Rank video game TV shows by accuracy

The transition of video game adaptations from just movies to television has led to an increase in overall quality. Movies are usually around 2 hours long, so you can hardly expect to capture the story of a modern game for 20 hours or even much more than 30 hours.

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11 Video Game Movies Ranked by Accuracy

Video game movies aren’t exactly known for their accuracy. So let’s see which movie is the most faithful to the original.

Television offers much more freedom in this regard. Choose short, sweet episodes or expand further with hour-long segments. However, just because it takes time to tell a story doesn’t necessarily mean it will be faithful to the original work. Television shows are just as inconsistent as movies when it comes to faithful adaptations. This point is proven by these titles adapted for television.

Ten sonic boom

Few game series have the ultimate quality of Sonic the Hedgehog. Games like Sonic Mania, Sonic Colors, and the original Sonic trilogy have captured the hearts of many players over the years. But Sonic Boom: Rise of Lyric isn’t as fondly remembered, making it even stranger that this iteration of the character would have a series.

That’s not the only strange thing. Instead of Sonic’s usual humor, this show is very modern, bordering on self-conscious jokes that are hard to tell who they’re aimed at. However, one thing is clear. Other than a new design borrowed from the games and a new character, Sticks the Badger, this show has nothing in common with the Sonic series.

The Twisted Metal series has been dormant for years, but has been revived as a TV show on Peacock. Fans of the series will know that the Twisted Metal canon is a very complicated affair. The main focus of each game is an intense demolition derby rather than telling an overarching story. Still, there’s at least a semi-consistent foundation throughout the game.

The demonic Carpiso holds a contest in which contestants race to the death in vehicles of their choice in order to have a wish of their choice come true. However, such things are rarely conveyed in television programs. Instead, it centers around a driver battling the game’s familiar cars to traverse a post-apocalyptic America.

8 resident evil

The Resident Evil series hasn’t had much luck when it comes to being faithfully filmed. Between director Paul W. S. Anderson’s films and Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City, it always seems like they’re trying to take their fair share of the original’s creative liberties. The series continued this trend, telling a unique story centered around Albert Wesker and his family, with storylines centered around the time before and after the zombie apocalypse.

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As if surviving a zombie apocalypse wasn’t difficult enough.

An apocalypse that is essential to the show but never happens in the game. Similarly, many of the characters have also been created for the show, and it is said that more characters from the games will appear in future seasons. Still, even if there are more familiar characters, the central storyline, aside from the evil Umbrella Corporation, is so far removed from the game that it might as well be a standalone story.

7 cup head show

The popular indie game Cuphead has won the hearts of gamers with its retro art style and tough gameplay. In the story department, the game ran with a fairly simple premise. Two of his characters, Cuphead and Mugman, after incurring a debt to the devil himself, go on a journey to repay the debt by collecting the souls of other people who are in debt to the devil. This is all conveyed through the opening his cinematic, and from then on the gameplay takes center stage.

This didn’t leave much room for inspiration in the manga, which rarely tried to do so. Instead, they expand on the settings and characters in ways that are fun and feel consistent with the cartoon world they inhabit. Still, aside from keeping the same art style and some common character beats, The Cuphead Show feels like a separate part of the series.

6 Castlevania Dracula

The Castlevania series has had a huge influence on gaming, with these titles even providing the text behind the popular Metroidvania genre. The Gothic art and timeless story of defeating the vampire king Dracula has proven to be a huge success over the years. In the early days of Castlevania, the story was light, simply exploring the mansion and its grounds and preparing for a fight against evil.

Netflix’s animated adaptation adds quite a few twists and turns to the setting. Follow Trevor Belmont, Cipher, Alucard, and more as they fight monsters to hunt Dracula. The show breathes new life into the series, with a variety of weapons, locations, and character designs that pay homage to previous works.

Five Pokemon

The Pokémon series has expanded far beyond its gaming roots and has become a cultural phenomenon around the world. But before all the movies, manga, app store games, and stuffed animals, there was the original Pokémon Red and Green. Along with Mario and The Legend of Zelda, these are two of Nintendo’s biggest exclusive titles.

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Following the huge success of these games, a much-loved anime was created to capitalize on it. Of course, the show strived to portray the famous Pokémon in an exciting way that wasn’t possible in games at the time. This overarching storyline was fun to watch, but it was much more fulfilling than what we saw in the game.

Four Hello

Like Wolfenstein 3D and the original Doom, Halo changed not just shooters but the entire gaming world. Through engaging combat, multiplayer options, and vast lore, Halo has established itself as one of the most famous series of all time. Before 2022, several animated series were created to build on the game’s story, but it wasn’t until Paramount that fans were given a proper live-action adaptation of the game.

The show wasn’t without controversy regarding the treatment of Master Chief’s iconic helmet, as well as some new characters introduced just for the show. But the second season was a refreshing return to form, covering some of the series’ most important legendary moments.

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2 Cyberpunk: Edgerunners

Cyberpunk 2077 is one of the most talked about games of the past decade, and for good reason. An RPG set in a crime-infested futuristic city where you play as a mercenary who will do whatever it takes to survive and advance has a very appealing premise. Cyberpunk 2077 lives up to this hype with its engaging story, proactive characters, and gameplay that encourages you to deal with situations your way.

Edgerunners acts as a prequel to the main game, with its own plot that partially overlaps with V’s quest for survival. More importantly, Edgerunners captures the atmosphere of the game perfectly. Weapons, locations, and even some characters are beautifully recreated, telling a story that fits perfectly with the rest of Night City’s wild tales.

1 The Last of Us

The Last Of Us series is a strong contender for some of the most cinematic games on the market. Playing them is like taking part in an epic survival story, establishing an even more direct bond with the main characters Joel and Ellie than even the movies could achieve. Over time, the discourse around games has never completely disappeared, proving just how influential these games were.

And when it comes to adaptations, no other show handles the original like HBO’s The Last Of Us. Many scenes in the first installment are taken straight from the games, brought to life perfectly by actors like Pedro Pascal and Vera Ramsey. The show captures so many details of the game, making it a remarkable accomplishment not just for video game adaptations, but for adaptations as a whole.

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All upcoming video game movies and animated television adaptations

All the upcoming and in-development video game movies and TV adaptations on one page. More than 40 people are expected to appear over the next three years.