With NieR: Automata getting an anime series in the near future, it seems fitting to go over what makes a good video game adaptation. Back in the early days of video games, it was a relatively simple task as they relied on the bare essentials of storytelling, art, animation, color, sound, and music. Any moderately well-done anime could easily surpass its source material. As video games have evolved, however, any adaptation must be creative to be at least as good as what they're based on.
Luckily, there are plenty of examples of good anime adaptations to use for reference. These series not only reach a level of quality worthy of their source material, but they also withstand the test of time as good anime in general. If the creators of the NieR: Automata anime want to make a good adaptation, they could stand to learn something from these series.
Steins; Gate (2011)
Steins; Gate isn't just one of the best video game adaptations of all time, it's one of the best anime of all time. The series follows the self-proclaimed mad scientist Okabe Rintaro and his friends at the Future Gadget Laboratory. They have mysteriously stumbled upon a secret to time travel where they can send text messages to the past using a microwave oven. They met Kurisu Makise with their studies and begin their research.
This series represents the ideal visual novel adaption. The story is told in a clear and concise manner, which is especially important for time travel stories. The animation and direction also serve to enhance the story and give the audience a better sense of tone and atmosphere. This is further helped along by good voice-acting, unique camerawork, and well-timed music. Everything clicks together to make an engaging story that lives up to its source material.
Higurashi When They Cry (2006)
Higurashi is one of the most well-known horror anime of all time. It also happens to be based on a visual novel. The series follows Maebara Keiichi and his friends through their days in the sleepy-looking town of Hinamizawa. However, there's something off about Hinamizawa and its people. Whether it's the work of demons or something else, there's murder, suicide, and death of all kinds throughout this rural town. It's enough to drive anybody crazy.
This anime really knows how to create a horror element on par with its source material. The gruesome scenes of mangled corpses and horrifying contortions of human expressions are enough to send chills down anybody's spine. The series also does a great job of building tension and creating an unsettling atmosphere. This makes the series perfect for watching alone at night. It's an improvement over the source material on practically all of its key fronts.
Castlevania (2017)
Castlevania's Netflix adaption is so much better than it has any right to be. This series is based on the events of Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse; it also uses elements of Symphony of the Night and Curse of Darkness. In the late 15th Century, Count Dracula unleashes his legions of unholy monsters on the people of Wallachia. It's up to the vampire hunter Trevor Belmont, the sorceress Sypha Belnades and the dhampir Alucard to take down Dracula and save humanity.
The writers for the Netflix series didn't have much issue making the series seem like an improvement. Castlevania III, released in Japan in 1989, had limited colors, frames, sound effects, and music to work with; it's not a flawed product, just very dated. The Netflix series goes above and beyond by providing great writing, beautiful animation, an epic soundtrack, and a dark and depressing atmosphere that fits the world perfectly.
Fate/Stay Night: Unlimited Blade Works (2014)
Fate/Stay Night follows the exploits of Emiya Shirō as he tries to survive the Holy Grail War. This deathmatch between magi and their Servants from throughout history and mythology is intense and dramatic. The story only gets better in animation. The 2006 adaptation is alright, but what fans really love is the Ufotable adaptation of the Unlimited Blade Works route.
The thing everybody agrees makes this adaption amazing is its animation.UBW boasts a level of quality on par with most anime movies over the course of 20 episodes. The pure amount of artistry on display in this series has led anime fans to jokingly refer to Ufotable and UBW with the phrase "Unlimited Budget Works." This high-quality approach to adapting Fate/Stay Night also carries over to Ufotable's adaptation of Heaven's Feel. This film trilogy is arguably even better than UBW. However, UBW's role in initiating Ufotable's quality adaptations is undeniable.
Pokémon (1997)
Pokémon's worldwide success and popularity are owed in no small part to its anime adaption. This series, as merchandise-driven as it may be, definitely gets its job done. It's responsible for getting countless people to buy the games and take an interest in the franchise in general. This series has transcended its status as a mere video game adaptation and become a pop-culture icon.
The series follows Ash Ketchum as he journeys through the world with his friends to catch, train and battle with Pokémon. It takes a lot of creative liberties from the games, but longtime fans have learned to understand and respect most of them. The series features charming characters, lighthearted comedy, grand soundtracks, timeless stories, and animation that gets better with each new installment. This recipe for success has kept the anime running for 25 years now and it shows no signs of ending any time soon.
