5 Videogame TV Shows You Should Sink Your Teeth Into

5 Videogame TV Shows You Should Sink Your Teeth Into
Contributor: Zachariah Kelly

Videogame TV shows seem to be heating up in popularity at the moment, with The Witcher getting another season, the Halo TV show around the corner and talk of an Its Takes Two TV show starting to heat up.

While a sudden burst of videogame TV shows might catch you off-guard going “Videogame movies are bad, why the heck would I watch a videogame TV show” I can assure you that they’ve been a popular thing for a while. And I love all of them.

Here are some TV shows based on videogames that you should check out, along with some videogame TV shows that are coming up.

You’ll find that most of the shows below come from Netflix… That’s not because I’m taking a comically sized bag of money from Netflix or anything, it’s just cause most videogame TV shows lately have come from the streaming giant. Let’s get into it.

Arcane

OK I seriously can’t stop talking about this show. I don’t mean it lightly when I say this is not only the best videogame TV show out there but it’s also the best Netflix original available to stream right now. Again, I’m not even a fan of the game it’s based on, but it’s true.

Arcane is a Netflix adaption of League of Legends (Riot Games), the popular MOBA videogame where two teams of five players fight for dominance over a map, each playing as one of over a hundred unique characters.

The show, however, laser-focuses on two heroes: Jinx and Vi. These sisters get caught up in the politics between Pilltover and Zaun in an emotional and action-packed story that I love more than anything right now. It’s also incredibly beautiful, with an unforgettable art style. It has been renewed for a second season.

The Witcher

The second show is The Witcher, another Netflix original. OK, put the pitchfork down, I know what you’re going to say – The Witcher is based on the books, not the game. I know. However, I’m putting it here because much of the series’ art direction looks very much like The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (CD Projekt: RED). Also, you know, it’s hard to say if The Witcher’s cultural popularity would be anywhere near what it is right now without the game, so, it’s here. Sue me.

The Witcher is a medieval series based on Polish folklore, following the adventures of Geralt of Rivia, a Witcher, a monster hunter stripped of most emotions. It’s an action-packed show billed by many as Netflix’s Game of Thrones. It absolutely slaps.

Dota: Dragon’s Blood

Picking up a second season in January, Dota: Dragon’s Blood is a Netflix adaption of another popular MOBA: DOTA 2 (Valve). It’s actually kind of funny that Netflix has the distribution rights for the League of Legends anime and the DOTA 2 anime, two games that are seen as competitors.

Dota: Dragon’s Blood, however, is vastly different to Arcane. Dragon’s Blood subscribes to anime norms a bit more, with a traditional 2D art style and a gorier approach, following a Dragon Knight and the politics of the Dota world. Like Arcane, there are lots of call-backs to the games, but it’s a different show entirely.

Carmen Sandiego

I’m not gonna hear for a minute that this show should be excluded from the list because it’s a cartoon intended for a young audience. Netflix’s Carmen Sandiego is a fun, all-ages action show, based on the popular globe-trotting edutainment series of games of the same name (made by Broderbund).

It follows a young Carmen Sandiego, focusing on a story prying into her shady past and mysterious organisations operating around her. Like the games, it’s focused on edutainment, retaining the class and adding a nice animation style. It’s well voice-acted and I found it to be quite enjoyable all-around. There’s also an interactive episode available on Netflix, harking back to the games.

Castlevania

Netflix’s Castlevania is the last game we’ll add to our list, a gorey medieval anime adaption of the famous Konami series. Castlevania follows Trevor Belmont, a talented monster slayer of house Belmont, in a hugely gorey series focusing on killing Dracula and ridding the land of his evil.

The show is well-rounded at four seasons, easy to cut through with short episode lengths. Parts of it feel a bit side-questy but all-around it’s very enjoyable. It has a very satisfying ending too.

Upcoming videogame TV shows

While Arcane, The Witcher and Dota: Dragon’s Blood are ongoing, there are plenty of upcoming videogame TV shows that are still in the works. Here’s a snapshot of what to look out for:

Make sure you check out our article on every major sci-fi, fantasy, thriller, horror and adventure TV shows and movies hitting streaming services this month


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