It would be easy to assume that we’d have trouble finding the best gaming adaptations of 2024 following the flop that was Borderlands in theaters this summer. But if there was a lack of big screen success on the scale of 2023’s The Super Mario Bros. Movie (although don’t forget this list was assembled ahead of the imminent release of Sonic the Hedgehog 3 this holiday, which just missed out cut-off), it’s actually been a terrific year to stream shows based on the gaming franchises we love to play.
This year’s best gaming adaptations are well balanced between live action and animation, or indeed a combination of both. Given we’re talking about adaptations, these all excel in faithfully bringing to life the properties we’ve enjoyed for years if not decades while also adapting the material with a new twist for a wider audience. Even for the gaming franchises that are story-driven at their core, there’s more going on here than just shooting it beat for beat.
5. Like A Dragon: Yakuza
Watch on: Amazon Prime Video
It might be disappointing that this adaptation of Sega‘s long-running crime series doesn’t have the same surreal and comedic zaniness of more recent instalments that fans often love it the most for, yet as a Japanese-language adaptation, Like A Dragon: Yakuza does succeed in capturing the gritty vibe of Kamurocho from a bygone era and a dramatic tone that leans closer to the original PS2 game. Yet by choosing to tell an original story that jumps between two timelines, 1995 and 2005, it gives us a fresh origin story for legendary yakuza warrior Kazuma Kiryu, well played by Ryoma Takeuchi, as the show digs deeper into his close bonds with Nishiki and Yumi (given a lot more to work with than in the game) and how their paths change forever.
Learn more in our Like A Dragon: Yakuza season 1 review where we said it “gift[s] Kiryu and Nishiki’s story with an extra layer of emotional weight”
4. Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft
Watch on: Netflix
Having already had the big screen live-action treatment twice, first starring Angelina Jolie then Alicia Vikander, the legendary British archaeologist returns in an animated series, which follows directly from the character’s adventures from Shadow of the Tomb Raider, and also serving as a bridge between the modern rebooted trilogy and the original games. Hayley Atwell does a fine job voicing the heroine, given the chance to delve deeper into her personality not seen in the games (or indeed in the past film adaptations). If the plot gets a bit too much into supernatural territory, along with a moustache-twirling villain, this is nonetheless a strong continuation of a feminist and badass Lara that’s also not afraid to play up her potential romantic chemistry with friend Camilla Roth. It’s another string in Netflix’s bow for animated gaming adaptations following on from their excellent work with Castlevania.
Learn more in our Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft review, where we called it “warm welcome back for the legendary action hero”
3. Knuckles
Watch on: Paramount Plus
This six-episode spin-off could have easily been in the vein of a direct-to-video cash grab, forcing secondary characters into awkward leads to fill in the waiting time for Sonic the Hedgehog 3. It’s a welcome surprise, then, that Knuckles goes far beyond that. Of course, compared to Robotnik’s diabolical plans, it’s far lower stakes as Knuckles (once again gamely voiced by Idris Elba) takes Wade Whipple (Adam Pally) under this wing to train in the ways of the Echidna, all for a bowling tournament, yet this buddy relationship manages to be every bit as winning as the Blue Blur’s with James Marsden’s Tom Wachowski, with arguably more laughs even without Jim Carrey. With some great Easter eggs thrown in, including an iconic cowboy hat, it’s unmissable for Sonic and Knuckles fans alike.
Learn more in our Knuckles review, where we called it “an earnest and energetic mini-cinematic adventure”
2. Arcane Season 2
Watch on: Netflix
The first season of Arcane was a revelation, with Fortiche’s unique animation aesthetic standing apart from the influence of Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse to create its own visual identity. Better yet, it captured even non-League of Legends players thanks to the smart decision to ensure it was approachable even without deep knowledge, putting in the worldbuilding work to create depth to Piltover and Zaun on its own terms. It’s perhaps a shame that the showrunners chose to wrap the show up with this second season, as the stakes amp up with the devastating consequences of season one. There’s many complicated threads to follow (almost like playing the MOBA), yet at its heart is the story of sisters Vi and Jinx (terrific performances from Hailee Steinfeld and Ella Purnell respectively) as their relationship goes through the ringer from betrayal to reconciliation to heartbreak.
Learn more in our Arcane season 2 review, where we said it was “a fitting end to this beloved saga that’s left us wanting more”
1. Fallout
Watch on: Amazon Prime Video
An RPG like Fallout, rich in worldbuilding but where the player is free to carve out their own path, is pretty much perfect for interpretation when it comes to adapting. There’s of course the general set-up of the bombs, the refuge underground for the lucky few vault dwellers before re-emerging out into the Wasteland hundreds of years later, but after that, the showrunners have been given free rein with their original story, exploring post-apocalyptic Los Angeles. Ella Purnell makes a charismatic lead as Lucy, on a journey to find and rescue her father, but it’s the freewheeling antics of each episode, often hilarious as well as gory, that makes Fallout a hell of a ride, mostly by embracing the golden rule, according to Walter Goggins’ Ghoul: “Thou shalt get sidetracked by bullshit every goddamn time.”
Learn more in our Fallout season 1 review, where we said it’s “anchored by plenty of personality and punchy social commentary”
Looking for more to watch? Check out our best TV shows 2024 list! Or more to play? Then we’ve got our best games of 2024 here as well!