5 popular Netflix shows based on video games!

Horizon Zero Dawn is coming to Netflix

First of all, we would like to tell you the good news! Because during a presentation with investors, Sony has confirmed that the hugely popular PlayStation game Horizon Zero Dawn is coming to Netflix. PlayStation Productions has already released a number of great series and movies, however Sony doesn't want to focus on just one streaming service. There is currently also a series in development for Amazon Prime Video, based on the epic game God of War. We can't wait!

1. The Witcher

Who doesn't love a silver haired Henry Cavill in tight leather trousers?

Although this is a list of series based on video games, The Witcher doesn't quite belong here. The game - and thus the Netflix series - is actually based on a book series! The fantasy novels by Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski, to be precise. However, the books are perhaps less well-known than CD Projekt Red's The Witcher game trilogy. 

It is not surprising that the games have more name recognition, as they are among the most popular RPGs of all time. There are even people among us who have played the game several times. The final installment of the game series called The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt has even won quite some Game of the Year awards. 

What Witcher game is the Netflix series based on? 

Well, the Witcher series is actually not based on the game, but on the books! The first season of The Witcher is based on the first two books, called The Last Wish and The Sword of Destiny. The second season of The Witcher follows the story of the third book: The Blood of the Elves. However, there are some deviations. We definitely recommend that you read the books as well! It is a fun challenge to find the differences - and then compare them to the games.

Sapkowski, the author of the books, says he had little to do with developing the Witcher games. He has, however, been the creative advisor in the making of the Netflix series. And if you are a fan of the Witcher games, you should give the Netflix show a shot!

Watch season 1 and 2 of The Witcher on Netflix! 

Henry Cavill is perfectly cast as Geralt and has worked incredibly hard on his physique and sword-fighting skills. Cavill himself is also a huge fan of The Witcher, having devoured Sapkowski's books and also fanatically played the games. This allowed him to know exactly how to recreate the character's personality in detail - and to help his cast members play their characters as well. Toss a coin to your Witcher and check out the series on Netflix!

2. Castlevania on Netflix

For the gaming series of Castlevania we have to travel back into a time where Netflix didn't even exist yet! The first game of this series by Konami was released in 1986 on Nintendo’s Famicom Disk System. The first couple of Castlevania games are side-scrolling platform games that revolve mostly around horror and vampire stories. With Count Dracula as a returning main character, you can imagine what type of iconic spooky elements we’re dealing with in the games and the series alike. 

Netflix Castlevania plot

The Castlevania series is of course based on the classic Castlevania games of long ago, starring a vampire hunter who must defeat one supernatural beast after another. All his enemies are controlled by Dracula himself. If that is not a promising premise, we don't know what is. There are already four seasons of Castlevania on Netflix. The witching hour is here! 

3. League of Legends series on Netflix: Arcane

League of Legends is extremely popular. The game has already set a record with the esports World Championship competition, where more than 1 billion hours of content were watched worldwide. This made League of Legends instantly the most watched esport. So it's no surprise that Netflix wanted a piece of that pie.

Together with Riot Games, Netflix has released a League of Legends series in 2021, in the form of the Animated Event Series called 'Arcane'. The story is set in the utopian Piltover and the Zaun underground, where two iconic League champions get their own Origin Story. Watch the legendary League of Legends series now on Netflix!

4. Dragon’s Dogma

The fourth in our list of series based on a game is Dragon's Dogma. Dragon's Dogma is an open-world game released by Capcom in 2012 on PlayStation consoles, Xbox consoles, PC and the Nintendo Switch. As 'The Arisen', you go on a quest to defeat an evil dragon named Grigori. The game falls under the genre "action role-playing hack and slash game", which means a lot of blood. In the open fantasy world of Gransys, you complete a variety of missions and, of course, defeat several monsters. 

Dragon's Dogma series on Netflix

The Netflix series of the same name was released in 2020. In it, we follow Ethan, who is now 'The Arisen', as he too fights the dragon that stole his heart. In the series, Ethan has to fight many other enemies just like in the game, but because of this, he loses a bit of his humanity every time he defeats an opponent. There is one season with 8 episodes of about 30 minutes, so this is pure binge-watch material that you can fill your evening with. 

5. Minecraft: Story Mode on Netflix

The last on our list of Netflix Shows based on video games is Minecraft: Story Mode. You might be wondering: what is Minecraft: Story Mode? Well, that's pretty simple! Minecraft: Story Mode fuses games and series into the ultimate combo. So this so-called 'episodic point-and-click graphic adventure video game' is a series and a game in one: an interactive series. And even better, you get to play the lead role in it!

The setting of this playable series is of course the world you know from the Minecraft games, also called the "Overworld". You play as the main character Jesse and you' re looking for The Order of the Stone, five legendary adventurers who once saved the Minecraft world. You do this by searching for useful items, solving puzzles and communicating with NPCs.

How does Minecraft: Story Mode work?

Through conversation trees, you interact with NPCs to learn more about the story and what you can do to move forward. So this series on Netflix is literally a game! The choices you make in the game also influence the episode you're in, and the ones to come. That's really interactive Netflixing!

Please note that the interactive part of MineCraft: Story Mode only works on iOS, smart TVs, PC and game consoles - not on Android. You can still watch the series on your Android device. 

Bonus: The Last of Us will come to HBO

And to end this article, we have a small teaser which is not Netflix related but even so, one to look out for! All fans of the emotional rollercoaster that was The Last Of Us (1 and 2) can start screaming into their pillow now, as HBO has announced that there will be a Last Of Us series, planned to start filming soon! Our favorite Mandalorian rockstar Pedro Pascal will fill the shoes of Joel, while his Game of Thrones colleague Bella Ramsey - which you undoubtedly remember as the bad-ass lady Lyanna Mormont in GoT - as Ellie. These two sound like the perfect fit for these roles. With a promising cast like this, we really have our hopes up for this upcoming series!  

Buy your Netflix gift cards at Startselect!

Can't wait to binge some of these series tonight? Then buy your Netflix gift card at Startselect - or give it to someone as a gift! 

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