TV Spinoffs From Games: What Makes A Good Adaptation?
Last updated: October 6, 2025
For the longest time, when we would hear the term "video game adaptation", our immediate first reaction was a groan or eye roll (rightfully so). Unfortunately, it has been challenging for filmmakers to create an adaptation that gamers and moviegoers could both dub as good. Instead, films based on popular video games have a track record of being box office flops, so much so that any new adaptation is expected to fail. However, it seems we have entered a new era of video game adaptations that have entirely changed how people view this genre. A deeper dive into this phenomenon has revealed that there are a few key elements that contribute to an adaptation being a genuinely good watch.
Unusual Cinema Motifs In Games
Movies have always greatly influenced other forms of media (and markets), from gaming and entertainment to retail. For example, there is an array of online casinos that offer players movie-themed slots and games (e.g., Jurassic Park, Jumanji, and Indiana Jones, to name a few). Additionally, there’s now a wide variety of European online casinos that offer players hundreds of classic casino games, fast withdrawals, and huge bonuses that attract players across industries.
Even more, AAA titles like Grand Theft Auto, Metal Gear Solid, and Mortal Kombat were all inspired by famous movies or TV shows. The popular 2014 Alien: Isolation horror game is a great example of how cinema found its way into the gaming sector. Classic films like Night Of The Living Dead (1968) have even influenced the creation of entire genres like zombie survival horror.
The Failed Era: Learning from Mistakes
Whether a video game, novel, or anime is being adapted, negative reviews always revolve around movie length, casting, and storytelling. With video game adaptations specifically, these are the basic criticisms, along with one vital element: capturing the essence of the source material. Realistically speaking, a film will never be able to do a video game justice, mainly because it lacks the interactive element that makes gaming fun and engaging.
That is not to say there aren't any video games out there that could benefit from having character backstories and lore fleshed out in film format. With modern adaptations (the actual good ones, like The Last of Us and Fallout), these films utilise storytelling to do the source material justice.
In comparison, movie franchises or series based on video games in the pre-2019/2020 era, simply put, butchered the source material. A great example of this would be (groan incoming) The Resident Evil franchise, which only got the title and zombies to be lore accurate. Many fell in love with the video game series' characters and back stories, like Leon Kennedy, Jill Valentine, Claire Redfield, and Ada Wong (which the films completely ruined). Instead, the plot follows Alice (played by Milla Jovovich), who has to fight against the Umbrella Corporation and the zombie virus it has just unleashed. Despite being a good action film (if you've never played the games), it is a completely different entity from the video game franchise, despite being marketed as an adaptation.
The TV Advantage: Time and Depth
Another element that works against video game movie adaptations is that the story needs to be told in the span of two hours. On average, gamers would spend at least 10 hours finishing a lore-heavy title that provides character development. Cutting the plot down to two hours would mean removing a large portion of depth from the source material and potentially cutting out crucial characters. In comparison, television adaptations are always the better route to go as they allow time for vital plot points and characters to be fully fleshed out. The Last of Us is a perfect example of this, offering viewers excellent pacing and an opportunity for relationships and backstories to be explored.
The Bill and Frank episode of The Last of Us broke the internet for this exact reason: it not only added to the game's story but also perfectly presented their relationship. In Fallout (the TV series, not film), the show masterfully unpacked the game's lore, touching on the politics, history, and unique factions of the in-game universe. Film adaptations tend to rush through the video game plot, making it difficult for viewers to connect with the characters on-screen. This is true whether you are a fan of the video game or not, and is a trend across some of the biggest adaptations in the last two decades.
Essential Ingredient 1: Respecting the Core DNA
As mentioned, a good adaptation needs to do justice to the source material, and one way of doing that is by capturing the emotional centre. Using The Last of Us as an example once again, the filmmakers prioritised Joel and Ellie's surrogate father-daughter relationship over the zombies. Similarly, Arcane captures the intense and complex relationship between Jinx and her sister, Vi, which is what drives the plot.
The Resident Evil franchise, Borderlands (2024), and Far Cry (2008) all heavily relied on action sequences to carry the film. However, many came away from these films without feeling any emotional connection or impact. Understandably, filmmakers will need to change some aspects of the story to fit the medium, but it is possible without diminishing the story's human feel.
Essential Ingredient 2: The Art of Subtraction and Addition
Although the Resident Evil movie franchise is criticised for not following the game's original storyline, that is not why the movies flopped. For example, the Fallout series took creative liberties by creating a new canonical storyline with a new main character. However, the difference between Fallout and Resident Evil lies in how the former series maintained the original world, lore, and history.
This further speaks to the importance of finding the right balance, where new content is added to the adaptation while maintaining the game's essence. Even more, this fresh material would replace the interactive element of games; it would bore the audience to show each and every fight scene or sequence from the game. As these might not translate well to the big screen, fleshing out side characters or NPCs (Non-Player Characters) could be a better use of run time. Perhaps offering the perspective of a secondary character on the main character's actions could better add to the source material rather than take away from it.
Essential Ingredient 3: Casting and Creative Oversight
Lastly, it is important for the showrunner or filmmaker to not only be a good storyteller but also be a fan of the source material. Additionally, having the original game creators involved in the process can significantly impact the quality of the adaptation. This could help with elements such as casting, wherein the actor does not necessarily need to look like the video game character but can accurately capture the character's essence.
Bella Ramsey's casting as Ellie in The Last of Us received huge backlash and criticism, as the actor did not look like the original character. However, Bella exceeded expectations with their performance, perfectly capturing the cadence and spirit of Ellie's video game counterpart. The main goal is to ensure authenticity and respect for the video game's roots in a way that fans can see on the big screen.
Conclusion
Ultimately, a successful adaptation is born from filmmakers or showrunners who respect the source material and see the project as more than just a money grab. With more filmmakers/showrunners like this emerging, the tides of video game adaptations have changed significantly. Emotional connection, character development, story depth, and good pacing are all elements that make up a good adaptation. As such, having creators like Craig Mazin at the forefront of this revolution, it is only natural that we will see a new face of video game movies that are actually good.
