Steady. Aim. Fire. Game-based television shows have become all the rage. Who wouldn’t want to see their favorite interactive fictional characters come to life and be explored further? Film adaptations have had their turn, with the trend now being streaming services buying up development rights to videogames. The last few years have seen a large uptick in game-based show releases, including The Witcher (2019), Resident Evil (2022), Halo (2022), Twisted Metal (2023), The Last of Us (2023), Knuckles (2024), and Fallout (2024). To make a proper video-game adaptation, expectations of both fans, non-gamers, and critics must be balanced.

In January 2023, HBO Max released the show adaptation of the game The Last of Us which depicts the journey of Joel and Ellie as they navigate through a zombie-invested world. In April 2024, Amazon Prime released a show adaptation of the game Fallout which revolves around a post-nuclear war era with several intertwined storylines of survivors. These shows not only captured the attention of a wide audience, but both were beautifully written and complex television shows earning a plethora of nominations. Fallout was nominated for seventeen Emmy Awards while The Last of Us was nominated for twenty-four. If done right, a show adaptation of a game can set records and reach new strides in game-based television show development.

Cue Netflix’s Arcane (2021), a must-stream television show adaptation based on the multiplayer online battle game League of Legends. The first season was released in November of 2021, with the second season being released in three parts three years later. Arcane adeptly incorporates a riveting storyline and carefully constructed character arcs along with impeccable graphics and a killer soundtrack. Although animation prohibits any friendly faces from making an appearance, the voice acting is phenomenal. With the second season being the conclusion to the current storyline, now is the optimal time to start from the beginning and dive into the world of Arcane, whether you’re a hard-core gamer or simply looking for a sensational new show to binge.

The world

In Arcane, there is a clear divide between the two explored regions. First, there is Piltover, a utopian city complete with divine architecture, awe-inspiring inventions, and a prosperous future. Known for its innovation, the opportunistic city even has its own “Progress Day” which provides insurmountable hope and pride for the land and its residents. The city is controlled by the Council, featuring the heads of some of the most powerful and wealthiest households. Crime is controlled and monitored by Enforcers, but danger is a rarity in the luxurious city. The only problem that disgruntles the Council is the possible threat and uprising of The Undercity.

The Undercity, a stark contrast to Piltover, does not have much to boast about. It’s dark and bleak. Crime and violence plague the city. Deadly fights commonly break out. Brothels and prostitutes line the streets. Weapons are out in the open. Toxic gas exposure causes long term side effects for the youth. A drug known as Shimmer is the only means of escape. Silco, a powerful drug-lord devoted to his vision of the city of Zaun, yearns for power. There is no hope in the land of the hopeless. These two regions butt heads throughout the series as some call for peace and others call for violence.

The storyline and Characters

Surviving in the Undercity is all sisters Vi and Powder have known their whole lives. Their father figure Vander, the owner of the bar The Last Drop, tries his best to protect his family from what lurks outside. A botched home burglary in Piltover sends Vi, Powder, and their friends on the run from Piltover’s Enforcers. What follows is a domino-effect of disastrous events that leads to a complete change in the characters we once knew. What Arcane truly excels at is seamlessly incorporating time jumps with enough clues for the audience to fill in the gaps. Fragments of flashbacks give hints as to what the characters were up to throughout the missed time. Without giving too much away, each character grows and changes throughout Season 1 and 2, each one experiencing their own darkest moments. The characters mold and shape with each episode bringing them closer together.

With Vi and Powder perhaps showing the most growth and transformative character traits throughout the series, there are a myriad of characters who also become explored. First there is Jayce, a brilliant inventor invested in his ongoing pursuit of Hextech. Then there is Viktor, an equally ambitious inventor with an illness he developed from growing up in The Undercity. Viktor offers Jayce a unique perspective, and their collaborative efforts to make the world a better place bond them together. Councilor Medarda, or Mel, also wishes for a hopeful future based upon her complicated past. And, of course, there are many more. The audience forms an unlikely attachment to the characters, so be prepared to have your heart thrown onto the ground and squished.

The soundtrack

Arcane boasts an earworm of a soundtrack, built on genre fusion and a collection of worldwide artists. In the song “Come Play”, worlds collide as the Korean K-Pop group Stray Kids, Puerto Rican rapper Young Miko, and American guitarist Tom Morello team up for an adrenaline rush of music. In “Ma Meilleure Ennemie”, Belgian songwriter Stromae and French musician Pomme team up for the swaying and addicted song sung entirely in French. Hong Kong singer Eason Chan sings the emotional “Isha’s Song” during a pivotal scene in the television show. Other artists on the soundtrack include London group BONES UK, Norwegian rocker Djerv, and Japanese guitarist Miyavi, amongst many more talented artists who brought the soundtrack to life.

The intro song is “Enemy” by Imagine Dragons, who received an animated re-imagining as the band played in animated form in a Season 1 appearance. In Season 2, the introductory song remains the same, however, there are split-second differences in each intro in Season 2 that are associated with the current episode. Throughout the show, the song lyrics match up with key moments from the television show. The most notable example is when childhood friends turned enemies Ekko and Powder dance together in an alternative universe. “Ma Meilleure Ennemie” plays on, with the lyrics alluding to their relationship, specifically when the chorus says, “But my best enemy is you.” No matter your taste in music, there’s a song for every music lover.

Future development

The show merely touches on the vast and intrinsic world of the Arcane, and it has been confirmed that future spin-offs are in the works. There are endless possibilities for future world and character exploration, and Arcane fans are waiting anxiously for what is to come. Most likely, development will take years, but quality over quantity is essential within this series. In the meantime, now is the time to dive into the series for an unforgettably pulse-pounding experience unlike none other.