Top 5 TV Series Based on Video Games - Leveling Up the Small Screen
For years, live-action TV shows based on video games were even rarer than movies that did the same. But that’s changing – and not just because publishers want more screen tie ins. Storytelling in games is deeper than ever before – as evidenced by my recent experience at NarraScope – and with this shift has come a new wave of adaptations that respect the emotional DNA of games while inviting television into new narrative territory. And with the new season of Twisted Metal having just premiered, I figured it was time to share my top five, ranked with both affection and critical perspective.
5. Halo (2022-2024)
Halo began with a slow burn. The first season felt like it was shooting for cinematic scope, but stumbled over pacing, underwritten characters, and too heavily stylized military drama. Yet, season 2 turned the corner – streamlining the action, deepening Master Chief’s emotional arc, and finally edging into territory that felt like the original game’s narrative was fast approaching. With reviews improving across the board, critics agreed: the series was finally earning its halo. Unfortunately, the series was canceled soon after that breakthrough. Now we’re left with a two season prequel that, in its last arc, hinted at what could have been – a fuller journey into the story of SPARTAN-117.
4. Mortal Kombat: Conquest (1998-1999)
Before video game adaptations were relatively common, Mortal Kombat: Conquest showed up all the way back in 1998, acting as a prequel to the duology of Mortal Kombat films that were once considered the gold standard of video game adaptations. It didn’t have the gore, but it delivered campy martial arts fantasy with familiar characters like Raiden, Kitana, and Scorpion. Though it ran only one season, it remains one of the earliest live action efforts to engage in world building in a universe inspired by video games. For fans of niche nostalgia and 90s TV weirdness, it’s a delight rediscovered.
3. Twisted Metal (2023-present)
There’s cheesy action, and then there’s Twisted Metal: a bizarre universe of demolition derbies and serial killer clowns. I never expected Anthony Mackie as Roadkill, introduced as John Doe, to become the soul of the show – but he is. The first season gave us absurdity and surprising pathos, and now in season 2, the story has deepened. We got identity reveals, more clearly defined stakes around Calypso’s twisted tournament, and supporting characters like Shadow and Darkside given unexpected emotional dimension. It’s a rare adaptation that in some ways has grown more intriguing than the games it’s based on – adding narrative ambition to over-the-top vehicular action.
2. Fallout (2024-present)
This is a show that adopted a bold strategy: it didn’t recreate the story of the games – it continued it. Amazon’s Fallout follows Lucy MacLean’s quest on the irradiated surface. Critics praised its retro futuristic production design and surprisingly emotional arcs woven into wasteland humor. With some of the highest viewership that Amazon Prime Video had ever seen, Fallout proved you could invent new characters and narrative yet still feel unmistakably like the world players were familiar with. It’s theater, nostalgia, science-fiction, and satire holding hands – a rare balance few adaptations can manage.
1. The Last of Us (2023-present)
Could there be any other choice for number one? With Neil Druckmann co writing and creating alongside Craig Mazin, the first season of The Last of Us became one of the most successful video game adaptations in history and earned broad praise for its performances, fidelity, and expansion beyond gameplay footprint.
What makes The Last of Us extraordinary is not that it retells Ellie’s journey – it’s how it enriches it. The writers expanded subplots that were only glimpsed in the game into full episodes (like Bill and Frank’s backstory or Sarah’s final day before the apocalypse), and fleshed out supporting characters in ways that revealed humanity, hardship, and hope woven into every abandoned building. With the second season doubling down with a bold shift into revenge narrative and spiritual darkness as the series endeavors to finish telling the story of the second game through its planned third and fourth seasons, The Last of Us is truly the finest video game television adaptation ever made.
Final Thoughts
In ranking these series, what emerges isn't just nostalgia – but genuinely skillful storytelling. Halo and Twisted Metal gambled on transformation. Mortal Kombat: Conquest delivered world building that expanded on the films that came before it. Fallout invented its own continuation of the story of a beloved video game universe. And The Last of Us elevated the medium entirely.
These five shows represent what TV adaptations of video games can be when showrunners care about emotional investment as much as fan service. In that sense, they’re not just great adaptations – they’re great television.