Over the last two decades, live-action adaptations of video games have become more common. Whether or not many of those adaptations have actually done their source material justice is another story! Aspects like world-building, characterization, and vibes are all huge components that determine the success of a game-to-screen translation.
Within the last few years in particular, video game adaptations have become more appealing for both fans and newcomers by offering new stories, great characters, and loyalty to the source games. I present to you: the top six live-action video game adaptations from the last six years.
2019: Pokémon: Detective Pikachu
In 2019, hope for video games and anime adaptations was given a boost with the release of Pokémon: Detective Pikachu. This film attempted to blend the real world with that of Pokémon, having humanity carry on alongside all types of pocket monsters. In terms of world-building, the movie did a good job of blending the CGI Pokémon with real people, making their existence feel more natural. There are some really neat scenes and it was cool to see the different Pokémon interact and fight.
In terms of faithfulness to the source material, the game loosely adapts the plot of the 2018 game Detective Pikachu, rather than taking from any of the mainline Pokémon games or the previous anime features. This resulted in a fun movie, although I felt like Ryan Reynolds was an odd choice as Detective Pikachu himself. Reynolds is a great actor, but this role didn’t seem to fit him. I thought it was weird for Pikachu to make borderline PG-13 comments when so much of the fan base consists of children. (The remarks made sense for the plot, but was just a tad surprising.)
Aside from that, the movie captures the sense of adventure, wonder, and excitement that has drawn players and viewers to Pokémon games for almost 30 years. Detective Pikachu passed the vibe check for sure and is a nice contribution to the Pokémon franchise.
2020: Sonic the Hedgehog
2020 was a crappy year in general, but one of the few good things to come from it was Sonic the Hedgehog. This film, which was supposed to release in 2019, was, at first, a disgrace. The initial reveal to the public was met with outrage and disappointment from fans who did not take to the terrifyingly creepy design of Sonic. However, the studio did something that felt like a revolutionary act: they actually listened to the fans. They took the feedback and ran with it, redesigning the titular character. It seems rare that opinions of fans are taken into consideration when creating something. In this case, the studio’s redesign of Sonic to look more like the video games was a fantastic decision.
In this adaptation, Sonic is transported to our modern day Earth. While I think it would have been interesting to see the movie adapt a plot from one of the games made, I appreciate this original story. There are elements of friendship, action, and excitement, all of which are very on-point for the Sonic franchise.
It was also interesting to see Jim Carrey as the villain Doctor Robotnik, aka Eggman. Carrey gave the certified genius a bit of a new look (minus the mustache), but I don’t view that as a negative. Carrey’s mannerisms and energy brought the character to life and were a pleasant addition to the film overall. Sonic’s character was also portrayed well and felt very on-brand. This film was considered such a success that multiple sequels and spin-offs have been released in its wake.
2021: Werewolves Within
I had honestly never heard of Werewolves Within prior to researching for this list. I watched the movie and also watched some gameplay from the base game so I could get some better context for comparison. First of all, Werewolves Within looks like a cool game — it's basically a VR version of the party game Werewolf set in a medieval fantasy town — and it’s a bummer that the player base has pretty much died off in the last few years. The gameplay isn’t necessarily the most riveting thing in the world, but the movie, released in 2021, definitely makes up for that.
Despite the movie taking place in a completely unrelated (and far more current) time and place than the game, the whodunnit elements are still very present. The story stays true to the basics: there’s a werewolf in the town causing chaos and committing murder, and the townsfolk attempt to figure out who the culprit is. Unlike the game, there’s plenty of gun-toting action, extra murders (that aren’t what they seem), and a good amount of humor.
There are some good lines in the movie and plenty of details to question before the final reveal. Overall, this adaptation relies on passing the vibe check in order to maintain its connection to the source material, and it does.
2023: The Last of Us (...let's just forget about 2022)
Next up is 2022. An Uncharted movie came out that year, but it does not make my list, nor did anything from that year really stand out to me.
However, a year later, HBO released the first season of The Last of Us. This has been, arguably, one of the best translations of a video game into a live-action production ever. Previously, most live-action adaptations had been feature films. In this case, the writers and directors decided to give the game the time and attention it deserved in a longer-form format. Fans were critical of some of the casting choices, but everyone’s performances were spot-on and very faithful to their game counterparts.
One of the coolest things about the show's first season was that it stuck very closely to the source material; some scenes were almost shot-for-shot remakes of what was in the game. Yet opportunities were taken to explore and develop backstory for supporting characters (looking at you, Bill and Frank), which contributed to the world-building and strengthened the emotional connection for the audience.
The first season absolutely carried the same energy and tone as the game, which was, as a fan, amazing. In so many cases, people say that it would be better if stories were given more time instead of being crammed into two or three hours for a one-off film. The Last of Us showed that this method is, indeed, the way to go. Being able to spend an appropriate and balanced amount of time on a story makes such a profound difference!
The Last of Us season 2 will premiere on HBO and Max on Sunday, April 13, and is eagerly anticipated.
Also 2023: Twisted Metal
Since we didn't talk about any titles for 2022, let's discuss an extra one for 2023: The first season of Twisted Metal, Peacock TV’s adaptation of the car combat series, is a great example of how to take elements of a game’s world, lore, and characters and combine them with new ideas. It's a recipe for success.
The Twisted Metal games don’t exactly have the strongest of plots, but there is background development for several of the characters. Despite the source material not having a robust story, the television adaptation maintains the chaotic energy and fast pace fans enjoy. The introduction of the amnesiac milkman creates an opportunity for the show to introduce some characters from the games while also establishing them as separate entities. In terms of world-building and characterization, the show does a pretty good job, especially when considered as a standalone addition to the franchise. The original tale developed by the show has plenty of violence, blood, humor, and shenanigans that weave together very nicely. The show is an excellent addition to the world of Twisted Metal.
2024: Fallout
One of the latest and greatest live-action adaptations to drop is Fallout, based on the long-running post-apocalyptic video game series from Bethesda. The first season came out on Prime Video in 2024.
After The Last of Us, fans were cautiously optimistic that this series, and it did not disappoint. The show creates its own original story within the Fallout universe, featuring new and unique characters and interesting contributions to the world’s lore. The mood is consistent throughout the first season, making the world feel like a cohesive and realistic setting; the show has the same sense of black humor as the games do. There are Easter egg-like references to the games sprinkled throughout the episodes, which is fun for fans yet not off-putting to newbies or disruptive in the flow of the story. The first season felt reminiscent of a plot I would expect to see in a Fallout game (and not unpleasantly so). It’s no surprise, then, that it was renewed for another season. Season 2 is currently in production, and the pictures from the set show that Prime Video is continuing to take this endeavor seriously.
These six live-action adaptations have, generally, satisfied the fanbases and also brought new people into the fold. There are definitely those who, for one reason or another, either cannot or choose not to play video games. These adaptations serve to turn games and their stories into casual entertainment viewing opportunities to show new viewers what they’ve been missing. Hopefully the future will continue this trend of bringing characters and concepts to life in ways that do both their source material and their fans proud!
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