Best Game to Screen Adaptations or Vice Versa!

Wait! Don’t run away just yet! I know it’s almost every gamer’s worst nightmare to hear that their favourite game might get a movie or TV adaptation, but we can’t ignore all the good ones that have been born out of the ashes of those lost. For a little change of pace, we thought it might be time to shed light on the ones that pass the vibe check, so here’s a few of the best game to screen adaptations or vice versa.

The Witcher

Okay, sure, this is technically book to game to TV but you have to admit it belongs on this list. I’d personally argue it’d make it to number 1 on my list of favourite adaptations! The first book in the series, The Last Wish, by Andrzej Sapkowski was published in 1993. It wasn’t until eight years after the publishing of the final book, The Lady of the Lake, that the first Witcher game was released in 2007. 

The game was adored by critics and fans, even Metacritic gave it a very respectable 81/100. Due to the amazing reception from the CD Projekt Red adaptation, it was only four years later, in 2011, when The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings was released. This sequel got even better reception, this time receiving 88/100 from Metacritic. The duo soon became a trilogy in 2015 when CD Projekt Red released The Witcher 3: The Wild Hunt. The Wild Hunt quickly became one of the greatest open-world games of all time after obtaining universal acclaim and several Game of the Year awards. 

It’s no surprise then that in 2019 the book to game series was reimagined on the TV. The Witcher was released in its entirety to Netflix in December 2019 with critically acclaimed actor, Henry Cavill, bringing the beloved Geralt of Rivia to life. Although reviews were mixed, the general opinion was that the first season opened the door to something special for the next season. Season two of The Witcher is due for release somewhere within the last quarter of 2021, and we’re incredibly excited for it! 

The Angry Birds Movie

Stop judging me, I know you are. But seriously, have you seen it? It’s really good!

The mobile game doesn’t have much of a storyline outside of using the birds’ different powers to get rid of the pigs. However, this may be what helped get The Angry Birds Movie on this list. With no clear narrative to work with, the directors and writers could pretty much go anywhere with the film. And, if you haven’t seen it, they certainly do take this film to the farthest areas of their imagination. 

While the film is technically made for children, as usual, there’s plenty of jokes and storylines that will also appeal to the adults watching. In fact, I laughed a whole bunch when watching it! Honestly, the story isn’t the best children’s film storyline I’ve seen, but it’s definitely worth a visit for the humour alone. 

Spider-Man

Starting with the comic books, turned to a few decent video games, reimagined into several films, and finally landing at Spider-Man (2018) for the PS4, the Spider-man name has been through a lot. Several of the games and films were slated for their quality, design, or writing. But not all who wander are lost! Spider-man truly found itself in the 2018 game following several well-received films. 

Spider-Man collects several classic enemies from the comic books and movies including Mister Negative, Vulture, and Doctor Octopus with some favourite characters along for the ride such as Aunt May and Mary Jane. 

Ultimately the game was reviewed very favourably, with critics such as VentureBeat calling it “one of the best superhero games ever”. Since then, another game, Spider-man: Miles Morales, has been released within the same world, clearly showing what a hit the original must have been! 

Honourable Mentions

Unfortunately we can’t list everything in great detail but here are some other honourable mentions:

• Detective Pikachu (2019)
• Sonic the Hedgehog (2020)
• Mortal Kombat (2021)
• Tomb Raider (2018)
• Castlevania (Season 4 released 2021)

Dishonourable Mentions

It’s way more fun to talk about terrible adaptations, so here’s some that will go down in history as truly terrible:

• Super Mario Bros. (1993)
• Resident Evil (2002)
• Assassin’s Creed (2016)
• Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (2001)

Upcoming: Stay Optimistic!

Finally, here’s some upcoming game to screen adaptations that you shouldn’t write off just yet:

• The Witcher Season 2
• Super Mario Movie
• Uncharted
• The Last of Us

It’s hard to judge whether game to screen adaptations are always a good thing or not. We get so many terrible films and TV shows, but we also get some real gems like The Witcher. At the end of the day, it’s a risk but risks can always pay off! I for one hope to see more of our

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