Why Do Video Game Movies Keep Failing?

 You might not know this, I’ve been gaming for a really long time. And there’s always been this question stuck in my head:

If we enjoy playing games so much, why don’t the movies based on them ever work?

I think I’ve finally figured out the answer. But let’s break it down step-by-step.

If you’re an old-school gamer who’s played the likes of Prince of Persia, early Assassin’s Creed, or more recent titles like The Last of Us and Uncharted, chances are you’ve also checked out their live-action adaptations. And honestly? Most of them flop.

Why?
Because when you’re playing a game, you ARE the main character.
Every action, every choice, it’s yours. You’re responsible. And that’s why it feels personal and satisfying. The outcomes, the twists in the story — they hit harder because you made them happen.

But when you sit down to watch a live-action version, most of the time you end up disappointed. You’re suddenly reduced to a backseat spectator.
It feels awkward — like you’ve been sidelined in something you used to control.

Tomb Raider is the classic example.
The older games were pretty straightforward, following a fixed template. Then came the reboot, leaning into survival-action. Yet, no matter how they rebranded it, Tomb Raider games have carved their place in pop culture.

The Angelina Jolie movies? They haven’t aged well visually, sure — old CGI rarely does — but people still enjoyed them back in the day.
Later, the reboot with Alicia Vikander tried going for a more grounded survival angle, with puzzles and the jungle atmosphere. But even then, something felt… missing.

Why?
Because you’re not the one controlling Lara Croft anymore.
In the games, her struggles feel like your own. You make her decisions. You pull the trigger.
In the movie? You’re just watching. And let’s be real — Angelina Jolie and Alicia Vikander aren’t even in the same league.

Tomb Raider movies simply can’t capture the spirit of the games. Fans know there’s a new game coming soon, but why wait?

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Moving on, Resident Evil is another big name.
I made a video about it a while ago and people got nostalgic, defending the movies. But if you’ve played the recent Resident Evil remakes, you’ll realize just how awful those films really were.

No direction, no clear script. They just slapped the Resident Evil name on some random zombie chaos. And the protagonist, Alice, isn’t even from the games.
You can clearly see how the franchise went from normal person to superhero nonsense, powers appearing and disappearing randomly.

Characters like Chris Redfield and Leon Kennedy, who are practically gaming legends, were reduced to jokes. In the games, their involvement is cause for celebration. In the movies? They barely mattered.

They hired popular actors, threw in zombies and some cheap effects — done.

And it’s not just Resident Evil. Look at Assassin’s Creed.
Yes, there’s a live-action movie. You probably forgot, I did too until researching this. Back then, Ubisoft was on fire with every IP — Prince of Persia, Splinter Cell, Ghost Recon, Assassin’s Creed — all massive.
Ubisoft decided, "Hey, let’s start making movies!"
Their big project? The Assassin’s Creed movie starring Michael Fassbender, who was at the peak of his career at the time.

But the movie completely missed the point.
What makes Assassin’s Creed games great?
The balance between past and present, the historical settings, the parkour.
The movie focused only on the present, barely touched the past. Naturally, it flopped.

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Then there’s The Witcher. Where do I even start?
We were all hyped. The games — especially Witcher 3: Wild Hunt — turned the franchise into a global phenomenon. Netflix casting Henry Cavill felt like a dream come true.

And yet…
Season 1? Great.
Season 2? A step down.
Season 3? Rock bottom.
Season 4? Recast without Henry and Netflix isn’t even marketing it properly. I bet they’ll just shadow-drop it with no fanfare.

As a huge Witcher fan, this has been painful to watch.

Where Netflix failed, Prime Video nailed it with Fallout.
Anyone who’s played Fallout knows it’s a radioactive wasteland, survival shelters, nukes falling everywhere. Prime captured this world perfectly.

Probably because Todd Howard was heavily involved. Yeah, he was involved in Fallout 76 too, but that’s another story.

Point is: you don’t need to retell the game’s story. Fallout’s protagonists are always different. Endings depend on your choices. Prime told a new story with a new character — and it worked.

Mystery is key. Remember Fallout 4’s wild twist? That element of surprise makes adaptations great.

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Now compare that to Uncharted with Tom Holland.
Sony chased hype over substance. That didn’t feel like Nathan Drake at all. They tried to force the Sully-Nate chemistry, blew up a couple ships for spectacle… that’s it.
That wasn’t my Uncharted.

But where these adaptations failed, Detective Pikachu and Sonic the Hedgehog succeeded. Why?
They listened to feedback.
Remember Sonic’s first trailer? People hated the design. They delayed the movie, redesigned Sonic, and now it’s a hit franchise with a third movie on the way.

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Let’s talk The Last of Us.
If you’ve played both games, you know how beautiful they are. Sure, people are divided on Part 2’s ending — I loved it.
Same with the show: Season 1 was incredible. Season 2? Divisive.
If they wrapped it up this season, maybe it would’ve worked.
But now they’re planning Season 3 from Abby’s perspective, and Neil Druckmann’s left the project.
My expectations? Pretty low now.

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Other projects are in the works: God of War (Prime Video’s had the rights forever, supposedly scripting it now).
I just hope they treat it carefully — like fragile glass. Kratos deserves respect.

Then there’s Gears of War, Elden Ring movies — Gareth Edwards (The Creator, Jurassic World) is working on Elden Ring.
That world is massive. One movie can’t cover it. Even the backstory would take more than one film.

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The point is: this cycle isn’t stopping.
As long as games are successful, adaptations will keep coming.
GTA 6 is on the way. Someone might try a movie.
No one’s touched Red Dead Redemption 2 — salute to Rockstar for that.

And just as I was finishing this, news dropped that Ubisoft and Netflix are making an Assassin’s Creed series.
I’m a huge fan, but why?
Polish your games first. We’ve been playing the same loop for a decade.

Work on Prince of Persia, make a new Splinter Cell.

Let me guess the series plot now:
New time period, Assassins vs. Templars, doesn’t even connect to the games. Not even canon.

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One last thing I almost forgot: Mortal Kombat.
Not the ‘90s ones. I’m talking about the recent one from the COVID era — it was fine.
Now the sequel trailer’s dropped with Karl Urban as Johnny Cage. That gives me hope.

Mortal Kombat’s got more than fights — it’s about the realms, Earthrealm vs. Netherrealm, the tournaments. There’s depth there. Even if I don’t agree with every casting choice, their heart seems in the right place.

Let’s see where they take it.