The 5 Best TV Shows Based on Video Games

Movies based on video games have a reputation for being bad—the likes of Borderlands and Assassin’s Creed make that hard to deny. Rather than wasting time with them, you should instead turn your attention to TV, where there are some genuinely great video game adaptations.

Whether you’re a seasoned gamer or you’ve never picked up a controller, these shows are well worth watching and are available to stream now.

5

Secret Level

Why settle for one video game adaptation when you can have fifteen in Secret Level? Each episode of this animated show is based on a different video game world, like Mega Man, Spelunky, and Unreal Tournament.

The episodes are only short—some as brief as eight minutes—so you will whizz through them in no time, but there’s no shortage of creativity on show.

4

Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft

The Tomb Raider franchise has had various semi-decent movie adaptations over the years, but the series is perhaps at its best with Netflix’s animated The Legend of Lara Croft show. It’s based in the same timeline as the 2013 reboot games, with Hayley Atwell voicing the title character.

There are not only plenty of action-packed thrills across the globe-trotting adventure, but the show also does a nice job at exploring Lara and her relationship with her past.

Netflix

The excellent Hayley Atwell lends her voice to this great portrayal of the iconic Lara Croft.

3

Fallout

There’s never a bad time to start playing the Fallout games, but don’t feel obliged to do so before watching the show. This superb adaptation is set on an Earth transformed by nuclear bombs—and the radiation is just one of the troubles those above ground have to deal with.

Ella Purnell’s Lucy, however, dwells underground in a supposedly safe vault, until her life is turned upside down. The show nails drama, comedy, and action with ease, and you’ll find it hard to resist binging.

Amazon Prime Video

Time in the wastelands has never been more fun than in this excellent adaptation.

2

Arcane

Arcane didn’t appeal to me at first because it’s based on League of Legends, a game I’ve never played, but the rave reviews and impressive animation drew me in. I’m glad I took the plunge because it’s one of the best Netflix original shows. While Arcane is undoubtedly a joy for fans of the game, it works as a standalone experience too.

Set against the unrest between a city’s rich topside and deprived underbelly, it tells the story of two sisters caught in the conflict. The punchy visuals are great, as are the voice acting and music.

Netflix

It’s a shame we’re not getting any more of this slick show, but the two seasons are stellar.

1

The Last of Us

The Last of Us is one of the greatest video games of all time, so the idea of a TV adaptation was both exciting and concerning—could it live up to the hype? Thankfully, it most certainly did; the post-apocalyptic drama received wide acclaim and won plenty of awards.

After a fungal infection has taken over the world and made it a dangerous place, Pedro Pascal’s hardened Joel is tasked with transporting Bella Ramsey’s young Ellie across the country. It’s a gripping tale which is due to get even more emotional in the second season (if the wait is proving tough, there are similar shows to The Last of Us to tide you over).

Max

Tender and tense in equal measures, The Last of Us is a triumph.

These shows prove that video game adaptations can work. There are plenty more on the way, too. Sony is leading the pack, with the likes of God of War and Ghost of Tsushima coming to the small screen, joining the ranks of PlayStation games with perfect movie and TV tie-ins.