Netflix has shown numerous trailers for upcoming animated series as part of its special event DROP.01, and gave an exclusive preview of the first three episodes of the new series Castlevania: Nocturne.–>
The latest spin-off of the mystery and action animation series is based on the successful Castlevania franchise around the vampire juggernaut clan Belmont, more precisely: on Castlevania: Rondo of Blood. Already at the end of the 80s appeared the first Castlevania game for the NES, which was followed by no less than 20 sequels and spin-offs.
Netflix: Lara Croft, Dante, Rayman – trailer show with video game legends
But the trailer show shows that Netflix also wants to devote itself to some games in the future and implement them in the form of a series. After Sonic Prime has been airing on the streaming provider for some time, the swift-as-an-arrow hedgehog will soon be served eight new episodes in the third season.
It was already known that Netflix was working with Capcom and Crystal Dynamics on one series each. That it is Devil May Cry and Tomb Raider was also no more than an open secret. Thus, works on the adventure series around Lara Croft were already confirmed two years ago, but now there was a teaser to see for the first time. With the subtitle The Legend of Lara Croft and in cooperation with Legendary Pictures, one of the most iconic video game characters finally gets her own series.
Even connoisseurs of Devil May Cry, whose last part is already more than four years old, will have seen the red jacket of protagonist Dante in the announcement poster of DROP.01; now they got to see him in action. After a twelve-part anime series from 2007 already dealt with the first game and its prequel Devil May Cry 3, the Netflix anime, like DmC: Devil May Cry, could be a reboot, as suggested by a very young-appearing Dante.
A true mash-up of Ubisoft characters offers the series Captain Laserhawk – A Blood Dragon Remix, produced by Adi Shankar, who is also responsible for Castlevania and Devil May Cry. Loosely based on the spin-off Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon, we see a motley anti-hero squad in a cyberpunk setting in the trailer. Besides the titular Dolph Laserhawk, it consists of a frog creature in an assassin outfit as well as Jade and Pey’j, the – some will still remember – main characters from Ubisoft’s action adventure Beyond Good & Evil, for whose sequel we have been waiting for a good 20 years now. The series seems to bring forth an interesting genre clash with a fair amount of humor and exaggerated hardness… and what is Rayman doing as a news anchor there?
Netflix does a lot right with games-based series
That the hype on the above-mentioned series is not unfounded is proven by several series from the past, in which Netflix had always proven a good hand. Many an adaptation was not only strongly implemented in terms of the story, but also touched by deep and sympathetic characters or a modern and unusual animation style.
So in League of Legends based Arcane, you could draw on a detailed lore and a large pool of characters to tell a multi-layered story. I, for example, having never played a game of LoL and knowing some of the characters from artwork at best, was able to fully immerse myself in the sweeping storyline.
Also Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, which like the template Cyberpunk 2077 is set in the dystopian city of Night City, bets on the same horse. A handful of outcasts who earn their living as criminals in the juggernaut of a futuristic cesspool, but at the same time present so much depth and personality that you can only grow fond of them. The city is presented to us in such an intense and electrifying way, as the game had perhaps not managed at the time, and shows that this small universe still has a lot to tell.
The list of quality Netflix animated series goes on, from the absurd adventures of Cuphead with its unique retro look to DOTA: Dragon’s Blood or Dragon Age: Absolution, which inspire many enthusiasts despite mixed reviews. What they all have in common is the wonderful feature that prior knowledge of the corresponding video games is absolutely not necessary, but connoisseurs of the games will always discover details and allusions, which, however, do not give a knowledge edge.
So we can definitely be curious whether the upcoming video game adaptations on Netflix this fall or next year will live up to their expectations. Write us in the comments, which of the series you are looking forward or which game you would like to see in a series.