Forget Christmas, the best time of the year is here – it’s Video Game Day! To kick off the celebrations at Overclockers UK, we asked around the office for everyone’s best and worst video game films and TV shows.
Keep on reading to see which one was a fave and which we wish to forget.
Check Out Last Year’s Celebrations
Did you miss last year’s Video Game Day celebrations? We look at deep dive into some of our favourite unhinged games from Squirrel with a Gun to Untitled Goose Game. Click the button below to see which unhinged games made our list.
The Very Best
The very best are the ones that kept us on the edge of our seats the entire time. These films and TV shows prove that video game adaptations can be done well. Whether this means staying true to the source material, adding extra flair, or inventing a brand-new story for our favourite characters, we’ve truly got heart eyes for these adaptations.
The Last of Us
The HBO series of Naughty Dog’s post-apocalyptic adventure game hit our TVs back in 2023. This adaptation of The Last of Us upheld the heart-wrenching narrative of the game but with extra nightmare-inducing zombies. Bella Ramsey and Pedro Pascal do an incredible job of portraying Joel and Ellie, along with the father-daughter-esque relationship between the two. Plus, we can’t forget the beautiful episode detailing the romance between Bill and Frank. Be sure to have tissues ready
What makes HBO’s The Last of Us so special is that you don’t need to be familiar with the source material. It’s the perfect introduction to the video game series offering newbies an insight into the gritty highs and lows of this apocalyptic world, with plenty of terrifying twists and nail-biting drama. However, the fans aren’t forgotten about with plenty of easter eggs referencing the video game scattered throughout the nine-episode series.
Uncharted
Another Naughty Dog classic made it to the big screen when Uncharted released in 2022. Starring Tom Holland, Mark Wahlberg, and Antonio Banderas, as they embark on a whirlwind adventure to recover a lost fortune. You watch in delight as the rag-duo of Nate and Sully travel across the globe and solve puzzles against the clock.
This film adaptation of Uncharted just had to make our list since it perfectly captures the essence of the video game. Both Tom Holland and Mark Wahlberg uphold the sarcastic retorts fans know and love, whilst also serving as a huge nostalgia fest for classic adventure movie buffs.
Castlevania
Next up is Castlevania. We’re shining the spotlight on this animated horror-adventure game that takes inspiration from the iconic video game series. Taking place in a dark medieval fantasy world, viewers follow Trevor Belmont (voiced by Richard Armitage) as he embarks on a quest to put an end to the evil Vlad Dracula Tepes and his vampiric plot to destroy humanity.
Castlevania has five seasons currently available to watch on Netflix, each one has received huge praise from fans. Whilst the plot of the TV show does deviate from the original video game, it has paved the way for more unique storylines, characters, and even expanded on much-loved lore. Everything a video game adaptation should do!
Pokémon: Detective Pikachu
Pokémon: Detective Pikachu is a live-action film set in everyone’s favourite video game world. Starring the likes of Justice Smith and Ryan Reynolds, this film transports viewers to a fictional city in which humans and Pokémon co-exist. The main protagonist is Tim Goodman, a former Pokémon trainer, tasked with settling the affairs of his late father’s estate. There he teams up with the intelligent (and talking…) Pikachu to uncover the truth behind his father’s mysterious and sudden disappearance.
Not only is this film a hit because of Ryan Reynold’s perfect portrayal of the adorable but deadly Pikachu, but it also scratched fans itch for a live-action Pokémon film. The story is full of twists, turns, action, plenty of adorable Pokémon, and lots of hidden easter eggs for fans to spot.
Fallout
Last up is Amazon’s Fallout TV series. Hitting our screens in 2024, Amazon’s adaptation of Fallout reunites players with Vault-Tec and the wasteland, closely following the lives of Lucy McLean, a brave dweller from Vault 33, Maximus, a budding solider in the Brotherhood of Steel, and The Ghoul, a radiated human on a mission of his own. The stories of these three characters intertwine as the show progresses, resulting in one incredible final episode.
The Fallout TV show is an original story separate from the video games. However, it still has a special place within the franchise’s timeline, taking place in 2296, around 10 years after the events of Fallout 4. This unique, yet familiar story makes this TV show special for both fans and complete beginners. You aren’t required to know any Fallout lore, but there are plenty of tasty extras and teasers for those who are. All of which keep you on the edge of your seat as you watch these three characters traverse the deadly wasteland and uncover a jaw-dropping twist.
This is only a snapshot of the narrative within the Fallout TV show. We covered more in our dedicated blog post.
The Ones We Wish to Forget
It’s now time for the video game films and TV shows that we wish we could forget. These adaptations landed rather flat when it came to the audience, often not showcasing (or completely missing) what was loved about the original video game.
Borderlands
The 2024 Borderlands film is based on the beloved sci-fi FPS mixed RPG. The narrative follows a star-studded cast of outlaws on the hunt for the legendary Eridian vault and the incredible treasures that lie within. All whilst they fend off countless deadly attacks from the evil Atlas Corp.
We all expected Borderlands to ride on the success of 2024’s video game adaptations, but in the end, it did the opposite. The plot isn’t an original storyline, in fact, it’s virtually a copy of the original game, and at times the characters feel extremely underdeveloped. Cate Blanchett’s portrayal certainly fell victim to the over-used cool action heroine, without bringing anything new. The same statement can be said of the film overall. It doesn’t bring anything new or exciting to the Borderlands franchise.
DOOM
The 2005 DOOM is a sci-fi horror film inspired by the events of DOOM 3. In short, Olduvai Research Station on Mars has been placed under quarantine, for unknown reasons. No one, bar the Rapid Response Tactical Squad, is allowed in or out. Led by Sarge, this collection of specialised marines enter the research facility only to discover that the science team have become deadly zombie-like creatures.
Whilst the film had all the basic ingredients of a great sci-fi horror, along with also having id software involved in the development process, it has a lot of faults. Especially for fans of the beloved DOOM franchise. The lore is almost completely different to that of the games with the so-called demons not originating in Hell and no mention of a Hell even existing. Arguably this is a crucial bit of DOOM lore and to simply ignore it by turning it into something else, isn’t what die-hard fans were after. Instead, the film feels like another zombie movie without capturing the tense, scary atmosphere or the run-and-gun action of the games.
Hitman
Hitman (2007) is an action-packed film based on the video game series. The story is simple. It follows Agent 47, a contract killer, who has become entangled in a political conspiracy, in which both Interpol and the Russian military seek his demise.
This is where the faults with this video game adaptation begin. The film doesn’t do anything particularly different or interesting from the franchise. It tries to uphold the never-ending action and gore of the games, but that’s about it. What’s more, at times the plot becomes confusing as it tries to explain Agent 47’s upbringing as an orphan turned assassin. Overall, Hitman (2007) is great for those who want an action film in which they can turn their brains off for a little while. However, compared to some of the other video game adaptations on this list, it certainly isn’t one to remember
Resident Evil
Capcom’s Resident Evil video game has been a huge success so it’s no surprise fans were at the edge of their seats when Netflix released their TV show back in 2022 based on the franchise. Set during both the lead-up and aftermath of a global T-virus pandemic, the TV show follows Bille and Jade as they uncover the truth of their birth and desperately try to survive.
With a great foundation to work with, fans were left nothing but disappointed as they watched all eight episodes. The constant time jumping from 2022 to 2036 doesn’t do a lot for the plot with it becoming rather repetitive and even confusing at times. What’s more, for an adaptation based on a horror video game, it’s not particularly scary. The so-called infected, or ‘Zeros’, are built up to be this deadly threat. Yet, they are barely seen, talked about, or even that terrifying. The Netflix series suffers even more when you compare it to the extensive list of films based on the Resident Evil series. Fan favourites such as ‘Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City’ (2021) certainly hit the mark by showing just how good video game adaptations can be.
Street Fighter
The Street Fighter 1994 adaptation stars big names including Jean-Claude Van Damme as Colonel William F. Guile and Raul Julia as General M.Bison. Taking place in the fictional country of Shadaloo, a nation that has been crippled by months of fighting, the Allied Nations have finally entered the main city. Battling it out against the heavily armed drug lord turned general M.Bison, viewers watch in anticipation as the action culminates in plenty of gore, hostages, and demands for 20 billion dollars.
Whilst this film claims to be based on the video game series, the movie completely alters the plot and motives of the original Street Fighter characters. This doesn’t necessarily have to be a bad thing, but in this case, it means the film lacks a lot of fan favourites. We miss out on seeing iconic battles and abilities such as Ken’s Shoryuken and Ryu’s Hadoken. What’s more, this adaptation really struggles because of troubles behind the scenes. The original plan of only having a select few characters was quickly ignored. Instead, the film was jam-packed with countless names, that often missed the mark when compared with their video-game counterpart. One thing we can’t deny is the incredible goofy humour, gags, and down-right crazy costumes that are scattered throughout.
Want to Experience These Great Video Games?
Do you want to experience the wonderful video games that inspired these films and TV shows? Do you have a PC that is not up to the task of running them? We’ve got your back for you can find plenty of premium-quality gaming PCs that come packed with the latest and greatest hardware.
Our Refract Gaming range has been fine-tuned to suit a range of gameplay styles and budgets to ensure you can find one that perfectly suits you. Even better, they are available for next-day delivery (stock depending) and come plug-and-play ready! What more do you need?
Looking for More Games to Play
Your Best (Or Worst) Video Game TV Show or Film?
What’s your best, or worst, video game TV show or film? Or are there any upcoming video game films and TV shows you’re excited about? We’ve certainly got our eyes on the Minecraft Movie… Let us know in the comments.
- 11 min read
Ruth Rowley
Author
Ruth has been with Overclockers UK for over a year and has gone on to write about everything ranging from in-depth hardware guides to monthly game releases.
Outside of writing blog posts, she can be found wrapped in a blanket with her black cat, engrossed in a book or playing life-simulation games such as The Sims, Stardew Valley, and Animal Crossing.
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