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Action-Packed Games Become TV Shows
A change of pace is always nice, even if it’s your favorite video game morphing into a TV show for a while. Immersion is a big concept for gamers, so what better way to get closer to your video game characters than to watch them on the home streaming screen? In 2022, a stampede of your favorite video games will march onto computers, tablets, smartphones, and smart TVs over the coming 12 months.
From Video Game to Screens
The transformation from gameplay to screenplay is one too complex to dive into here, but the results are often breathtaking for fans of a game like The Witcher or Castlevania. Games focus primarily on the way they’ve played, not how their characters interact with the world around them. With screen adaptations, the basic game hero or heroine becomes a fully realized relatable human being in real-world scenarios. It’s a trip to see the leap. If you want to stream your favorite games to become fully realized worlds on the screen this year, here are the series to watch out for; available on top streaming services.
Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell
Sam Fisher and his night-vision goggles are legendary in the Splinter Cell video game series, but how well does that translate to a Netflix series? We’re still in suspense about that, but word has it that Derek Kolstad is one of the writers for the show. If his John Wick universe is any indication, Splinter Cell fans have a lot to look forward to.
League of Legends: Arcane
The world has been waiting on this one for far too long, but it looks like the wait is almost over. Riot Games first brought the League of Legends universe to life for gamers, and now it’ll get its own nine-episode series on Netflix. It’s already getting rave reviews for its first previews.
Castlevania
The Castlevania universe first appeared in 1987 on the original Nintendo Entertainment System. It was 2D and less than visually stunning, but the gameplay itself was legendary for the time. Players side-scrolled their way through the enemies of a dark, mysterious castle. Today, the fourth season of the TV spinoff continues to captivate fans as it brings to life a once simplistic world of pixels into an exciting portrayal of life during the French Revolution. You might just have a new favorite monster hunter this year if you tune into this one. Even if you’ve never played the classic game, stars like Richter Belmont will keep you glued to the screen.
Resident Evil
A live-action version of Resident Evil is on tap for Netflix’s newest schedule. For now, we only know that it will star Lance Reddick, Tamara Smart, and Adeline Rudolph – among others – and that it’s only now in its beginning stages. We’ve already seen how Umbrella Corporation’s endless evil played out on the big screen, so it’s fascinating to think of all the ways a Resident Evil series could play out. It’s also fascinating to know that the entire movie series and TV series comes from a game that was originally known for its jump scares and comically melodramatic dialogue.
The Last of Us
Sony released The Last of Us many years ago on its PS4 platform. Now it’s going to get an HBO series attached to its fabled storyline and characters. Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey are set to star in the show, and it’s probably being released at just the right time. As people face upheaval in their own world right now, a post-apocalyptic thriller might be just the thing that people most relate to. The show is certain to carry over some of the more disturbing visuals of the game’s “zombie” type monsters. We’re facing some real-life monsters right now, so The Last of Us could present unique opportunities to draw in a large audience.
Tomb Raider
No video game is more famous than Tomb Raider. Some of them might be right up there with the treasured game, but none of them are going to get more iconic than Lara Croft’s world. This one is going to move away from “real” actors and straight to animation. That could work very well for a video game that hails from olden times. The effects could be something that we’ll all remember fondly for ages, and that’s fitting for a game that never grows old to its fans.
Twisted Metal
The iconic clown car of the Twisted Metal series is the stuff of both dreams and nightmares for early 2000s kids. The series will be released through Sony Pictures Television and be written by Paul Wernick and Rhett Reese, writers of the beloved Deadpool series. Expect a live-action adaptation that captures all the nightmare fuel from the original video game series. You can count on more than a few explosions.
Halo
This one is in its very early stages and doesn’t even have a real direction the series might go in, but they do know that it might star Pablo Schreiber as Master Chief. That’ll be enough to send Halo fans into a full-on spree of happiness for more than a little while. There have been a few bumps along the way as everything falls into place, but the latest word is that Paramount+ will pick up the series and lead its direction.
It’s Not Just a Game Anymore
Video games continue to make a powerful impact on the people who internalize their storylines and heroes and make them a part of their daily lives. Translating a game to a TV series is a real magic act, but so many series in the past prove that it can be done with a great deal of dignity and success. The shows mentioned here are ones that you can either watch now or keep up with as they evolve and become full-fledged productions. Thanks to all streaming TV providers who are always up to their game releasing this kind of TV series!
Even if you don’t enjoy video games, don’t rule out enjoying a series like Resident Evil, Halo, or Twisted Metal. Like TV series, video games carry a lot of action, emotional communication, and storylines. While in a game they must be condensed for the sake of gameplay, in a TV series the characters and plots can play out in full view of a new kind of audience. It’s here that things become not just a game anymore. Stay tuned for more information about these games and many others that will go from game to TV series very soon. You don’t want to miss out on what could be one of your favorite shows of the year.
Thank you for reading!