A quick look at 15 animations based on game plots to help you get a better sense of the works’ vibe.
With the development of the gaming industry, more and more projects appear in which there is an exciting and detailed plot, a well-developed universe, and living characters. Some of them are filmed, and it does not matter what becomes the primary source – a game for the console, a visual novel, or a popular MOBA. What is anime based on the plots of games worth watching?
SONIC X
Episodes: 78
Genres: Adventure, Fantasy, Comedy, Mecha
IMDB Rating: 6.3/10
The main character is Sonic, the hedgehog, who has supersonic speed and lives in a parallel world. In fighting one of his enemies, Sonic finds himself on Earth along with several friends, where he is taken in by a boy named Chris. They manage to make friends, but Sonic and his relatives’ dream of returning home and are trying to do everything for this.
Another anime that many have known since childhood. The adaptation is based on the Sega series of games and is mainly aimed at a children’s audience, but it is pretty capable of awakening nostalgic feelings.
PERSONA 5: ANIMATION
Episodes: 26
Genres: Mystery, Adventure, Fantasy
IMDB Rating: 6.7/10
High school student Ren moves to Tokyo and quickly finds a group of friends. But he has a bad reputation – he comes with an excessive conviction and punishment. After some time, Ren meets a mysterious creature – Morgana, who shows him a new world – “Palaces” created by human hearts. You will force him to confess all his sins if you open it. Together with his friends, Ren decides to use this power for good, eradicating crime and becoming a group of vigilantes.
The anime adaptation of the game of the same name follows the plot almost unchanged. This allows you to get acquainted with the title’s plot without playing it. The presentation and detailing is worth a look.
HALO LEGENDS
Number of episodes: 7
Genres: action, fantasy
IMDB Rating: 6.6/10
Space is engulfed in a brutal war between humanity and the Covenant – members of the association of many alien races seeking to capture the mysterious ring artifacts they want to use as a weapon against heretics. Humanity is losing fight after fight, but they have hope – cyborgs strong enough to resist the Covenant.
This is not a full-fledged anime – episodes of various lengths, and in general, it is 7 OVAs that tell about some events from the plot of the Halo game series. The franchise proved to be quite successful, and the appearance of anime episodes only raised its ratings.
TALES OF ZESTIRIA: CROSS
Number of episodes: 12
Genres: Adventure, Fantasy, Action
IMDB Rating: 6.8/10
Along with people on the planet, there are other creatures – seraphim who eventually ceased to be visible to humans and turned into legends. Sorey grew up among these sacred creatures and always wondered why they were no longer seen. He wanted peace between the two races. After Sorey first enters the city of people, he immediately becomes involved in strange events and removes the sacred sword from the rock. This turns him into a Shepherd – the one who must protect the world from evil. The anime is based on a game of the same name, and the plot repeats without any particular changes. A relatively light and beautiful project that will appeal to fans of the original game.
FINAL FANTASY: BROTHERHOOD
Episodes: 5
Genres: fantasy, adventure
IMDB Rating: 7.1/10
The little prince Noctis barely survives the monster’s attack on his house, loses loved ones and position, but very successfully and in time escapes. His peace is very short – between his kingdom and a hostile empire, there is a war that ends in defeat. Enemies capture the capital, but the prince wants to return what was lost. The anime is a prequel to Final Fantasy XV, which has been awaited for a decade, and introduces the game’s main characters. The depth of the plot should not be expected here, but it will reveal some details of the relationship between the characters involved in the game.
POKEMON
Number of episodes: 276 in the first series + 902 in the rest
Genres: Adventure, Fantasy, Comedy, Spoken
IMDB Rating: 7.5/10
One of the most famous anime that many watched in childhood. The source is indeed the games for the Game Boy console, which later received many sequels and anime adaptations. The franchise caused an incredible public outcry, got into the Guinness Book of Records, and has successfully existed for 26 years. The “face” of the universe is pokemon Pikachu, which is familiar even to those who have never watched a single series.
THE WITCHER: NIGHTMARE OF THE WOLF
Episodes: 1
Genres: fantasy, action
IMDB Rating: 7.3/10
The anime tells the story of Geralt of, Rivia’s future mentor, Vesemir. He destroys monsters for a fee, and the situation in the world is just beginning to heat up. But even Vesemir will not be able to enjoy his life – a new enemy begins to awaken, for which he must be ready to meet.
The full-length is essentially a prequel to the series itself and games, so it does not require knowledge of lore from books, series, or games. Here you have to learn the history of the witchers and see the young Geralt.
DEMONS
Number of episodes: 12
Genres: Action, Fantasy
IMDB Rating: 7.1/10
The protagonist Dante is a demon hunter who makes their way into the mortal world. However, he does the job so that his office only brings losses, and he is also constantly unlucky in gambling. He has a bad temper, eternal optimism, professionalism in exterminating evil spirits, a passion for strawberry dessert, and a critical task ahead.
A short adaptation of the first of six parts of the Devil May Cry franchise, which looks literally in one breath and makes you sympathize with the main character. There are humor, action, drama, detective, and thriller elements. It’s worth watching, even if you don’t know the source.
DRAGON’S BLOOD
Episodes: 16
Genres: Fantasy, Adventure, Action
IMDB Rating: 7.9/10
Davion is a dragon hunter who strives to make the world better. He witnesses a terrifying battle between two ancient creatures – a demon and a dragon. As a result, he receives the latter’s soul and many new obligations. He needs to curb new abilities so as not to turn into a monster, and Princess Mirana, who has her own goals, agrees to help him in this.
The film adaptation of the Dota 2 title is very successful, and many of the characters are familiar to everyone who has played it. The Netflix studio was engaged in the project, which indicates the high quality of the resulting series. It’s worth watching, even if not a single rink in Dota has been played.
HIGURASHI WHEN THEY CRY
Episodes: 26
Genres: Drama, Mystery, Psychological Horror
IMDB Rating: 7.9/10
The protagonist Keiichi moves from the city to a small village called Hinamizawa, which appears to be quiet, picturesque, and full of peace at first glance. He meets his new classmates, learns about the upcoming festival dedicated to the local deity, and understands that it is in the still pools where devils live. The holiday inevitably brings human sacrifices and in itself can become the next one.
The anime adaptation of the visual novel may seem somewhat violent, but it also intrigues with its tense atmosphere and sense of horror that lurks in a light picture. It’s worth watching, as it’s a reasonably high-quality horror.
GUNGRAVE
Episodes: 26
Genres: Action, Drama, Mystery, Science Fiction
IMDB Rating: 7.9/10
In the city where the main characters live, everything is under the mafia’s control, and clashes with it are inevitable. Having lost their friends and beloved, taken prisoner by the head of the strongest clan, they decide to join the criminal world themselves, pursuing different goals. Their paths diverge, and one of them dies, but this is not the limit. A few years later, the deceased returns, and now he has a new goal, for which you need to find a former friend.
A dark and exciting film adaptation of the game of the same name, which takes you to an alternative world similar to America at the end of the 20th century and looks like a very seasoned noir. The source received several sequels, including a very fresh 2022.
CASTLEVANIA
Number of episodes: 32
Genres: Drama, Adventure, Dark Fantasy, Horror, Action
IMDB Rating: 8.3/10
Everyone in Wallachia knows about Count Dracula’s castle – a mysterious and dangerous place. The most ordinary girl, Lisa runs the risk of appearing in person, but she has a noble goal – she wants to gain knowledge to become an excellent doctor and save lives. But the locals executed her for this, and Dracula, who fell into a rage because of the death of his beloved, decides to destroy all the inhabitants of the planet. The threat must be prevented by a descendant of the hunter family, the only one who can resist the monster and his army.
The series is an adaptation of the third part of the Castlevania series. Not precisely an anime, but worth watching. Dramatic and dark fantasy with a new take on the familiar Dracula story.
FATE: BEGINNING
Episodes: 25
Genres: Action, Drama, Dark Fantasy
IMDB Rating: 8.3/10
Centuries ago, three great magical families started a contest called the “Holy Grail War” that repeats itself every few decades. Its essence is to seize the power that can fulfill the winner’s desire in it – a pair of master magicians and his servant. Kirei is one of the Masters who participate in this war without much passion, and he must confront the magician Emiya, hired by a hostile family. The fourth phase of the battle begins.
The anime is not directly based on the game but serves as a prequel to the Fate/stay night visual novel. If you want to get to know the Fate series better, you should start with this work – there is a much more fascinating plot, revealed characters, and a well-developed setting.
STEIN’S DOOR
Number of episodes: 24
Genres: Adventure, Science Fiction, Drama, Thriller
IMDB Rating: 8.8/10
In the Akihabara area, an apartment has become a natural laboratory run by a small group of passionate people, consisting of a scientist, a cosplay fan, a hacker, and a young genius. They create future devices and work on a mobile wave made from materials from a nearby flea market. It can be controlled by messages, but it turns out that the invention is much more dangerous than it seemed at first glance. It was after her that a series of monstrous events began.
It is an exciting film adaptation of the visual novel, which is worth seeing due to its unusual plot and tense atmosphere. The series is not limited to 24 episodes – there is a full-length and several OVAs.
ARCANE
Episodes: 9
Genres: Drama, Action, Science Fiction, Fantasy
IMDB Rating: 9.1/10
A story set in two linked city-states: the gleaming Progressive city of Piltover and the chemical-filled oppressive Zaun.
Two parallel storylines:
- Young Piltover inventors Jace and Victor created Hextech, a combination of magic and engineering;
- Zaunian sisters Vai and Jinx, whose destinies were divided in childhood, and between them, there is an abyss of despair and deceit.
What will the increasingly heated conflict between characters and cities lead to?
Arcane is just a part of the events from the world of League of Legends, which became the primary source of the series and tells the stories of a small proportion of the characters. The plot is apparent even to those who are not familiar with the game, and in the first days after the release, the series became Top 1 in terms of views on Netflix. Let this not anime, namely the animated series, it still deserves special attention.
