(Photo by HBO. / ARCANE: LEAGUE OF LEGENDS)
Video Game TV Shows Ranked by Tomatometer
Adapting video games into films that please fans of both mediums continues to be a tricky proposition. While the success of the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise and Detective Pikachu suggests the video-game-movie curse has finally been vanquished, television has already been discovering equal, if not greater success. Netflix series based on League of Legends, The Witcher, Castlevania, and Cuphead have all connected with critics on the Tomatometer, while the most recent title, Prime Video’s Fallout and HBO’s The Last of Us have lived up to the buzz.
Of course, it’s not all sunshine and lollipops on the streaming front. Netflix’s Resident Evil: Infinite Darkness broke the platform’s game-based hot streak with a Rotten score, followed by live-action entry Resident Evil, starring Lance Reddick. The streamer’s The Witcher: Blood Origin — which, OK, is maybe technically based on the books by Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski — and Sonic Prime also disappointed on the Tomatometer. And, while Paramount+’s Halo did well enough with critics, longtime Master Chief fans of the Halo games were decidedly less impressed.
Additionally, some of the more promising upcoming adaptations are forgoing the feature-film route in favor of streaming episodic content directly to our smart devices. Multiple game-to-series efforts, from Tomb Raider and Splinter Cell to Gods of War, Horizon Zero Dawn, and Twisted Metal are in the pipeline.
The future looks pretty bright for game franchises turned into TV series. See all the high scores in our guide to video game tv series ranked by Tomatometer! –Matt Cabral
#1
Critics Consensus: Expansive in scope while hurtling towards the endgame at a rollicking pace, Arcane's second and final season is a supremely satisfying capper to an epic saga.
#2
Critics Consensus: Retaining the most addictive aspects of its beloved source material while digging deeper into the story, The Last of Us is bingeworthy TV that ranks among the all-time greatest video game adaptations.
#3
Critics Consensus: The Witcher's second season expands on its first in all the best ways -- and most importantly, it remains a whole lot of fun.
#4
Critics Consensus: An adaptation that feels like a true extension of the games, Fallout is a post-apocalyptic blast for newcomers and longtime fans alike.
#5
Critics Consensus: Grabbing onto thorny moral questions with its bare hands, The Last of Us' second season is a challenging expansion that retains its predecessor's superb performances and verisimilitude.
#6
Critics Consensus: Capably shouldered by Henry Cavill's gruff charm, The Witcher's plotty third season pays a fittingly fond farewell to this particular Geralt of Rivia.
#7
Critics Consensus: Pairing Idris Elba's terse echidna with a befuddled Adam Pally, Knuckles could use some extra punch to appeal more broadly beyond youngsters but hits just fine as light family entertainment.
#8
Critics Consensus: Arcane makes an arresting first impression, combining a spectacular mix of 2D and 3D animation with an emotionally compelling story to deliver a video game adaptation that could become legendary.
#9
Critics Consensus: Castlevania sinks its fangs into vampiric lore during a devilishly fun second season that benefits from an expanded sense of scale and episode tally that allows the series to fully spread its leathery wings.
#10
Critics Consensus: Booting up Night City with frenetic action and awe-inspiring visual flair, Edgerunners is an exceptionally stylish anime adaptation of the world Cyberpunk established.
#11
Critics Consensus: Precious as a Pikachu, Pokémon Concierge is good clean fun for fans who prefer to see the pocket monsters' cuddlier side.
#12
Critics Consensus: A rewarding experience and bittersweet farewell, Castlevania's fourth season is a triumphant conclusion to an expertly crafted series.
#13
Critics Consensus: Bringing great flair to a struggle against demons both literal and metaphorical, Nocturne is a promising return to the world of Castlevania.
#14
Critics Consensus: Honoring its source material's flair for the bombastic, Devil May Cry slices and dices its way into the animation medium and makes a bloody memorable first impression.
#15
Critics Consensus: Castlevania's stunningly animated third season continues to build on the game's lore by diving deeper into its characters with humor, heart, and a lot of bloody action.
#16
Critics Consensus: Reloading on surer footing, Halo's streamlined second season is a leaner and meaner dose of sci-fi that comes closer to realizing the property's potential.
#17
Critics Consensus: Castlevania offers spectacular visuals and a compelling adaptation in its all-too-short first season.
#19
Critics Consensus: Halo is too derivative of better science-fiction series to emerge a fully-formed elite, but glimmers of promise and faithfulness to the source material signal it's not out of the fight just yet.
#20
Critics Consensus: Though the world of The Witcher at times feels only half-formed, Henry Cavill brings brawny charisma to a series teeming with subversive fantasy elements and dark humor.
#21
Critics Consensus: An enjoyable blast of cartoonishly violent mayhem, Twisted Metal sometimes struggles to flesh out its source material, but ultimately offers an adaptation with surprising depth.
#22
Critics Consensus: While Resident Evil comes closer than previous adaptations to honoring the beloved video games' labyrinthine lore, this zombie serial could still use more brains.
#23
Critics Consensus: Resident Evil: Infinite Darkness's superb animation captures the visceral thrills of its terrifying source material - if only the story were as gripping as the moments of terror.
#25
Critics Consensus: A shallow excavation of ancient lore from Andrzej Sapkowski's fantasy series, Blood Origin shares ancestral DNA with The Witcher but little of what makes the mothership series memorable.
100%
80%
54%
100%
53%
