TV Series Based on Video Games as a Crossing Point of Narrative Forms

Abstract

In recent years, there has been a growing interest in creating TV series based on video games. They are based on the audiovisual aesthetics of popular games and turn them into television shows. This paper examines the interaction between the two types of screen narratives through a comparative analysis of genre, development of main characters, and plot in three examples. ‘Halo’ (2022) draws inspiration from the main storylines in the popular game but adds new ones and makes changes to the characters' features, making the story more understandable for the TV audience. This is required by the genre of the video game, which relies on fight scenes and limits the possibilities for interpretation. ‘The Last of Us’ (2023) is an example of a successful video game adaptation, as the series not only preserves the visual aesthetic of the source material, but also faithfully recreates the main characters, their features and relationships. ‘The Witcher’ (2019) is an adaptation of both books and games. As the plot develops, the episodes move away from the essence and the source material, which negatively affects the viewer's perception. The examples in this article indicate that there is no one universal method to adapting a videogame into a television production, and the particular approach is chosen depends on both the creators of the series, the specifics of the videogame and the extent to which it is suitable for adaptation. However, all three case studies highlight the importance of the visual code of the source material for its truthful adaptation into a TV series.