Key Takeaways
- Netflix video game adaptations have evolved, with Arcane and Cyberpunk: Edgerunners being well-received by critics and fans.
- Resident Evil adaptations have disappointed fans due to diverging from game lore, resulting in mixed to mediocre reviews.
- Castlevania and Cyberpunk: Edgerunners stand out as some of Netflix’s best video game adaptations for their quality storytelling and visuals.
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Video game adaptations used to be a bit of a joke but things have changed. Once upon a time, hearing one’s favorite game was being turned into a film or TV show was nearly always bad news. These days, that news is met with trepidation but also hope. That’s at least partly down to Netflix and its mostly excellent adaptations.
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Netflix gets a lot of bad press, but it still has plenty of binge-worthy and rewatchable series, some of the best of which are video game adaptations. Not all of them have been a hit but shows like Arcane and Cyberpunk: Edgerunners have been received with both critical acclaim and glowing reviews from fans. Considering how picky and protective fans can understandably be when it comes to their favorite franchises, that’s no small feat. With that, here’s a ranking of every Netflix series that was based on games. A small number of shows aimed at kids have been ignored, discounted The Witcher (which is mainly based on the books), and only included Netflix originals. Which show is “best” is a matter of opinion, so the shows have been ranked based on a combination of their IMDB and Rotten Tomatoes scores.
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13 Resident Evil
IMDB: 4.2, Rotten Tomatoes: 53%
Resident Evil (2022) ActionHorror Sci-Fi
Release Date June 14, 2022 Creator Andrew Dabb Network Netflix
The first few entries received similarly mixed reviews and receptions, so their low ranking may offend some. The Resident Evil franchise has produced its fair share of adaptations, but for some reason, studio executives refuse to simply adapt any of the best Resident Evil games. Resident Evil is the rare horror franchise known for its storytelling and intricate lore, but its live-action adaptations seem determined to ignore both.
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The result of this is that Resident Evil fans tend to dump on these adaptations pretty quickly. Netflix’s live-action Resident Evil show tells an original story set over two timelines. One followed Albert Wesker and his daughters in 2022 in New Raccoon City while the other was set in a post-apocalyptic 2036. The show was supposedly set in the game universe but was devoid of many core Resident Evil elements. Despite having high production values and starring the late great Lance Reddick, the show received mixed, mediocre reviews from critics. The show wasn’t very scary, its pacing could be glacial and not all the new characters were particularly interesting. Franchise fans were more scathing. They didn’t take well to Reddick’s version of Wesker or the changes made to the franchise’s lore.
12 Resident Evil: Infinite Darkness
IMDB: 5.8, Rotten Tomatoes: 50%
Resident Evil: Infinite Darkness ActionAnimationHorror
Release Date July 8, 2021 Directors Eiichirō Hasumi Writers Eiichirō Hasumi , Shogo Moto
- Studio: TMS Entertainment
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Resident Evil: Infinite Darkness has the opposite problem to its live-action siblings. It, too, received mixed, mainly mediocre reviews from critics, but many fans enjoyed it. Rather than being criticized for not including enough game elements, some critics felt it relied too heavily on familiarity with the games.
The show is CGI-animated and follows fan favorites Leon S. Kennedy and Claire Redfield between the events of Resident Evil 4 and 5. The show is chock-full of Resident Evil lore but focuses more on political intrigue and espionage than traditional zombie horror. The animation is excellent and the voice acting was surprisingly good. Unfortunately, everything else was a bit forgettable. The plot makes little sense if viewers are not franchise fans and is too light on the horror if they are. For fans, the show was definitely a step in the right direction for future adaptations but didn’t quite hit the mark.
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11 Tekken: Bloodline
IMDB: 6.5, Rotten Tomatoes: 40%
- Released: August 18, 2022
- Studio: Studio Hibari & Larx Entertainment
Like other low-ranking entries on this list, Tekken: Bloodline wasn’t bad. It received mixed reviews, and it seems that critics couldn’t quite agree on what they liked or disliked about it. The anime was a mostly faithful retelling of Jin Kazama’s story leading up to and during Tekken 3. Broadly speaking, the show can be divided into two arcs: Jin being trained by his mother and grandfather and then Jin fighting in the King of Iron First Tournament in order to avenge his mother.
For the most part, the anime was impressively faithful to Tekken’s lore, only really straying to expand the character’s backstories and introducing elements from later entries. The anime’s story was well told but received criticism from critics and fans, who felt it focused too much on Jin to the detriment of other fan-favorite characters. The biggest problems with the show were its animation and pacing, which could be described as inconsistent. The fight scenes were largely well done but a little on the short side. There also just wasn’t enough of them. For a franchise all about epic fights, the show spent a little too long on Jin’s training arc and not long enough on the bloody battles fans had come for.
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10 Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft
IMDB: 5.2, Rotten Tomatoes: 71%
- Released: October 10, 2024
- Studio: Powerhouse Animation Studios
The Legend of Lara Croft is still pretty fresh, so time will tell how fondly it is remembered. Right now all one can really say is that The Legend of Lara Croft is fine, verging on good. It is a direct sequel to the Survivor trilogy of games and attempts to bring their version of Lara Croft in line with the original games many fans grew up with. With that goal in mind, it doesn’t quite stick the landing.
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Part of the problem is that it revisits too many of the story elements from the recent games. They’re some of the best games in the franchise sure, but The Legend of Lara Croft spends far too much dwelling on Lara Croft struggling with her past, legacy, and relationship with her father. Fans have been there, and done that. The show gets off to a slow start and never really picks up. The action sequences are decently done but somehow never quite as impressive as anything fans have seen in the games. On the plus side, Hayley Atwell makes for a great Lara Croft (although some might argue her voice sounds a tad too old) and the animation is mostly high-quality. Hopefully, the writers will do a better job with a potential season 2 now that they’re done rehashing Lara’s family drama and daddy issues.
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9 Dragon’s Dogma
IMDB: 6.3, Rotten Tomatoes: 71%
- Released: September 17, 2020
- Studio: Sublimation
Based on its above scores, Dragon’s Dogma ranks just above Tomb Raider, but it probably deserves a slightly lower ranking. It’s a strange anime that is faithful to some aspects of the game’s lore while seemingly missing what has made the franchise so popular among RPG fans. It follows Ethan, an Arisen, as he seeks revenge against the dragon that wrecked his village and stole his heart (not in the romantic sense). So far, so familiar.
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However, each episode focused on one of the deadly sins, not something really found in either game. The anime is much more narrative-focused than the games, which makes sense for the media, but the world-building suffers. Some of the artwork is beautiful but the CGI animation is lackluster in places, especially for the monsters. That’s a problem for a series ostensibly about killing monsters. Some critics and fans also took issue with the show’s reliance on gratuitous violence and sex, which felt out of place considering neither game is especially bloody or sexy. The final product is an anime that’s simply OK on its own but a disappointment considering the source material.
8 Dragon Age: Absolution
IMDB: 6.4, Rotten Tomatoes: 92%
Dragon Age: Absolution ActionAdventureFantasy
Release Date December 9, 2022
- Studio: Red Dog Culture House
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It says a lot about how good most of Netflix’s adaptations are that Dragon Age: Absolution is coming in at 8th place despite having a very respectable 92% on Rotten Tomatoes. Its lower ranking is down to its less impressive score on IMDB and a handful of flaws that prevent it from achieving true greatness. Set in the Tevinter Imperium (which will be seen more of in the upcoming Dragon Age: Dreadwolf), this anime follows a group of misfits who have set out on a heist to steal the magical MacGuffin, the Circulum Infinitius.
The show is impressively faithful to Dragon Age, to the point that it put off some critics and viewers who weren’t that familiar with the games. The animation and voice acting were both great and of the quality fans expect from something overseen by BioWare. Unfortunately, the show’s held back by a handful of flaws, the biggest being that it feels rushed. The animation crams a lot of story into 6 short episodes and the ending comes sooner than expected. One of the best things about the Dragon Age franchise is its great companion pairings, but the show is in such a rush that Miriam’s cohorts don’t always get the attention they deserve. Until a second season is announced, fans might want to sit on this or risk feeling disappointed by its ending.
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7 Onimusha
IMDB: 6.8, Rotten Tomatoes:100%
- Released: November 2, 2023
- Studio: Sublimation
Looking at Onimusha’s Rotten Tomatoes score, it looks like the anime was a homerun for Netflix, but looking at its viewer-based scores tells a different story. The show is set in feudal Japan and tells the story of Musashi Miyamoto who sets out on a secret mission with his companions to vanquish demons using the magical “Oni Gauntlet”. Critics lapped up the anime’s art style, storytelling, and animation, but many fans were left cold.
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Part of the problem may be that while the show was faithful to the franchise’s lore and incorporated elements from the games like the Oni Gauntlet and Genma demons, it also tried to do its own thing. That’s always a risk when making a video game adaptation. The 3D animation was also a little on the uneven side and the second half felt rushed, introducing characters and plot elements seemingly willy-nilly. Onimusha is best enjoyed if one ignores the fact it’s based on a game and treats it like any other dark fantasy anime set in feudal Japan.
6 Captain Laserhawk: A Blood Dragon Remix
IMDB: 7, Rotten Tomatoes: 89%
- Released: October 19, 2023
- Studio: Ubisoft Film & Television, Bobbypills, Bootleg Universe
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Lots of gamers have a love/hate relationship with Ubisoft. They love some of the publisher’s games but hate the company itself. Sometimes it feels like Ubisoft is doing its best to upset gamers, which is what made Captain Laserhawk so surprising. Inspired by one of the best Far Cry games, the show creators seem to have been given free rein to make fun of the studio’s biggest franchises and put their characters in compromising situations.
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The show is set in a fictional future where some of Ubisoft’s most famous mascots are fighting against a technocratic megacorporation while others are working for it. It features a unique visual style that does the Blood Dragon moniker justice and has some excellent, imaginative action sequences. The writers were allowed to make creative use of characters like the beloved Sam Fisher and respected Ubisoft’s games without being tied down by lore. There isn’t another video game adaptation quite like it. Sadly, the show is also far from perfect. Like other lower-ranking adaptations on the list, it suffers from a painfully short runtime and rushed pacing. That leads to limited character development and “twists” that don’t feel earned. Ironically, the show benefits from Ubisoft’s lack of meddling but suffers from Netflix’s.
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5 DOTA: Dragon’s Blood
IMDB: 7.7, Rotten Tomatoes: NA
- Released: March 15, 2021
- Studio: Studio Mir
DOTA: Dragon’s Blood got off to a strong start and lasted for a respectable three seasons but failed to live up to the likes of Castlevania. It starred Dragon Knight Davion, who ends up having his soul merged with the dragon Slyrak. Working alongside Princess Mirana, Davion sets out to stop the evil demon Terrorblade, who is harvesting Dragon Souls. The show was steeped in DOTA lore but also managed to be accessible to new fans by telling a story that was faithful to the lore without being bogged down by it.
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The animation was mostly top-notch and the show expanded on DOTA‘s lore and universe in meaningful ways. One of the show’s original characters, Marci, was even added to DOTA 2 as a playable hero. If the show had an Achilles’ heel, it was uneven pacing. Season/ Book 1 was a bit on the slow side before rushing to the finish. Book 2, on the other hand, had a breakneck pace that burned through the franchise’s lore and world-building, overwhelming viewers unfamiliar with the game. The pacing also meant relationships and character arcs progressed at unrealistic speeds. When big twists came, there was rarely time for the emotional weight to sink in. Dragon’s Blood was an excellent video game adaptation let down by the streaming formula.
4 Castlevania: Nocturne
IMDB: 7.4, Rotten Tomatoes: 96%
Castlevania: Nocturne HorrorAnime
Release Date September 28, 2023
- Studio: Powerhouse Animation
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Castlevania: Nocturne had a lot to live up to following the smash hit that was Netflix’s first Castlevania adaptation. The good news is that the show certainly lived up to expectations. The show is set in 1792 during the French Revolution and adapts 1993’s Castlevania: Rondo of Blood as well as elements of Castlevania: Symphony of the Night. It replaces good old Trevor Belmont with his descendant, Richter, and features a new vampiric threat now that Dracula is seemingly defeated, the “vampire messiah”.
Seeing as the show adapts some of the best Castlevania games, it’s a relief that Nocturne is as good as it is. The animation is once again brilliant and the action consequences rival those of the original. The voice acting is also strong, although Rich Armitage’s epic turn as Trevor is missed. Much like the first show, Nocturne does a great job at adapting Castlevania’s very video-gamey lore into something entertaining. The only fly in the ointment (again) is the pacing. Once again, Castlevania comes across as rushed, as if Netflix doesn’t have full confidence in animated adaptations. This rush to the end leaves some supporting characters underdeveloped, which lessens the impact when some of their journeys end tragically. Thankfully, the show has been renewed, so there’s hope Netflix will give it the time it needs to grow.
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3 Castlevania
IMDB: 8.3, Rotten Tomatoes: 94%
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Castlevania ActionFantasySupernatural
Release Date July 7, 2017 Creator Warren Ellis
The show that arguably began Netflix’s video game adaptation golden age. The show follows reluctant heroes Trevor Belmont, Sypha, and Alucard as they fight Dracula’s army of darkness and look to take down the big bad himself. The show was absolutely gorgeous to look at with a gothic and baroque-inspired style that captured but built upon the essence of the long-running games.
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The characters were fleshed out beyond their video game inspirations. Richard Armitage excelled in bringing Trevor Belmont to life, while the excellent writing made Dracula a surprisingly sympathetic antagonist. The show was loyal enough to the franchise’s lore to keep fans happy but expanded the universe. The show was dark, brutal, and horrific one moment and laugh-out-loud funny the next. Meanwhile, the pacing leaped between well-choreographed fight scenes while leaving enough time for character development. Most importantly, the show was successful in appealing to long-time fans, animation aficionados, and general audiences not interested in either. Castlevania will go down in TV history as one of the best-ever video game adaptations.
2 Cyberpunk: Edgerunners
IMDB: 8.3, Rotten Tomatoes: 100%
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Cyberpunk: Edgerunners Action Sci-Fi
Release Date September 13, 2022 Studio Trigger
When Edgerunners was released back in 2022, Cyberpunk 2077 was still going through its own redemption arc. Phantom City was still a year out and CD Projekt Red was hard at work squashing the game’s many, many bugs. Edgerunners was just the PR boost the game needed. Critics, Cyberpunk fans, and regular viewers all loved it. Set in Night City, the show starred the lovable David Martinez, a gifted street kid who comes across a life-changing piece of cyberware following the death of his mother.
David joins a crew of mercenaries called Edgerunners and quickly loses his innocence as he chromes up. Edgerunners was full of well-developed characters and told an emotional story that constantly pulled on the heartstrings. That doesn’t mean Edgerunners was soft. It was also beautifully, stomach-churningly violent with some of the best action sequences in recent animation history. It not only respected the world of the game, it improved it. Edgerunners worked to flesh out Night City itself, and more importantly, the antagonist, Adam Smasher. He’s much more threatening than in the game and seeing what he does in the show is sure to make gamers more determined to defeat him in Cyberpunk 2077. Edgerunners’ ending was heartbreaking in a way that ruled out a sequel, but fans can hope to get another Cyberpunk spin-off in the future.
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1 Arcane
IMDB: 8.3, Rotten Tomatoes: 100%
Arcane AnimationDramaAdventure
Release Date November 6, 2021 Creator Christian Linke
A lot of people went into Arcane not knowing how good it was going to be. Set in League of Legends’ steampunk world of Piltover and Zaun, the series follows sisters Vi and Jinx after they get caught in a heist gone wrong. The heist leads to a gang war amid an ongoing conflict between the two cities. A conflict the two sisters end up on different sides of.
Studio Fortiche nailed the animation. Arcane is stunning to look at, bringing the utopian Piltoner and the seedy Zaun to life. The world-building is excellent and some of League of Legends’ best champions are fleshed out and brought to life in ways never seen before. All of Arcane’s characters are complex and well-developed in a mature, nuanced story designed to appeal to old and new fans alike.
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On top of this, the voice acting is brilliant, particularly Hailee Steinfeld as Vi and Ella Purnell as Jinx. Jinx is the definition of chaotic evil throughout the show, giving the Joker a run for his money. Arcane is also balanced in a way many of the other shows on this list aren’t. The pacing is just right, a skillful blend of action, character drama, and emotional depth, especially towards the end. No wonder it received widespread acclaim, winning multiple awards, including an Emmy. The only bad thing about Arcane is the seemingly never-ending wait for season 2, slated for November 2024, at last.
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Fuente: successacademy.edu.vn
Categorías: Trend
