Prime Video’s Fallout has taken the world by storm after its second season followed up on the award-winning first installment, maintaining its exceptionally high quality. With the iconic video game series giving the TV show so much to adapt, Fallout has managed to craft an engaging story focusing on fresh characters, while still including many elements from the source material.
This has allowed the project to go from strength to strength, earning itself a huge fan base and becoming one of Prime Video’s most successful shows ever. Now, after Fallout season 2’s climactic ending, the adaptation has officially cemented itself as one of the greatest video game shows of all time, and it should only get better with future outings.
However, given that there are plenty of upcoming TV shows based on video games in the works, the competition will get stiffer, but right now, Fallout seems to hold the crown. That said, not everyone would agree as some competitors come close to matching it, with a handful of these popular series arguably exceeding the apocalyptic drama.
Gangs of London
You’d be forgiven for not knowing that Gangs of London is a video game adaptation since its source material is relatively obscure, but it is one of the most underrated drama shows around. Back in 2002, The Getaway released to a positive reception, with the PS2 game exploring the criminal underworld in Britain, leading to a spinoff four years later.
Despite not being anywhere near as popular as the main game, Gangs of London debuted on the PSP, which is what eventually inspired this gritty TV series. The story and overall direction vary heavily from the game it’s based on, but it does maintain that extreme violence that is usually restricted to video games, which gives it a real edge.
Although the time period and action styles are different, Gangs of London is often compared with Peaky Blinders, which feels fitting since Joe Cole plays a heavy role in both.
Unsurprisingly, the series focuses on the conflict between different gangs in London and the power struggle that ensues after a major crime boss is assassinated. The results are phenomenal, with the brutal action and shocking twists giving Gangs of London a strong identity, and despite deviating heavily from the game, it remains an incredible adaptation in its own right.
In contrast to Gangs of London, Twisted Metal is based on a classic video game franchise, and despite the TV show getting off to a rocky start, it has finally found its footing. Embracing the chaos of the games, Peacock’s take on Twisted Metal is full of high-octane thrills and crude humor, all while fleshing out the lore.
Given the gaming series is restricted to vehicular combat, there is only so much depth it can give its characters through voice lines and bios. Thankfully, the adaptation delves more into their backgrounds and allows them to flaunt their personalities, which is integral to helping audiences get invested in the overarching story.
With stars like Anthony Mackie, Stephanie Beatriz, and wrestling icon Samoa Joe involved, it’s no surprise that Twisted Metal season 2’s Rotten Tomatoes score improved after a mixed first outing. Assuming the show continues trending in this direction, it looks like this comedic action show will keep on getting better, potentially even catching Fallout‘s quality eventually.
Although it has a long way to go, the future looks positive for Twisted Metal, and with a third season in development, it may one day evolve into one of the best gaming shows around.
Castlevania
When it comes to elite video game adaptations, Castlevania often goes overlooked despite being one of the pioneers of this new wave. The 2020s have been the golden age of gaming adaptations, as it feels like these modern productions have made significant improvements, but Castlevania was ahead of the curve, having debuted back in 2017 on Netflix.
The animated series embraced the darker elements of the gaming series that started back in the 80s, while providing interesting interpretations of popular characters. Castlevania‘s art and visuals are what really thrive, as some of the fight scenes are particularly memorable, such as Alucard vs. Dracula and Trevor vs. Death.
Some fans may argue the show did start to run out of steam the longer it went on, but the ratings don’t really reflect this. In addition, the overwhelmingly positive performance resulted in a spinoff show being made in 2022, with Castlevania: Nocturne being just as successful, proving Netflix’s adaptation of this IP is worth celebrating.
Although there is no confirmation of a season 3, it looks likely that Castlevania: Nocturne will continue at some point, meaning the televised universe could potentially last a decade. Even if this isn’t the case, it’s hard not to be impressed by Castlevania‘s longevity, which is something Fallout may struggle to match despite its endless possibilities.
The Last of Us
When The Last of Us first arrived on HBO, it quickly gained mainstream attention and was dubbed by many as the greatest video game adaptation of all time. Unlike many other projects, The Last of Us didn’t decide to focus on a new story. Instead, it faithfully adapted the events of the games, while adding a few original touches.
The first episode explored the Cordyceps virus in a way the games never did, while the beautiful Bill and Frank episode took a few details from the source material and made it an hour-long masterpiece. For the most part though, the live-action series brought the game’s narrative straight to TV, doing a wonderful job of matching the franchise’s tone and emotional depth.
After a near-perfect first season, every other video game show was playing catch-up, with Fallout‘s stellar first outing being its most notable rival. However, The Last of Us season 2’s finale capped off a largely disappointing installment, at least compared to the first, somewhat souring this exemplary reputation.
Although there was still plenty to admire, viewers weren’t afraid to voice their criticisms, leaving TLOU in dubious territory ahead of season 3. One mixed outing doesn’t undo all the great work of season 1, but it does leave its legacy on a knife-edge, and while it could overtake Fallout once again, HBO certainly has some work to do.
Cyberpunk: Edgerunners
In hindsight, Cyberpunk: Edgerunners‘ success feels like it was always inevitable given how big the video game it’s based on has become, but this wasn’t the case when the anime debuted. Having launched in a terrible state, Cyberpunk 2077‘s stocks were low, and while developer CD Projekt Red worked tirelessly on fixing the game, it needed something big to change public opinion.
Thankfully, Cyberpunk: Edgerunners came along and gave it the twist of fate it needed. Taking place in Night City, Edgerunners borrowed many aspects from the game, such as music, sound effects, locations, and even a few characters, but it was a completely new crew that won people’s hearts throughout this heartbreaking story.
Centering around a student named David Martinez, the series was primarily an action show that followed the protagonist’s transition from an ordinary teenager into a legendary mercenary. However, among all the violence and death, one of the most memorable love stories of the decade emerged, which captured the franchise’s unforgiving themes to a tee.
Against the odds, Cyberpunk: Edgerunners evolved into a masterpiece that aged well and won fans over, prompting people to give Cyberpunk 2077 another chance, completely reviving its reputation. As adaptations go, they don’t get much better than this, and with a follow-up show on the way, this series may end up becoming a serious challenger to Prime Video’s Fallout.
Arcane
If there’s any show that has earned its right to be deemed the best video game series other than Fallout, it’s Arcane. While League of Legends is a massive game, it is also very much an acquired taste, making the decision to greenlight an animated show based in Runeterra a complete gamble.
Fortunately, it didn’t just find an audience; it was an absolutely breathtaking piece of media that deserves every bit of praise it gets. Arcane set a new standard for animated shows by delivering stunning visuals, elite voice acting performances, and a dark yet gripping story that still gets talked about over a year after the series finale.
Balancing so many fascinating characters and offering a satisfying payoff was far from easy, but Arcane managed to make it work without overstaying its welcome. Sure, the project could’ve arguably used a few more episodes to really explore everything in detail, but concluding after two seasons was a bold decision considering Arcane‘s popularity, yet it was ultimately the correct one.
In terms of consistency and quality, Arcane really does go blow for blow with Fallout, and which one is better simply comes down to personal preference. Even though Arcane can’t technically improve, more League of Legends shows are on the way, and they’ll all be looking to match this impeccable video game adaptation.