While movies and TV seem to struggle with adapting popular book series, recent video games do not seem to have that same problem. Warner Bros. struggled to create a prequel series to theHarry Pottermovies, butHogwarts Legacyseems to have done it successfully. Netflix’s adaptation ofThe Witcherseries has been very controversial, butThe Witcher 3: Wild Huntis often regarded as one of the best RPGs ever made. Some would argue that evenLord of the Ringshas struggled to get worthy adaptations recently, buttheMiddle-Earth: Shadow of Mordorserieshas done the franchise justice.
Games likeHogwarts LegacyandThe Witcher 3: Wild Huntseem to do their respective IPs justice while their film counterparts struggle. The fans flock to these games, and the critics cannot stop raving about them. As more book series get adaptations, perhaps these IPs should look to video games instead of film. While film and TV are great places for these stories to shine, it seems like video games are quickly becoming the stronger medium for these types of tales.
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Video Games Seem Like the Perfect Place for Book Adaptations
Adapting popular book series seems to be all the rage right now, especiallyas the streaming wars are heating up. It feels like every streaming service is trying to get the rights to some of the most popular stories, but these stories often come with some lofty expectations. The fans want to see their favorite stories done right on the big screen, and these streaming services have failed to deliver on that promise one too many times.
Amazon’sRings of Powerwas heavily critiqued byLord of the Ringsfans,Netflix’sThe Witcherseems to go from one controversyto the next, HBO disappointed a lot of viewers with the last season ofGame of Thrones, and fans of AMC’sThe Walking Deadbecame increasingly burnt out with every new season. This disappointment is not just relegated to TV as a lot of book-to-film adaptations have also failed to deliver. TheFantastic Beastsseries failed to capture the essence ofHarry Potter, thePercy Jacksonfilms paled in comparison to their book counterpart,Eragonstruggled to deliver an interesting high-fantasy story, andThe Hobbittrilogy was lambasted by critics for stretching the content too thin.
While there are some great book-to-film adaptations, it feels like there are more failures than successes recently. However, recent video games have not had that same problem.Games likeHogwarts Legacy,Middle-Earth; Shadow of Mordor,The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt,andMetro Exodushave done their respective IPs justice. They have each brought fans to the worlds that they had fallen in love with, and let them experience new stories heavily ingrained in each franchise’s mythos.
As the years have gone by, video games have become a strong medium for storytelling.Games likeThe Last of Us,Red Dead Redemption 2,Life is Strange, andBioShockhave shown just how powerful this form of storytelling can be. Some of these stories have even spawned film and TV adaptations of their own. The ability for games to tell impressive stories will only get stronger as technology advances, and it will likely lead to even more stories that rival the ones being told in film.
Video games are a fantastic outlet for storytelling, and recent years have shown that the gaming industry may bethe better place for book adaptations. While movies and TV can do these IPs justice, recent video games seem to be doing a far better job of that. Not every book-to-game adaptation works, but the ones that do seem to be stronger than their film counterparts. If this trend continues, then more writers may want to look toward gaming rather than film if they want the strongest adaptation possible.
Hogwarts Legacyis available now on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S. PS4 and Xbox One ports are scheduled to release on April 4, whereas the Nintendo Switch version is arriving July 03, 2025.
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