Video game adaptations have recently received a huge shift in public discourse, with the likes ofThe Last of UsandCyberpunk: Edgerunnersreleasing to great acclaim and positive public perception. With the negative connotations that have historically surrounded the adaption of video game IPs to television or film, the aforementioned shows have given fans a glimpse at the benefits that are possible when an adaptation is well received.
Given the pre-existing acclaim forThe Last of Usfranchise, it can be argued that the recent HBO show was well postured to be successfully adapted to TV, but the likes ofCyberpunk: Edgerunnersproved that even controversial video games can produce excellent adaptations. As well as breaking this alleged trend, these shows have finally provided audiences with knowledge of how the game’s that successful adaptations are based off of can directly benefit from being portrayed in different forms of media.
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The Alleged Video Game Adaptation “Curse”
It has long been a stereotype that video game adaptations are more often than not doomed to fail, with most of the most famous franchises in gaming history having received some form of live-action or animated TV adaptation. Historically, many will point to the likes of thelive-action 2005Doomfilmas an example of this, or the original 1995Mortal Kombatfilm, although more contemporary projects with larger budgets have faced similar fates.
More recently, Paramount debuted a live-actionHaloshow with a $10 million per episode budget, which was negatively received by many for the way in which it diverged from the core narrative motifs of the game series. As well as this,Netflix launched a short-lived TV adaptation of theResident Evilfranchise, which was canceled after one season despite the massive amounts of pre-release attention that were placed on it. Given this more contemporary contextual fuel for the fires surrounding video game adaptations, it is notable that the likes of the aforementionedThe Last of UsandCyberpunk: Edgerunnersshows are doing as well as they currently are.
How The Last of Us TV Show Has Impacted the Games
The Last of Usis already a massively successful IP, spanning two greatly received video games and even a recent remake of the original 2013 title. The games are considered by many to tell some of the most compelling narratives in gaming history, with visceral and immersive core game mechanics that have made the franchise as memorable as it is to this day.
Given the aforementioned trend of video game adaptations being unsuccessful, many were perhaps understandably concerned that HBO’s announcement of a live-action TV adaptation ofThe Last of Usmay have tarnished the otherwise stellar legacy of the franchise. However, the show has done quite the opposite, quickly becoming one of themost successful HBO shows in recent memorydespite still only being in its infancy.
Many attribute the performances of Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey as the primary characters of Joel and Ellie as one of the main reasons behind this success, and the obvious respect thatThe Last of Usshow has for the gaming source material is another huge boon for the project. With the show bringing the franchise’s story to new and old fans alike,sales forThe Last of Us Part 1have skyrocketed, painting a picture of the amazing benefits that franchises can receive as a direct result of faithful and well constructed adaptations.
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How Cyberpunk: Edgerunners Has Impacted Cyberpunk 2077
Cyberpunk: Edgerunnerswas a more surprising recent successful video game adaptation, perhaps largely due to the controversy surrounding its notoriousCyberpunk 2077source material.Cyberpunk 2077was infamous for its lackluster launch, with the massively long wait that many fans endured for the title’s release culminating in a rushed project that many felt was in an overwhelmingly unpolished state upon launch. WithCyberpunk 2077’slaunch being considered as one of the most disastrous high-profile launches in video game history, it is fair to say thatEdgerunnershad its work cut out for it in terms of winning fans of the franchise back over.
Telling a standalone ten-episode story within the franchise’s core setting of Night City,Edgerunnersis a heavily stylized anime that ended up becoming one of Netflix’s most popular animated originals to ever release. Releasing in 2022, it must be said theEdgerunnersreleased at a time in whichCyberpunk 2077was implementing some much-needed updates and fixes, and the tide of public opinion was slowly beginning to shift to a more positive overall sentiment toward the game.
However, it was the release ofCyberpunk: Edgerunnersthat truly thrust2077back into the limelight, convincing scores of new players to try out the game now that it was in a more polished state, while inspiring older players to give the game another chance. Arguably as a direct result ofEdgerunners,Cyberpunk 2077experienced a massive revived player count on Steam, and the ratings of the title also became significantly more positive on the platform.
While the debate surrounding video game adaptations is an inherently contentious one, it is undeniable that adaptations can have serious and long-lasting impacts on the source material that they borrow from. With this in mind, the likes ofThe Last of UsandCyberpunk: Edgerunnersare fantastic examples of the positive ramifications that successful adaptations can ultimately provide for certain franchises.
The Last of Usairs Sunday nights on HBO.
MORE:Comparison Video Shows Just How Accurate The Last of Us HBO Series is to the Game
