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(Homeland) - Anime adapted from games can bring fresh perspectives, expanding the narrative about characters and the original game world.
Unlike games adapted from anime, anime derived from games often provide an exciting experience for both existing fans and newcomers. Rather than simply adapting individual story scenes from the game, these types of anime often contribute to enriching the original game world or even help viewers gain a better understanding of the characters and overarching game story.
When experiencing a particular game, players often need to focus on various elements such as gameplay systems, graphics, sound, and more. As a result, they may sometimes overlook the unfolding story or simply skip through dialogues to progress quickly. Game developers may also trim down the storyline to save costs or balance the gameplay-viewing ratio. In contrast, in anime, the story is paramount, and the production team has more time to delve into various details.
For whatever reason, quite a few anime adaptations of games ultimately offer a fresh and captivating experience for fans, even if it may not entirely resemble what they've played. If you're looking for high-quality anime based on video games (excluding visual novels and gacha genres), then you'll want to try out the following titles.
Danganronpa
Not only does the anime 'Danganronpa' adapt the game's story with slight tweaks, but it also adds interesting details about the original world. Its first season closely follows the events of the first game. However, the second season not only adapts parts of the second game but also introduces a new story that unfolds after the events of both games. In simple terms, this anime series is like the indispensable extra content of the original game.
Cyberpunk: Edgerunners
'Cyberpunk: Edgerunners' is evidence that an anime adapted from a game can become a standalone masterpiece. This anime doesn't actually adapt the specific story of the original game 'Cyberpunk 2077' but tells an original story set in that world. So, general audiences can comfortably follow the story in the anime even if they haven't played the game, but knowledge from the game will help provide additional context for many situations.
Nier: Automata Ver1.1a
Yoko Taro is a game creator with peculiar creative thoughts, capable of bringing unexpected elements into his work. The anime 'Nier: Automata Ver1.1a,' adapted from the game of the same name, also reflects this by bringing changes, both minor and major, compared to the original game. Although the story in the anime is clear and the animation quality is good, viewers who haven't played the game may feel like they're missing out on some important information.
Gungrave
'Gungrave' isn't a hugely popular game series, so it's no surprise that viewers of the anime with the same name may not be aware of the existence of the original game. The anime adapts the story of the first game released in 2002, revolving around the revenge journey of the main character nicknamed 'Beyond the Grave' after being resurrected from death. With character designs by Yashiro Nightow, the creator of 'Trigun', 'Gungrave' offers a familiar yet distinctive feel.
Pokemon
'Pokemon' can be considered the most successful game-to-anime adaptation of all time, to the extent that it wouldn't be surprising if someone mistakenly thought it was the other way around. With thousands of TV episodes and numerous movies, the 'Pokemon' anime has set records and achieved separate successes, significantly contributing to making 'Pokemon' a multimedia entertainment brand with millions of fans of all ages worldwide.
Tales of Zestiria the X
Prior to 'Tales of Zestiria', anime adaptations of the 'Tales of' franchise were typically short OVAs, summarizing the game's story or focusing on a specific moment. 'Tales of Zestiria the X' is the first full-length anime adaptation of the 'Tales of' franchise with a total of 26 episodes, leaving a positive impression on fans by expanding the exploration of characters and adding depth to the game's main story.
Valkyria Chronicles
Samurai Clash
'Samurai Clash' is Capcom's response to the 'Dynasty Warriors' franchise, or more precisely, Koei Techmo's 'Samurai Warriors.' This game series is set in the turbulent Sengoku period of Japan, portraying legendary samurai with supernatural powers, truly embodying the phrase 'one versus many' in its literal sense. The success of the game has led to several interesting anime seasons, faithfully conveying the distinctive traits of the characters to the audience, catering to both die-hard fans and newcomers alike.
Mystical Saga: Shenmue
'Mystical Saga: Shenmue' is hailed as a classic title in the gaming world for pioneering the open-world genre. The anime adaptation serves as a bridge between the older game installments and the newly released third installment in 2019. Specifically, the anime provides a condensed narrative of the significant events preceding it, allowing new fans interested in playing 'Shenmue III' to dive in without having to experience the older games.
Dark Chronicles: Disgaea
The anime adaptation of 'Dark Chronicles: Disgaea' reimagines the storyline of the original 2003 game with minor alterations to enhance cohesion. Despite featuring an engaging and humorous narrative with a diverse cast of characters, the anime's visual quality and artistic style fail to leave a lasting impression and even appear outdated over time. Nonetheless, it remains a viable option for audiences looking to explore the world of 'Disgaea' without delving into the gaming realm.
Digital Odyssey: .hack//Sign
Before 'Sword Art Online' captivated audiences with its trapped-in-a-virtual-world premise, the '.hack' franchise pioneered the concept in the early 2000s with both video games and anime adaptations. Among them, '.hack//Sign' tells its own story within the virtual reality game world called The World, offering a unique perspective for fans. This also means you can enjoy the '.hack//' anime without playing any of the games.
Galactic Chronicles: Xenosaga
'Xenosaga' is an ambitious RPG series on the PlayStation 2 generation, originally planned for 6 games but ultimately condensed into 3 consecutive ones. Its anime adaptation recounts the events of the first game, albeit with changes and compressed storyline to fit into a single season as there were no plans for subsequent seasons from the producers.
Psychedelic Nexus: Scarlet Nexus
Adapting the story of the game 'Scarlet Nexus' into an anime wasn't easy as it required players to play twice, choosing a different main character each time for a complete perspective. Thus, the anime adaptation might feel biased towards one side. Nevertheless, it remains a faithful adaptation closely following the entire original game's story with good visual quality, expanding on the narrative surrounding the extensive cast of characters that players might not fully notice in the game.
