10 Excellent Video Game TV Shows You Can Watch Right Now, From Castlevania To Fallout
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It's becoming increasingly common to see your favorite video game character make the jump to the small screen. Over the past couple of years, we've seen different streaming platforms, such as Netflix, Max, and Peacock, adapt popular video games to the medium.
What's especially nice about this, too, is that none of the shows that have come out recently require you to know anything about the franchise at large to understand them. They often serve as a bridge to help connect the two in hopes of making the franchise more popular. Even better, the majority of these shows have been well-received by both fans and newcomers alike.
Depending on what show you're watching, the adaption can be vastly different from the source material, or it can stick very closely to it. For example, Max's The Last of Us is a faithful retelling of the video game that originally came out in 2013. Even though some aspects of the story are changed or fleshed out a bit more, it still follows the main plot points of the game. Shows such as Amazon Prime Video's Fallout, meanwhile, tell an original story that takes place within the pre-established world that's already been established since 1997.
Here are 10 shows based on video games that you can stream on various streaming platforms.
1. The Witcher
The Witcher is a unique show because both it and the video game series are actually based on a Polish book series. The show takes place in a high fantasy world where monsters regularly attack everyday people.
The show follows a Witcher named Geralt of Rivia and a young princess named Ciri, who are linked together. As the show progresses, the two eventually meet, and Geralt is tasked with protecting Ciri and keeping her safe from those who wish her harm.
As of the time of writing, The Witcher has three seasons and can only be watched on Netflix.
2. Castlevania
Castlevania is a retelling of the popular Konami games of the same name. Rather than trying to recount the entire series, however, Castlevania primarily adapts Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse, which came out in 1989. The show tells the story of various people coming together to stop Dracula and his army of vampires from taking over the world.
Castlevania does a fantastic job of translating what made the games so enjoyable. Throughout the show, there are plenty of fast-paced moments that fans of the games can appreciate, and they're beautifully animated.
Castlevania is made up of three seasons and is available on Netflix.
3. Castlevania: Nocturne
To keep the vampire train going, Castlevania: Nocturne is another great adaptation to watch. As the name suggests, it's also based on the popular Konami games of the same name. Even though Nocturne and the original Castlevania are connected, you don't need to watch one to understand the other--though it will make a few appearances and familial ties more exciting
Castlevania: Nocturne takes place roughly 300 years after the original show and loosely adapts Castlevania: Rondo of Blood, which was released in 1993 but only got a much-maligned port in North America. The show follows Richter Belmont and his friends fighting off a vampire army during the French Revolution. Unlike the original Castlevania, Nocturne currently has one season, but it shows a lot of potential to be as good as the original.
Castlevania: Nocturne can be watched on Netflix.
4. Arcane
Arcane is based on the popular PC game League of Legends. The show follows a wide cast of characters but mainly focuses on Vi and Jinx, two sisters who were separated from one another at a very young age. However, in their attempts to reunite with each other, they end up driving a deeper wedge in their relationship.
What's nice about Arcane is that the show is officially canon. So even if you're not a fan of the game, you can at least see a lot of their origin stories play out in a compelling way. Plus, if you're a fan of top-notch animation, this is the show for you.
Arcane can be watched on Netflix.
5. Twisted Metal
Twisted Metal is based on the video game series of the same name, but it doesn't directly adapt one. Instead, it takes many elements from the games to tell an original story. The show follows an original character named John Doe as he races his way through a divided America.
Similarly to the games, the show does a great job of capturing the car culture ingrained in the franchise while staying true to the game's inherent silliness. As of this writing, there's one season, but Peacock has confirmed that a second season is on its way.
Twisted Metal is available to watch on Peacock.
6. Cuphead
Cuphead is based on the video game of the same name but steers clear of merely rehashing its story. What it does instead is take key components of the game to tell a new story. The show follows Cuphead and Mugman as they get into all sorts of troubles in Inkwell Isles.
With its Steamboat Willie animation style, watching Cuphead can be akin to watching Saturday morning cartoons. Even though Cuphead and Mugman are the source of all their own troubles, you can't help but love them.
Cuphead can be watched on Netflix.
7. Pokemon
Pokemon is based on the video game franchise of the same name and is set in the same world as the games. But instead of following a player-created character, the show is focused on a young boy named Ash Ketchum, who aims to become the best Pokemon trainer.
What's nice about the show is that it takes a lot of inspiration from its video-game counterparts, for example, in Sword and Shield, Leon is one of the last trainers you face off against. But he's also a prominent character in the Pokemon Journeys: The Series.
Pokemon can be watched on various streaming platforms, including Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and Hulu.
8. The Last of Us
The Last of Us is based on the Naughty Dog video game of the same name. The show follows a man named Joel as he attempts to escort a girl named Ellie across a post-apocalyptic America filled with zombie-like creatures.
The show does a fantastic job of retelling the original game while changing things up enough to keep things interesting for people who played it. There's only one season as of writing, but Max has confirmed that a season 2 is on its way.
9. Cyberpunk: Edgerunners
Cyberpunk: Edgerunners is based on CDPR's open-world game Cyberpunk 2077. The show is set in the same world as the video game and takes place a little bit before the game starts. It primarily follows a young man named David Martinez, who aims to become a Night City legend.
What's enjoyable about the show is that it stays true to its video-game counterpart and does a great job of capturing why Night City is such a fun-yet-dangerous city. Cyberpunk: Edgerunners is only 10 episodes, so if you're looking for a short, yet captivating show to watch, then this is it.
Cyberpunk: Edgerunners can only be watched on Netflix.
10. Fallout
Fallout is based on the Bethesda franchise game of the same name. Like Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, it occurs in the same world as video games. The show takes place after Fallout 4, which is the most recent game in chronological order.
The show follows three different characters whose paths all intertwine rather quickly. Fallout captures what made the games so compelling by telling an interesting story while not shying away from many of the silly elements ingrained into the games.
Fallout can be streamed on Amazon Prime Video.