Francesca Tolentino

Video game adaptations are becoming more successful with their rise in quality.

For almost the last two years, it feels like I have been consistently seated in the torn-up leather recliner of a theater or the dog hair-covered cushion of my couch, all to watch the new shows and movies based on video games.

In the past, no doubt show or movie adaptations have continuously missed the mark on modern video game adaptations (I mean, just look at “Resident Evil” adaptations, yes, ALL of them). But recently, there seems to have been a rise in the quality of these adaptations.

The first movie to kick off this new era of adaptations started with 2020’s “Sonic the Hedgehog.” This was one of the first adaptations to take a game character and create a movie with the perfect balance of game qualities and new plot ideas that still stayed within the game universe. 

After Sonic the Hedgehog, there were movies like “The Super Mario Bros” (2023), “Mortal Kombat” (2021), and “Five Nights at Freddy’s” (2023). But, even with the raging success of the movies mentioned, there has been a rise in television shows based on video games as well. 

Arguably, these shows may be better than the movies. For instance, “The Last of Us” (2023) was a beautiful ode to both old and new fans. Prime Video’s “Fallout” (2024) had immersive world-building while giving a story that viewers have been playing for years. Don’t forget about “Arcane” (2021), which managed to make a new name for its widely hated game counterpart “League of Legends.”

This leaves a question: what changed to make these adaptations do so well? While you might not agree, it is obvious that these shows and movies have been doing much better than in the past. Of course, there are always going to be upset fans and bored critics, but these adaptations have been far more successful than in past years.

The trick to creating a game adaptation that will please old fans and still get the attention of new watchers is actually something that takes a lot of thought. To create a good adaptation there needs to be elements of the original game. Usually, if a movie doesn’t have some sort of input from the original game creator, it’s a dead giveaway that the film will not be good.

But, if the movie is just an exact copy of the game, the adaptation will seem unnecessary and uncreative. Let’s take “The Last of Us,” for example. The game is a cult classic with a very judgmental fandom. When the show was announced, fans were already coming out with their list of demands. When the casting was announced, those poor actors were picked apart.

However, even with all of the demands and criticisms, “The Last of Us” was a FANTASTIC adaptation. This was done by using the same story but with a twist to be able to set apart the show from the game. The changes, like giving side characters their own episodes or changing an aspect from the game into a more realistic aspect to work better for a live-action show, were small but important. 

When adapting a video game, we need to stand back and see how the game is going to translate into a show or movie, not just what will make the most money or how it’ll look most like the game. This is also what I fear some future adaptations are going to miss the mark on. 

In April, we are getting “A Minecraft Movie.” Upon the announcement of this movie, fans were ecstatic. “Minecraft” might just be one of the most popular adaptations to ever happen. But as we get closer and closer to release, I start to worry more about how the movie will actually turn out.

The first issue was not the live-action aspect but how the live-action was executed. What makes Minecraft so recognizable is the cubes. How literally every item in Minecraft is a block. I was hoping for all practical effects to bring this world to life, like how the “Five Nights at Freddy’s” movie did. But, after seeing the first trailer, the movie is filled with disappointing noticeable greenscreen and CGI. 

Another upcoming adaptation is “Until Dawn,” a PlayStation horror game about a group of friends who have to survive the night at a ski resort. While it is not as popular as “Minecraft,” it does have a good-sized fan base and a recent remake. The first trailer was just released, and I, along with many others, was very disappointed.  The movie looks as though it has no relation to the game and doesn’t even deserve the “Until Dawn” title. 

What both “Until Dawn and A Minecraft Movie” have failed to do is blend the game world with the realism of films and television. However, these movies still have time to surprise us.

So, is there still faith in video game adaptations? Or was it just a short-lived rise in quality? I guess that answer is up to the movie studios, but for now, I look forward to seeing what other games will be turned into new media.