One of the things that are sure to be the reaction of the people when they hear that a video game is getting a movie adaptation is the fear that it will suck. It is still amazing that a petition and outrage made a change in the design for the blue hedgehog in the upcoming Sonic movie. Here are a few movies that were made from video games with a cult following that are actually kind of cool.

Warcraft

While the raids between the horde and the alliance on Azeroth are a common occurrence on World of Warcraft servers, here we get to see the origin of the story. The orcs, led by their chieftain Durotan and the warlock Gul’dan arrive on Azeroth using Fel magic, in hopes of finding a new home. The humans are ready to battle them, but there is more than meets the eye on both sides.

The visuals were amazing, though the plot was not developed as well as it could have been. A buddy of mine got misty-eyed, feeling nostalgic when he saw the locations in the movie that he frequented in the games. In addition to two famous orcs, fans of the series will be able to see Medivh and Anduin, among other Warcraft characters.

Final Fantasy Movies

It was too hard to choose a single movie from this list, as they and the games were all successful in their own way. There is no need to seek continuity, each piece is strong enough to carry a story alone, though there are recurring events that connect the stories.

If you are a fan of the game series or even a single Final Fantasy game, you should consider watching one of the movies. If you’ve focused your sites on the seventh game, then Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children is right up your alley.

Pokémon Detective Pikachu

Let us step away from usual Pokémon movies. I personally enjoyed the first one, but this is where things get CGI-ish and quirky. While the plot takes place in the Pokémon universe, our protagonist is not a trainer. He just wants to find out what happened to his father and a Pikachu, voiced by Ryan Reynolds, is going to help him.

So, they have decided to go off the rails with the story and that is actually what makes it interesting. The movie is a treat for the newbies and veterans alike. And it’s definitely worth it, seeing a yellow furball with Reynolds’ voice.

Tomb Raider (2018)

We’ve come a long way. Lara Croft used to have giant pixel blocks instead of breasts, and now she is slim and tough, though she is no Mary Sue. Alicia Vikander is a great cast for the role of the tough archeologist/ancient trap dodger.

The movie is rated PG-13 and it’s pretty decent – not everything needs to be scary and gory. It is better received and, arguably, a better movie than the previous attempt to bring Lara Croft to the big screen using Angelina Jolie.

Dante’s Inferno: An Animated Epic

The animated movie is based on the game Dante’s Inferno which, in turn, was based loosely on The Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri. The story follows Dante who comes back home after the third crusade only to find his home destroyed and his wife, Beatrice, dead. Her spirit tries to ascend to the heavens, but Lucifer grabs her and takes her to Hell.

Dante goes through each level of Hell in order to reach his wife and face Lucifer. The animation style and the drawings differ with each scene. Six animation studios were involved with making the film. Dante’s Inferno: An Animated Epic received mixed reviews, though most of them were positive.