Why are video game adaptations always so shit? There is no single answer to this question, but rather a whole slate of them. After all, film studios have made numerous attempts to bring gaming franchises to the big screen in order to break the bank. For the most part, however, these experiments garnered scathing reviews, failed at the box office, and angered fans to boot. With the cinema success of Pokémon Detective Pikachu, Sonic the Hedgehog and Uncharted as well as the series hits Castlevania, Arcane and now The Last of Us, the video game curse has apparently finally been broken. The Last of Us in particular received excellent reviews from both the trade press and video game fans and audiences new to the franchise. What did the adaptation get right that so many others failed to do before?
Can we distil a recipe for success from the hype surrounding the zombie series that future film adaptations can shimmy along? Probably not. But I would still like to use this opportunity to share a few basic ideas about which games are generally suitable for adaptation and which criteria should be met in order to successfully transport a story from one medium to another.
The Last of Us: Why are video game adaptations suddenly good? (3)
Source: Sky
The first question I would ask myself when faced with the task of adapting material into another medium is this: does the new format add anything to the experience? Sounds obvious at first, but adaptations of video games in particular usually fail because of this. The other way around, the question is easy to answer: If I make a video game out of a film, novel, comic or series, it is clear what needs to be added: interactivity. And there are often a number of ways to do this, because a story consists of numerous interactions.
From film to game
When someone suggests making a video game based on the military propaganda blockbuster Top Gun, most people probably have an immediate idea of what the outcome should be. The on-screen action becomes multiple actions that we perform ourselves. The most obvious would be a combat-intensive flight simulator, but in principle other scenes from Top Gun could also be turned into a game.
Even the very first shots of the film offer enough material. There we see the ground crew of an aircraft carrier taking off and landing the fighter planes. For example, we could play the guy who shakes the lights and makes sure all the jets arrive safely. Or we take on responsibility for the entire operation in a management simulation, buy planes and fuel, command missions and thus become America’s pride. A volleyball game with homoerotic undertones would be Top Gun, as would a simulation where we, as instructors, make sure our recruits become the best of the best.
The Last of Us: Why are video game adaptations suddenly good? (6)
Source: Paramount Pictures
Top Gun isn’t necessarily tied to a gameplay element, Top Gun is more of a feeling, an aesthetic, a particular way of staging that’s dictated by the film. In Star Wars games, everything is included, from flight simulators to strategy games, RPGs and action-adventures to first-person shooters. Whatever you do should be fun and lend itself to a motivating gameplay loop. Whether it is a successful adaptation depends a lot on the feeling. There’s a big difference between a jet fight and a sunset jet fight to the music of Harold Faltermeyer.
A perfect recent example of this is Hogwarts Legacy. The core gameplay looks like interchangeable AAA slugs, but as long as the game manages to make us feel like a wizard student in the world of Harry Potter, it’s done its job sufficiently and fans are hooked.
From game to film
Exactly the same principle applies backwards. However, transferring the feeling of a game to a film is much more difficult. Sure, the aesthetic elements of DOOM can be adopted almost 1:1, but the feeling of pulling the trigger yourself and killing the hellspawn with chainsaws and pumpguns while heavy metal blasts out of the speakers just isn’t the same when we just watch someone do it. Also, while it’s possible to make a 99 percent action film that captures the kinetic energy of a video game (such as the John Wick series, Crank, or Hardcore Henry), it’s also extremely ambitious and comfortable for most studios too risky.
As a result, for video games with little to no narrative, many productions add new characters and dialogue or change things to add variety and satisfy the perceived viewing habits of a mainstream audience. As understandable as this decision may sound, it is often misguided. The question shouldn’t be “how do I make DOOM a classic movie” but rather “what cinematic elements would go well with DOOM”? The core element of the game is not its story but the gameplay. And skilfully translating that into film language requires a different approach. Edge of Tomorrow or Live, Die, Repeat is an example of a film that skilfully implements a typical video game element. Technically it is based on a manga, but the gaming influences cannot be denied.
Alternatively, you can also completely free yourself from the conventions of the template and only use individual elements as building blocks for something new. In plain language this means that you create something like arcane. Correct me if I’m wrong, my time with the game is limited to a few hours, but from what I understand the series has very little to do with the gameplay or feel of League of Legends.
The Last of Us: Why are video game adaptations suddenly good? (7)
Source: NETFLIX
Only the personalities of the various characters have made the leap from one medium to another. Nevertheless, the Netflix series is extremely well received by fans and new viewers alike. With excellent voice acting and a contemporary, extremely chic animation style as well as solid world building, Arcane confidently stands on its own and – here’s the magic word again – expanded the franchise with many exciting aspects that do not naturally result from the source material.
