After an incredible first season, Arcane returned three years later for its second and final installment, managing to maintain that exceptional quality and cement its status as one of Netflix’s best-ever originals. Its stunning visuals, stellar voice acting, and deeply emotional story make it one of the all-time great animated shows, and one of the biggest hits from the 2020s.
Based on the hit video game, League of Legends, Arcane takes characters from the fictional world of Runeterra and brings locations like Piltover and Zaun to life, all while telling a gripping narrative at the same time. The animated show has no bad episodes, with its lowest scoring an 8.5 on IMDb, showing just how flawless this Netflix hit really is.
The biggest issue people have with the series is Arcane season 2’s ending feeling somewhat rushed, yet it’s still often cited as the best video game adaptation of all time. However, despite the project’s unquestionable strengths, one other Netflix show is an even better gaming adaptation than Arcane, and it deserves more recognition.
Arcane May Be The Better Show, But Cyberpunk: Edgerunners Is A Better Video Game Adaptation
Close-up of David Martinez from 2022’s Cyberpunk: Edgerunners.Trigger/CD Projekt
While I still believe that Arcane is an overall better show than Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, I’m convinced the latter is a far superior video game adaptation. The team working on Arcane undoubtedly did a fantastic job of taking an online multiplayer game and giving it a thrilling plot that made people care deeply about its cast.
Even most League of Legends fans were shocked at how much personality these characters had and how complex the story was, given that there was no campaign to draw inspiration from. However, some characters felt drastically different from their gaming counterparts, while Arcane‘s story didn’t really reflect what it’s like to play League of Legends.
In contrast, Cyberpunk: Edgerunners was the perfect adaptation of Cyberpunk 2077. Night City felt and looked the same, with certain locations being taken straight from the source material. Likewise, Edgerunners used sounds and music from the game that are instantly recognizable for those who spent a long time playing Cyberpunk 2077, making it a very faithful depiction of this fictional world.
The tone and themes also align perfectly between the game and its TV adaptation, with Edgerunners‘ heartbreaking story matching the somber atmosphere Night City provides in Cyberpunk 2077.
The franchise is truly unforgiving, hence why both the game and the show have such bittersweet plots, and capturing this to a tee helped make Cyberpunk: Edgerunners one of the best sci-fi anime ever made. Arcane still deserves a lot of praise for its creativity and vision, but it simply doesn’t feel as similar to its source material as Cyberpunk: Edgerunners does.
Cyberpunk: Edgerunners’ Haunting Ending Cements It As One Of The Greatest Video Game Adaptations Of All Time
Lucy heading to the moon in Cyberpunk Edgerunners
Despite not being as mainstream as Arcane, one thing most people will know about Cyberpunk: Edgerunners is its haunting conclusion. Much like in Cyberpunk 2077, Edgerunners heavily adopts the idea of there being no happy endings in Night City, leading to one of the most memorable TV finales in recent memory.
With David succumbing to cyberpsychosis, he risks his life fighting Adam Smasher, one of the city’s most notorious mercs. During the protagonist’s final stand, most of his crew are killed, and the only thing that prevents him from going completely off the deep end is his girlfriend Lucy, with one kiss bringing him back to reality, at least momentarily.
Sadly, David still loses the fight to Smasher and is subsequently killed, but he manages to buy enough time for Lucy to survive, who eventually achieves her dream of traveling to the moon, albeit without David by her side.
The powerful conclusion is accompanied by “I Really Want to Stay at Your House”, which has since become the sound of Cyberpunk: Edgerunners. Seeing Lucy’s happy glance when she imagines David with her is the final gut punch that brings most audiences to an emotional breaking point, and in just a single season, Edgerunners manages to tell a beautiful yet devastating love story.
Ultimately, the decision to end things here was genius from Netflix, and while Cyberpunk: Edgerunners is technically getting a sequel, it will follow completely different characters. Therefore, the show’s legacy will remain untarnished while fans will still get more from this great IP, cementing Edgerunners as one of the best gaming adaptations of all time.
Arcane & Cyberpunk: Edgerunners’ Upcoming Follow-Ups Will Continue Making Netflix The King Of Video Game Adaptations
Jinx with glowing pink eyes looking at something intensely in Arcane season 2COURTESY OF NETFLIX
Year after year, video game adaptations continue to get better, creating some stiff competition, but despite other streaming platforms’ best efforts, Netflix remains the king of these productions. With an already incredible array of great adaptations, Netflix will continue to grow its library with the upcoming Arcane and Cyberpunk: Edgerunners spinoffs.
Alongside Edgerunners getting a new series following fresh characters, Arcane season 2 set up more League of Legends spinoffs, with at least one confirmed to be in development. Assuming they are anything close to the original shows, Netflix looks destined to add another two gems to its impressive roster, and the positivity doesn’t stop there.
Splinter Cell: Deathwatch and Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft both have second seasons in development, while animated Minecraft and Crash Bandicoot shows are also in the works, and this is just the tip of the iceberg. Sure, HBO has The Last of Us, while Prime Video has numerous hits like Fallout, Secret Level, and other projects still in development.
However, catching Netflix when it comes to video game adaptations is always going to be tough, especially with the platform’s future looking so bright. Arcane and Cyberpunk: Edgerunners have already set such a high bar, and their follow-ups look bound to continue Netflix’s success, suggesting its crown isn’t going anywhere any time soon.
