-racing game likeTwisted Metalwas never going to work as a television series, but Peacock surprised all of them. The series mixes the brutality and absurdity of the games with a new story starring Anthony Mackie as John Doe, but it never loses its identity as aTwisted Metaladaptation.
In addition to being action-packed in almost every episode,Twisted Metalincorporates a significant amount of dark humor. It features the game’s flagship character, Sweet Tooth, portrayed physically by Samoa Joe and voiced by Will Arnett, creating an almost perfect adaptation of the character.
Despite many production issues and a rookie director with no knowledge of big-budget special effects,Mortal Kombatbecame a beloved adaptation ofthe iconic fighting game franchise. The fight choreography combined with a now-iconic soundtrack was the source of adrenaline for many viewers and fans of the games.
Mortal Kombatwould even be influential for the futureMortal Kombatgames, with Kano forever being depicted as an Australian criminal and Cary Hiroyuki Tagawa becoming the definitive portrayal of Shang Tsung. While not perfect, many fans have grown to appreciate 1995’sMortal Kombatfor delivering an action-packed adventure with a theme song that has become more famous than the movie itself.
After a controversial first trailer featuring a design for Sonic that was universally panned,Sonic The Hedgehogwas delayed by an entire year to fix the problem. In 2020, fans were shocked that not only did they get a faithful design for Sonic, but a genuinely fun family-friendly adventure starring the blue blur going from Montana to San Francisco.
WhileSonic The Hedgehogfollows a very overused formula of a cartoon character and a human going on a silly adventure, it executes said formula effectively with plenty of faithful elements from the game. One especially beloved aspect was the introduction of Jim Carrey asDr. Ivo “Eggman” Robotnik, who has become such an iconic villain, that he carries the film and its sequels on his back.
Made by and starring fans of the source material,WarCraftwas meant to be the next epic fantasy franchise on the same level asThe Lord of the Rings, but sadly, it never found an audience in theaters. However, as time passed, it has gained a following of fans who appreciate the story of how humans met orcs and how their war began.
The performance capture for the Orcs is often praised, with Toby Kebbell proving to be a standout as Durotan. The world of Azeroth was brought to life almost 1:1 from the games, from the designs of the locations, to how the spells look, to the different races, with a mix of CGI and practical effects that looked ahead of its time.
Following the incredible success of the firstSonicmovie, the studio partnered with Sega to develop a franchise.InSonic the Hedgehog 2,the blue hedgehog embarks on a new adventure,using his powerful super speedto thwart the ever-evolving Dr. Robotnik’s plans for world domination. Jim Carrey once again proves he was born for the role of Robotnik as he continues to look more like his video game counterpart.
This live-action sequel also brought in other fan-favorite characters from the games, Tails and Knuckles, with the latter being so popular that he received a spin-off show afterward.Sonic The Hedgehog 2was an improvement in nearly every way, with more emphasis on elements from the games, showing a progression in accuracy to the source material.
The 2021 reboot ofMortal Kombatmakes the odd decision of never featuring the titular tournament, but instead, is an origin story that establishes the heroes and villains before teasing the tournament for the next film. However, it still features what many expected to see: brutal fights and iconic characters from the game brought to life, from Kung Lao to the show-stealing Kano.
Fans had mixed feelings about Cole Young and the new explanation for everyone’s powers. However, the choreography for the fights is even better than the original thanks to a cast of dedicated actors who mostly do their own stunts. The biggest upgrade in the 2021 version is the R-rating, allowing for brutal fatalities just like the games, whereas the 1995 movie was PG-13. Also, the poster children, Scorpion and Sub-Zero, were better adapted to live-action in nearly every way, resulting in some of the best scenes in the film.
The horror-inspired, Gothic action-platform game,Castlevania, seemed like too niche of a video game franchise for anyone to adapt to another medium. Fortunately, the high number of streaming platforms looking for new content to adapt meant that Netflix picked up the property to turn it into a TV show. Of course, the unique world ofCastlevaniais too tricky to adapt to live action. That’s why the series was adapted into an anime.
On top of looking great, this multi-season show has remained faithful to the dark vibes of the games. Rather than one protagonist, it shifts focusbetween the characters of Dracula, Trevor Belmont, Alucard, and others to flesh out the universe. Featuring an all-star cast of voice actors, including Richard Armitage, Graham McTavish, and Jason Isaacs, this is a show that fans of the games cannot afford to miss.
Arcaneis set in theLeague Of Legendsuniverse, adapting for fans of the MOBA game some of the lore that is otherwise only told through text. Focusing on the sisters Vi and Jinx, the 3D animated show was much darker than expected, mixing steampunk fantasy with meta-commentary on class, with the common people of Zaun being oppressed by the rich and elite of Piltover.
Despite lasting only two seasons,Arcanewas a hit on Netflix thanks to its beautiful visuals and stories based on real-world issues.Arcanealso featured a plethora of memorable characters, with a healthyrepresentation of the LGBTQIA+ communityand complex stories to create an animated series unlike any other.
It’s not often that a video game adaptation gets a good sequel, but even less so that the series continues to get better with each film.Sonic The Hedgehog 3is an example of that, with the franchise gradually becoming more and more like the games, withthe threequel introducing Shadow the Hedgehogand Gerald Robotnik to raise the stakes even more.
With influences from games likeSonic Adventure,Sonic Heroes, andShadow The Hedgehog,Sonic The Hedgehog 3continues to balance pleasing fans of the long-running franchise and generating interest from casual moviegoers. It even has some of the best action in the franchise, an homage to various modern blockbusters, with the Sonic and Shadow sequences being a delight and Jim Carrey continuing to steal the show as both versions of Robotnik.
The Last Of Usseries adapts the world of the games perfectly, even featuring familiar actors from the game, but it is the chemistry betweenthe characters of Joel Millerand Ellie Williams, played by Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey, that drives this harrowing series. It is a true feat of adaptation, adapting portions of the game word-for-word while still expanding on elements exclusive to the series.
Some characters were given entire episodes to develop their characters, to the point that even theLeft BehindDLC from the first game was brought to life.The Last Of Usis still considered one of the best shows around, hence why it is fortunate enough to get a second season based onThe Last Of Us Part 2.
