Recently, the foreign media outlet Jeuxvideo published an article stating that game-to-film adaptations should recreate the atmosphere and gameplay feel of the original works, rather than blindly copying the plot; studios should not invest high budgets solely based on IP popularity. The article reviews adaptation works from past decades, arguing that many films focused too much on retelling game stories and failed to bring the player's in-game experience to the big screen.
Using Mortal Kombat as an example, the article argues that the stories connecting its different worlds primarily serve as a backdrop for character battles. The narratives in early Mario and Sonic games were also quite simple; the scenes in Tomb Raider where Lara performs difficult maneuvers while fighting enemies feel different when controlled by a player in a game versus when watched in a movie. Based on this, the author questions whether it is appropriate to directly transplant such content onto the big screen.
When discussing another approach to adaptation, the author cites Zach Cregger's Resident Evil film, noting that it did not follow the series' original story or iconic characters, but instead attempted to capture the fear and tension of the game. The article also compares this with Paul W.S. Anderson's Resident Evil film series, arguing that the latter failed to consistently handle the relationship between characters like Leon and Ada Wong and the film's narrative when introducing these game characters.
Budget is another issue discussed in the article. The author believes that Anderson's Resident Evil films kept individual production costs under $60 million, allowing them to achieve commercial returns based on the series' appeal. However, if studios believe that popular game IPs are enough to attract audiences and consequently keep increasing production budgets, the risks will also rise.
The article uses the Borderlands movie as an example, noting its production budget of $115 million against a box office return of only about $33 million. The author also mentions that if an Elden Ring movie were to be made in the future, the complex original setting would similarly pose challenges for adaptation. The main argument of the piece is: while movies can adjust game plots, they must still allow audiences to feel the core experience of the original work.
