Video games tend to be hit or miss when adapted into movie format, but TV adaptations are starting to fare better. However, the recent critical scathing directed towards the maligned Halo TV show proves that refusing to properly adapt source material will ultimately lead to a massive fan backlash. Despite that, many streaming studios are pressing onwards.
There are a ton of video game-based TV adaptations in the works from a variety of studios, and all of them sound quite exciting. If the writers stick to the content that longtime fans know and love, there's no reason to think they won't make positive waves. This could usher in a new vertical when it comes to capitalizing on hit video game franchises.
Cyberpunk: Edgerunners
unforgivable bugs and glitches, but it does have a solid fan base. The sheer depth and atmosphere of the franchise is enough for gamers to overlook the troubles, but the same can be said about an animated TV adaptation. That question will soon be answered when Edgerunners makes its debut.
For the uninitiated, Edgerunners is a reference to an RPG sourcebook released in 1995, which was written by Andrew Borelli. It remains to be seen how much content gets referenced in the TV adaptation, but either way, Cyberpunk seems destined to hold on for dear life, despite all the controversy.
Castlevania (Spinoff)
Castlevania's main animated story arc just ended with a powerful season 4 conclusion, but there's more story to tell. A spinoff series is apparently in development at Netflix, which will fast-forward the story's timeline to the age of Richter Belmont, best known for his appearance in Castlevania: Rondo of Blood.
Given the nature of that game, plus its smash hit sequel Symphony of the Night, it's doubtless that Alucard will make a return to fight alongside another Belmont. It remains to be seen if that overall gaming story arc will be adapted wholesale, including the infamous upside-down castle from Symphony of the Night.
The Witcher: Blood Origin
The Witcher has taken its fair share of knocks for awkward storytelling, deviations from the source material, and haphazard character focus, but it's certainly one of Netflix's biggest hits. Blood Origin was recently unveiled as a prequel series that will focus on the race of Elves, and their ultimate fate.
Whether this series will sideline the next Witcher season is unclear, but given the runaway success of season 2, it's probable that Netflix keeps the ball rolling in order to maintain momentum. Hopefully, more terrifying monsters are introduced that will be added to The Witcher's most scariest.
Splinter Cell
Sam Fisher is set to get his big debut outside of video gaming, after a relative lull in the franchise's progression. This highly secretive special ops agent acted as a dark anti-hero who undertook a series of politically sensitive missions, all designed to stop worldwide catastrophes.
No word just yet on which of the game's storylines would best suit a TV adaptation, but it's hard to top the excellent Chaos Theory as a kickoff point. Splinter Cell fans will undoubtedly enjoy watching Fisher strike from the shadows, mimicking the game's stealth action mechanics.
The Last Of Us
one of the franchise's most shocking moments. Thus, it's hard to predict exactly how audiences will react to the TV adaptation, starring Pedro Pascal.
Many have already criticized the casting decisions, but if the TV show sticks to the horror and human elements that helped establish The Walking Dead as a post-apocalyptic primetime success, it may generate a large following in relatively short order. If the showrunners decide to head away from the source material, it will undoubtedly fail.
Resident Evil
Netflix keeps throwing tons of money at video game adaptations, this time bringing Resident Evil into the fold. This, hot on the heels of a recently released reboot film that opened to lukewarm critical and commercial reception. As such, Netflix could be playing with fire by adapting a property that audiences may have gotten tired of.
Nevertheless, if it's done right, it could be something special. The show reportedly takes place thirty years after the outbreak of the T-Virus, and focuses on the Umbrella Corporation's culpability. That sounds like quite a deviation from the best Resident Evil franchise games, which means it could either be a hit, or a gigantic miss.
Tomb Raider
Tomb Raider got a massive shot in the arm with the reboot video game series, yet it failed to make a splash at the box office with the latest film adaptation. Even so, there's plenty of Lara Croft's story left to tell, if the showrunners focus heavily on actual tomb raiding, as opposed to interpersonal conflicts and dialogue meant to run out the clock.
That means a lot of money will need to be invested in set designs and visuals. However, it also means that the writing needs to be creative and fun, if audiences are going to in on the adventure. In other words, more Indiana Jones-style cave diving and trap-dodging.
Captain Laserhawk: A Blood Dragon Remix
Aliens actor Michael Biehn to portray Rex "Power" Colt, a caricature of 1980s action heroes. Captain Laserhawk's IMDb page indicates that Biehn will reprise the role yet again, along with voice actor-extraordinaire Phil LaMarr as Spider.
The only potential problem lies in the source material. These days, 1980s action hero stereotypes have largely been suppressed and ignored, which means adapting Blood Dragon's unapologetic vintage humor and tough-guy one-liners may be more difficult than it appears.
Fallout
Amazon has been working on a Fallout live-action adaptation for some time, but there's currently no definitive release date. Actors Walton Goggins and Ella Purnell have been revealed as official cast , suggesting that the series is farther along than some might think.
Promising to be just as tongue-in-cheek and vividly abstract as the post-apocalyptic game series it's based on, the show will need to stick extremely close to Fallout series lore in order to connect with die-hard audiences. If the writers deviate even a little off the beaten path, the entire show could suffer a Halo-esque critical backlash.