Free Play: The secret ingredient to video game adaptations
When you think of video games turned into mainstream blockbusters, you probably imagine the mess that was “Sonic the Hedgehog” (2020). Remember all the memes made of the iconic character’s creepy teeth and human-like design? Or maybe you’d think of “Assassin’s Creed” (2016). I barely remembered the plot of the film — it was just that boring. Even with the star-studded and talented casts including Jim Carrey and Idris Elba in “Sonic the Hedgehog” and Michael Fassbender in “Assassin’s Creed,” Hollywood just cannot seem to crack the code of making a good video game adaptation.
Here’s the recipe for a Hollywood video game adaptation: One producer looking for a quick cash grab, mixed with at least two relevant actors and a sprinkle of a crew who has never played the game before. What do you get when you bake it all together? A film that sucks. Correction: a film that really sucks.
Granted, it is difficult to make a film or TV show out of a video game. Tens of hours of playtime have to be condensed into a few hours. Actors won’t look like digitally created 3D models of characters, and CGI is never perfect. Most importantly, video game characters are empty vessels. The true nature and story of a video game are told through a player’s choices, interactions and relationships in the game — that’s what makes video games fun.
Films and television are great storytelling avenues, but they take away the autonomy that players have. But, while it’s difficult to create a game-based narrative successfully, it’s not impossible.
Despite plenty of terrible video game adaptations, there are a few precious gems out there that have received critical acclaim. Personally, the best adaptations that I’ve seen are “Arcane” (2021) and “The Last of Us,” which is streaming on HBO Max currently. These two adaptations have been diamonds in a sea of coal.
“Arcane” is set amid escalating tensions between the wealthy, utopian city of Piltover and the oppressed, underground city of Zaun. It follows sisters Vi (Hailee Steinfeld) and Jinx (Ella Purnell) who find themselves on opposing sides of a brewing conflict where they have to make decisions to determine the fate of their society.
The show is based on the game “League of Legends” and was done under the supervision of the game’s developer: Riot Games. The outstanding animation, emotional voice acting, incredibly well-written script, beautiful soundtrack, excellent pacing and nuanced characters were all among the praises sung upon the release of “Arcane.” But the essential ingredient in creating this masterpiece is passion.
When you watch the fight scenes, emotional moments and character interactions — especially between Vi and Jinx — in “Arcane,” you can resonate with the characters, feel their emotions and put yourself in their stories. That quality did not come easily; Riot Games invested six years into “Arcane” and was fully involved in the show’s production via Paris-based animation studio and longtime partner Fortiche.
A more current show, “The Last of Us,” has been making waves across the internet, and is set to be one of the most celebrated television adaptations of video games in history — despite only four episodes having been released so far.
“The Last of Us” is set in the post-apocalyptic United States, 20 years after a fungus, Cordyceps, ravaged the world and infected billions across the planet, turning humans into zombie-like creatures. The show follows Joel (Pedro Pascal) and Ellie (Bella Ramsey) in their brutal journey across what remains of the United States to find a cure and save humanity.
Live-action video game adaptations are especially hard to nail, but “The Last of Us” does it beautifully. “The Last of Us” does this by creating visually stunning landscapes, an incredible soundtrack, a brilliantly-written script and characters, outstanding acting performances and a loyal storytelling of the game. Once again, the indispensable ingredient in this masterclass of adaptations? Passion.
Neil Druckmann, the co-president of Naughty Dog (the company that produced the game of the same name) fully immersed himself in the show’s production, fulfilling roles as co-writer, executive producer and now director. Druckmann’s attachment to the game is personal and passionate. He developed the story while he was a master’s student, and, over time, he pushed boundaries with it. From the characters’ backstories and personalities to the broader picture of the narrative and setting, he perfected his creation.
“The Last of Us” excels in pouring the passion of the cast, crew and producers out of the screen, which is what makes the show so special. The pain and anguish players felt when [SPOILER ALERT] Sarah died in the game is amplified through Pascal’s heartbreaking and passionate performance — even I felt my eyes water a little while watching it.
While the first episode made me shed a few tears, the most recent episode of “The Last of Us” made me bawl. I was full-on ugly crying, sniffling and going through tissues like I was watching “Hachi: A Dog’s Tale” (2009) all over again. Besides crying my heart out, this most recent episode is a perfect example of an adaptation straying from a game but still being incredible, passionate and successful in making you feel like you’re a part of the story.
[SPOILER AGAIN] Frank and Bill’s story was never elaborated in the game, so when the producers of the show decided to stray from the game and tell us their love story, I was skeptical. But boy was I wrong.
Their love story was masterfully told. It made me feel like I was there with them from when they blossomed as a couple until the day of their deaths. It took me through the highs and lows of what shaped their pure relationship. Murray Bartlett and Nick Offerman’s performances were outstanding as always, but especially in the last 20 minutes of this episode, you could feel every emotion they were experiencing. The sadness, pure joy, sorrow and eventually peace that Frank and Bill create with their decisions, I could feel every single emotion, riding on the roller coaster of passion that the cast and crew put me on.
Good video game adaptations take a lot of elements, but a passionate cast and crew is the secret ingredient for an incredible one.
Chloe Thien is a junior writing about video games. Her column, “Free Play,” runs every other Friday. She is also the co-chief copy editor at the Daily Trojan.