These rankings are based on a direct vote put out to DualShockers’ 100+ contributors, writers, and editors, not our individual reviews.
We all know the rocky road game adaptations have been on throughout the years, and even though there are some previous stinkers like Alone in the Dark, Mortal Kombat: Annihilation, and the 2016Assassin’s Creed, to name only a few, 2023 has brought with it a stellar list of great TV shows and movies ranging fromanimeto fantasy and everything inbetween.
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As video games have become an increasingly accepted part of mainstream culture, we have seen some of our favorite games get the Hollywood treatment — for better or worse. As we come to the end of another year and the perfect chance to catch up on the many shows you might have missed, let’s take a look at DualShockers Definitives end-of-year Top 10 best adaptations. Shout if you see your favorite!
10Gran Turismo (Movie)
Get Your Motor Running
Gran Turismohas come a long way since the ultimate racing game was released in 1997, and now, we have its first movie. Directed by Neill Blomkampandphotographed beautifully like a top commercial by Jacques Jouffret, petrol heads were in heaven at the slickest car visuals they’d ever seen. Gran Turismo’s 90-minute exhaust-fueled film isn’t just all body and no engine, as it also tells the true story of Jann Mardenborough who went from playing racing games in his bedroom to fulfilling his dreams of becoming a professional racing driver.
Gran Turismo offers a triple-layered giving system that should appeal to many people.
We even had the ex-Spice Girl Geri Halliwell, Orlando Bloom, and Stranger Things star David Harbour grace the screen. But even if racing cars aren’t your thing, the deeply personal story of how Jann went from an underdog to the top of his career — and also for anyone that may need a push after losing their direction in life — Gran Turismo offers a triple-layered giving system that should appeal to many people.
Gran Turismo
9The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel - Northern War (Anime)
Cold As Steel
Based on the world events of theTrails of Cold Steelgame series I and II, this Japanese animated TV show follows the story of a conflict between the Erebonian Empire and the North Ambria State. As any avid anime watcher will say, adaptations of video games can be a mixed pot, but The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel – Northern War manages to side-step this by focusing on the lore aspect, which was mostly bypassed in the games, and doing this has kept fans in their seats.
Although this series would be more recommended to people who are true fans of the games and not just anime in general, The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel - Northern War is a great watch if you enjoy other anime like Chaos Dragon or Tales of Zestiria: The X.
The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel – Northern War
8Atelier Ryza: Ever Darkness & The Secret Hideout (Anime)
A World Of Mystery And Magic
If you’re a fan of games like The Emerald Tablet or Recettear: An Item’s Shop Tale, it’s very likely you have already gotten stuck into the beloved 2019 RPG, Atelier Ryza: Ever Darkness & the Secret Hideout. Thankfully, viewers are once again catapulted into a world of mystery and magic when the anime TV show was released this year, which follows Raiza, a gifted alchemist, and her many adventures.
…fans of the game will enjoy the story progression and the evolution of the characters.
With solid character designs and fulfilling animation, Atelier Ryza: Ever Darkness & the Secret Hideout is an enjoyable watch, especially for people who are fans of fantasy anime and don’t require constant fighting in their shows. Although it may not be one of the greatest anime out there, fans of the game will enjoy the story progression and the evolution of the characters.
Atelier Ryza: Ever Darkness & the Secret Hideout
7Arknights: Perish In Frost (Anime)
A Deathly Saga
For those who like their tactical RPG/tower defense games for free, you may have played the 2020 dystopian, post-apocalyptic, Arknights. The gacha game was well received by players, and so Arknights: Perish in Frost, which is its second anime adaptation, was born into the world to fill the empty hearts of those who want to know more about the incurable disease that slowly crystallizes the bodies of those infected in the urban fantasy world of Terra.
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What’s cool about Arknights: Perish in Frost is that it stays true to its original formula, without needlessly changing its narrative or characters, but this might not appease many newcomers.
Arknights: Perish in Frost
6Nier Automata Ver1.1a (Anime)
2B Or Not 2B
Nier: Automatawas the title that got gamers out of their chairs and clapping in 2017. Not only was the story and characters deeply compelling, but it was also extremely heartbreaking, which, in turn, became Nier’s most thrilling quality. Turning a game of this caliber into an adaptation was a bold and scary move, but for the most part, the anime is an entertaining watch for Nier fans that stays true to the concept, but it isn’t exactly the same story told in the games, which will annoy some while delighting others.
…it offers iconic gameplay moments that will have fans pointing at their TVs in excitement.
The adaptation also brings in the original voice cast from the game, which is a fantastic touch, as it helps bridge the gap between the original game and the anime. Although the NieR Automata adaptation may slightly stumble in places, it represents the original score perfectly — especially in battle sequences — that fans expect to hear, and it offers iconic gameplay moments that will have fans pointing at their TVs in excitement.
Nier Automata Ver1.1a
5Twisted Metal (TV)
Mayhem And A Crazy Clown - What Could Go Wrong?
Ah, how could anyone forget the murderous clown Sweet Tooth who became an unofficial PS1 mascot back in 1995? After a series of releases, namely the fifth title, Twisted Metal: Black, being the best (in my humble opinion), it was only a matter of time before it too got its own adaptation. With this being fifth on our list, the Twisted Metal TV show obviously got a few things right. One of the best aspects was how the adaptation tuned into the games' dark comedic humor and the exaggerated vehicle action scenes we all loved from the games.
Of course, the show’s iconic character, Sweet Tooth, portrayed by Joe Seanoa and voiced by Will Arnett, stabilized this bigger-than-life character very well with a brilliant heap of maniacal personality. All in all,Twisted Metalis a fun and not-to-be-taken-too-seriously show with a healthy dose of cartoonishly violent mayhem and a pinch of nostalgia.
Twisted Metal
4The Witcher Season 3 (TV)
I Hate Portals
One of the best RPGs to ever arrive in the gaming universe,The Witcherhas had its fair share of adaptations from books and games to comics and finally to a TV show. The series created by Lauren Schmidt Hissrich for Netflix sees Geralt and co. roaming the medieval-inspired landmass known as the Continent.
Season 3 of The Witcher was a bitter-sweet farewell to the fantasy drama’s iconic leading man, Henry Cavill, and he and his well-fitted leather pants will be sorely missed. Season 3 had plenty of surprise character reveals and major changes to the source material, which drew a lot of controversy. Although coming from the viewing point of a major fan of the franchise, I very much enjoyed every season from start to finish, and seeing Ciri, Yennefer, and Geralt back together again and showcasing their own individual stories was a high point of the third season.
Geralt, who was given more dialog than ever before, was a stab in the heart seeing that the iconic monster hunter wouldn’t be back, which only goes to further say that Liam Hemsworth has some monster-sized boots to fill when he arrives in season 4.
The Witcher
3Castlevania: Nocturne (Anime)
French Cuisine In The Revolution
Known as one of Konami’s most successful and prominent franchises,Castlevaniahas had its fair share of spin-offs that have included video games, comic books, and an animated television series. Castlevania: Nocturne picks up 300 years after the events of the first Netflix animated series, which aired in 2017, and this time, it stars a whole new generation of vampire hunters living in France during the French Revolution.
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Straight off the bat, if you thought the first season was gory, the violence has been ramped up quite a bit for the second helping, which, for me, only adds even more oomph to its dark and sinister blood-sucking tone. Noctume skillfully weaves together intricate plotlines and character arcs that ooz classic Castlevania lore, and the animation quality is top-notch, with beautifully detailed backgrounds. It’s of little wonder why this one made it into DualShockers' third entry in the best adaptations.
Castlevania Nocturne
2The Super Mario Bros. Movie (Movie)
Whimsical Adventure Through Mushroom Kingdom
Now, we know that the 1993Super Mario Bros. movie has a reputation for being one of the worst video game movies of all time, so we won’t go into that too much, but to remain in context, The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023) needed to pull it off with a major bang. Thankfully, if you’re a Mario Bros. fan — but I guess why would you see it if you weren’t — the movie is a delightful world of whimsical and nostalgic entertainment that celebrates everything we love about the franchise.
the movie is a delightful world of whimsical and nostalgic entertainment that celebrates everything we love about the franchise.
It’s fun, harmless, and it never insults anyone — sometimes that’s all you need in a movie, and The Mushroom Kingdom is realized with incredible detail and reverence that would put a smile even on the most skeptical viewers' face.
The Super Mario Bros. Movie
1The Last Of Us (TV)
To The Edge Of The Universe And Back
WhenThe Last of Uswas released in 2013, it not only made everyone fall in love with its main characters Joel and Ellie, but it also ripped their hearts out and stomped them into a million pieces. The excitement was palpable when it was revealed that we’d get an actual adaptation of one of gaming’s most beloved titles, but also, there lay an undercurrent about whether this would live up to the PlayStation record-breaker — and whether Bella Ramsey and Pedro Pascal could fill the shoes of these iconic individuals.
With sweat eventually wiped off our brows, The Last of Us TV series was even better than anyone could envision, and then some. Not only did Pascal nail Joel with his moody and sullen demeanor, but he took Joel’s character to places even Troy Baker couldn’t reach. And let’s give it up to Ramsey, who, among all the doubt and hate, managed to pull off a phenomenal Ellie with her natural wit and stellar acting chops.
Every painful detail was done just right, from the post-apocalyptic setting, the horror of the clickers, and those blink-and-you’ll-miss-it Easter eggs, the series created by Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann was everything a Last of Us fan could have ever wanted. Anna Tov, Nick Offerman, and Storm Reid also gave incredible performances that helped make The Last of Us not only the best video game adaptation of 2023, but in my opinion, the best video game adaptation ever made.
The Last Of Us
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