The Top 5 TV Shows Based on Video Games

So much content these days is adapted from something else. Many popular shows initially started out as books or even video games. For example, the HBO hit The Last of Us, which was an adaptation of the popular video game, took the world by storm after its release in 2023. TV adaptations can help breathe new life into the source material and help introduce it to a whole new audience. So, here’s a list of the top TV shows adapted from video games!

Fallout

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Fallout is a post-apocalyptic drama set in Los Angeles a few months after the city is decimated by nuclear radiation. In this dystopian universe, citizens must adapt to living in bunkers underground to protect themselves from various threats around the city. The series was released on April 10, 2024. Quickly after its release, Prime Video renewed the series for a second season. The video game was originally released in the late ’90s and is a multiplayer role-playing game. For reviews of the series, click here!

The Last of Us

The Last of Us is a post-apocalyptic thriller set in the midst of a pandemic that has been ravaging society for almost two decades. Cities have become designated as “quarantine zones,” where those uninfected with the virus are delegated to live and contribute to their community. Others are cast out. Those infected with the virus, known as cordyceps, only have around 24 hours to live before their symptoms set in.

The series stars Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey. Pascal stars as Joel, a hardened man who lost his daughter at the very beginning of the pandemic. Due to this loss, Joel has become incredibly cynical and cares only about himself. However, he soon meets Ramsey’s character, Ellie, a 14-year-old orphan who worms her way into Joel’s heart. The twist? It turns out Ellie may be the key to creating a cure for the infection, as she is the only known human immune to the virus.

The Witcher

The Witcher, a fantasy drama based on a video game that was based on a book series, centers on a monster hunter named Geralt (played by Henry Cavill). Throughout the series, Geralt struggles to find the balance between maintaining his humanity in an incredibly dark world and performing his duty as a monster hunter.

According to IMDb: 

“Geralt struggles to keep his humanity in a medieval dark fantasy world ruled by corrupt kings, queens, and mages, where poverty, violence, and intolerance are rampant, normal humans are sometimes worse than actual monsters, and most jobs that pay well involve the darkest of human emotions and desires.” 

Arcane (Video Game to Animated Series)

Arcane is an animated series that serves as an origin story for two popular League of Legends characters, Vi and Jinx. The series focuses primarily on the two sisters, who are played by Hailee Steinfeld and Ella Purnell. For more information on the series, check out this link!

Twisted Metal

Twisted Metal is a post-apocalyptic world where certain individuals – called bagmen – are tasked with driving between cities to deliver food, resources, and packages. In this universe, people’s cars are their lifeblood, and they’re often decked out with weapons and other accessories.

As a result, lots of delivery routes are rife with car chases, explosions, and people shooting at one another. Delivery driving is considered an extremely dangerous job. Resources are scarce while many thieves and ne’er-do-wells attempt to swoop in and steal the deliveries before they reach their final destination.

The series focuses on one bagman in particular, referred to as John Doe, who is offered the reward of a lifetime: a chance to join one of the highly coveted spots within a city’s community. The caveat? He must first complete one final delivery.

According to Deadline, along his delivery route, John Doe “faces twisted marauders driving vehicles of destruction and other dangers of the open road, including a highway patrolman and a deranged clown who drives an all too familiar ice cream truck.” However, once everyone finds out the reward for its successful delivery, will the package be more trouble than it’s worth?

Any thoughts as to what video game will be adapted next? Which one would you like to see on the big screen?

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