Ever since Sonic the Hedgehog hit the big screen, video game adaptations have seen an increase in quality. These adaptations are no longer just successful as standalone productions; they also excel in representing their source material. Beyond Sonic, titles like The Last of Us, Arcane, and Fallout have succesfully adapted from games to screen. Similarly, movies such as Lucasfilm has expanded their universes into games with the Star Wars Jedi games and Indiana Jones and the Great Circle. Adaptations today not simply adapt, but also enrich the original universes.
Like all adaptations, creators have the liberty to reimagine the source material to varying degrees. For now, the focus will be on whether or not it keeps familiar elements and whether or not it keeps a familiar story. A familiar element is not just names taken from the source, but also what are often considered the essential elements like lore, characters traits and struggles. However, what is essential depends on what source material is taken. As such, what Joe Audience (the general audience member) prefers might be different from what Joe Critic or Joe Director takes as source.
The first approach an adaptation can take is to keep both the familiar elements and a familiar story. For example, The Last of Us largely mirrors the original game, following the same beats, settings, and emotional arcs. Similarly, Tomb Raider preserves much of its source material while tweaking some aspects for better cinematic pacing. Uncharted takes a slightly different route. It offers a new story, but every story beat, location, characters does feel familiar and as such it's the familiar elements in a familiar way. Other adaptations that follow this are Detective Pikachu, Mortal Kombat (1995), and Resident Evil (2021).
The second approach is to tell unfamiliar elements in a new way. For instance, Sonic the Hedgehog retains its central conflict -Sonic trying to stop Dr. Robotnik's schemes of world domination- but relocates the action to Earth and reimagines the iconic rings as teleportation devices. Similarly, The Super Mario Bros. Movie and Halo adapt recognizable stories and characters, but in a new setting. On the other hand, adaptations like Cyberpunk Edgerunners, Fallout and the Resident Evil animated movies are set in the games' universes, but offer new stories. It's recognizable, yet it feels fresh.
The third approach is doing unfamiliar, new elements in an unfamiliar, new way. Arcane, for example, uses basic elements like names and basic lore, but tells it in a completely new way unfamiliar to players of the game. If it wasn't for the names, it might as well have been a new IP. The same applies to Captain Laserhawk and the Resident Evil tv show. Twisted Metal and Mortal Kombat (2021) do this as well, but function moreso as prequel to what will eventually resemble the game. Lastly, Gran Turismo offers something new by not actually adapting the game, but a real life story unfamiliar to most gamers.
The fourth and last approach is to use new, unfamiliar elements in a familiar way. Indiana Jones and the Great Circle maintains the established lore, atmosphere, and iconic characters, while it puts Joe Audience in control. Instead of just watching, it becomes a point-and-click adventure. The same applies to the Star Wars Jedi games and Alien: Isolation. Similarly, Halo: Fall of Reach takes key events from the franchise and presents them through a new perspective altogether. This can also be seen in the Resident Evil movies, which star Milla Jovovich as the new protagonist.
However, no single approach guarantees success. For instance, The Last of Us adheres closely to its source material and so it adds nothing, yet it is seen as one of the best video game adaptation. It shows that staying faithful can work out great if the original story is great to being with. An adaptation, although not a game adaptation, fails at this is Avatar: The Last Airbender. It tells a great story because it already had one, although it rushed through it as it didn't take the same time as the original. On the other hand, Super Mario Bros (1993) does everything different, yet is considered one of the worst adaptations.
These four approaches extend beyond video game adaptations. Beyond Halo and Avatar, examples also include The Lego Movie and Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, the Batman Arkham games, most forms of expanded media and more. In the realm of Tolkien-inspired works, The Rings of Power diverges significantly from the author's vision, making it unrecognizable to some fans, while The Lord of the Rings films are celebrated for capturing the essence of the source material. Recognition might be important, but it's not everything. And that counts for comic book movies too.