Three highly-rated Netflix shows based on video games
When it comes to streaming adaptations, the Netflix catalogue is second to none. But if you think literature is the only source of these adaptations, you’re in for a wild surprise with these three highly-rated Netflix shows based on video games.
In the wake of upcoming adaptations like God of War, Prime Video’s Tomb Raider, and Netflix’s very own live-action Assassin’s Creed, we’ve curated a mini-marathon of shows inspired by video games on Netflix to restore your HP.
While video games may not be everyone’s cup of tea, these Netflix shows clearly are.
So, if you’re someone who just swore to never return to your favourite game after the loss that still stings, cool off with these three Netflix shows.
Three highly-rated Netflix shows based on video games
The Witcher (Lauren Schmidt Hissrich, 2019-Present)
Whenever we talk about video game adaptations in showbiz, The Witcher comes out right at the top and for good reason. Set on a fictional, medieval-inspired location called the Continent, the action-adventure fantasy drama series, adapted from Andrzej Sapkowski’s The Witcher novels, follows the epic legend of Geralt of Rivia, Yennefer of Vengerberg, and Princess Ciri.
Geralt of Rivia is a monster-hunting mutant whose fate entwines with Princess Ciri of Cintra and the sorceress Yennefer as they navigate a world plagued with dangerous magic, political complexity, and monstrous threats. The Witcher chronicles this very tale of their journey as Geralt evolves, becoming Ciri’s protector and mentor, exploring individual struggles and their united front against sinister adversaries, such as the Nilfgaardian Empire and Wild Hunt.
Cyberpunk: Edgerunners (Hiroyuki Imaishi, 2022)
Based on Cyberpunk 2077 by CD Projekt Red, Cyberpunk: Edgerunners is an original net-animated miniseries set within the Cyberpunk universe. The limited series primarily serves as a prequel to the original game, which takes place around a year before the events of Cyberpunk 2077. Set in Night City, a self-sustained metropolis located in the former state of California, the anime story primarily unfolds in the poorest and most industrialised district, Santo Domingo, in 2076.
Cyberpunk: Edgerunners tells the story of a spontaneous, passionate and talented street kid, David Martinez. Having lost everything in life in a drive-by shooting, Martinez has long turned to the wrong side of the law for his survival. The anime adaptation follows Martinez, an “edgerunner,” a highly skilled and tech-savvy black-market mercenary who joins more like him to become a “cyberpunk.”
Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft (Tasha Huo, 2024-2025)
Netflix knows how to play it big when it comes to video game adaptations. But if you still have doubts, the adult-animated action-adventure series based on the video game series by Crystal Dynamics, Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft, is evidence enough. Starring Hayley Atwell in the iconic voice of Lara Croft, the series is set in the same continuity as the Survivor trilogy, which kicked off in 2013.
Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft takes place after the events of the 2018 game Shadow of Tomb Raider, following Lara post-Survivor trilogy on her hunt for stolen Orisha masks. As she navigates her mission to prevent Charles Dero from getting his hands on the Orisha stones, which would call for unimaginable destruction, they both represent two sides of loss: one that can change you for the better and the one that turns you around for the worse.