Top 10 Worst Portrayals of Video Game Characters

“Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time” (2010)

In a bold attempt to kick off a “Pirates of the Caribbean”-esque franchise, Jake Gyllenhaal starred in the “Prince of Persia” film adaptation. The game of the same title follows an unnamed hero who controls time to fight monsters and maneuver through platforming puzzles. Gyllenhaal’s Prince is named Dastan, and he’s more concerned with overthrowing the corrupt King of Persia than slashing through monsters. The Dagger of Time is faithful to the original game, but it’s worth mentioning that Gyllenhaal himself is not of Persian descent. He probably wishes he could rewind time to reject this role.

“Alone in the Dark” (2005)

What’s the only thing scarier than a town of Lovecraftian creatures? A 1% on Rotten Tomatoes. “Alone in the Dark” games follow Edward Carnby, an average private investigator who stumbles into thrilling supernatural adventures. This movie pivots the genre from thriller to action, featuring Christian Slater as Carnby. In the games, Carnby eludes monsters through survival-horror mechanics. Slater’s Carnby is more of an action star and unfortunately, the action here sucks. What do you expect when Uwe Boll is behind the camera? This iteration of Carnby faces off against creatures using superhuman physical abilities, as well as ‘monster senses’ that alert him to paranormal activity. If only Slater could sense how badly this movie would bomb.

“Borderlands” (2024)

“Borderlands” is famous for its clever dialogue and iconic cell-shaded art style. Take that away and what do you have? The 2024 “Borderlands” screen-to-screen adaptation starring Cate Blanchett as Lilith, alongside Jamie Lee Curtis as the similarly dulled Dr. Tannis. Gamers will recognize Lilith as the 22-year-old Siren who uses her Phasewalk ability to switch dimensions. Cate Blanchett's Lilith, on the other hand, is a generic gunslinging bounty hunter, spouting uninspired action movie cliches such as, “I’m getting too old for this.” Despite surviving in the wasteland, she appears poised and glamorous, untouched by the maddening environment surrounding her. This depiction of Lilith could use a lil more character depth.

“Max Payne” (2008)

The “Max Payne” games were instrumental in popularizing “bullet time,” a highly cinematic slow-motion gameplay feature. It would make sense for this to translate seamlessly into a film format. However, Mark Wahlberg’s portrayal of Max Payne was so lackluster he earned himself a Razzie for Worst Actor, turning this action hero into an action zero. With tropes galore, Wahlberg’s performance inflicts maximum pain on the viewer and leaves us wondering how such a powerful protagonist could come off as so boring. You don’t need bullet time to see this bomb coming.

“Halo” (2022-24)

The “Halo” TV series split audiences with Master Chief himself being the key point of contention. One of the most controversial moments among diehard “Halo” fans came in the show's pilot after Master Chief removes his helmet, something he has never done across any of the games. Additionally, the show features a scene with the Spartan having relations with an imprisoned member of the Covenant, the alien faction at war with humanity. Fans were conflicted, holding the sentiment that Master Chief would never remove his armor, let alone with a perceived enemy of humanity. Because of this controversy, Pablo Schreiber’s Master Chief can say “Halo” to number 6.

“Hitman: Agent 47” (2015)

Agent 47 was genetically engineered and ruthlessly trained into the most efficient contract assassin in the world. The games, while having numerous creative paths for executing targets, often steer players toward stealth eliminations for high-profile hits. Our titular killer in “Hitman: Agent 47” opts for brute force tactics and shootouts in broad daylight over these covert methods integral to his games. This was the second feature portrayal of Agent 47, his first being Timothy Olyphant in the 2007 film. 47’s look is easy to nail with a suit, a bald cap, and a barcode on the back of his head. Despite all of that, Rupert Friend’s portrayal simply doesn’t scan.

“Uncharted” (2022)

Nolan North is regarded as one of the greatest video game voice actors of all time. Tom Holland had his work cut out for him upon taking on his role as “Uncharted’s” fearless treasure hunter, Nathan Drake. This makes for a jarring contrast of personality coming from Nolan North’s performance, coupled with Mark Wahlberg as Victor Sullivan. The “Uncharted” series plunges Nathan Drake into rich environments with thrilling parkour and puzzle segments. This movie serves as a stunted origin story to Nathan Drake’s international escapades, failing to capture his adventurous spirit the games do so well. Treasure hunters beware, there’s not much to salvage here.

“Tomb Raider” (2018)

One of the most well-known female video game protagonists and co-mascot of the PlayStation game console absolutely deserves a spot on the big screen. Lara Croft, the highly decorated archaeologist and expert combatant, has been in three different film adaptations. Despite being a prominent female figure in the world of video games, 2018’s “Tomb Raider” fails to highlight what makes Lara Croft such an engaging character. Say what you will about the Angelina Jolie movies, but at least she had fun in the role. While learning from its predecessors and keeping Lara relatively grounded in reality, audiences were split over Alicia Vikander’s less-than-compelling portrayal. It seems like the hardest puzzle to solve when adapting a video game is making everybody happy.

“Super Mario Bros.” (1993)

The first live-action video game movie adaptation was 1993’s “Super Mario Bros.,” which was foundational for this notorious genre. The Mario Bros. have done it all, from racing go-karts to hunting ghosts. Unfortunately, when making this campy romp of an adaptation, the writers threw all source material out the window. Fan-favorite Mario creatures such as Yoshi, Toad, and King Koopa are unrecognizable from their cutesy video game counterparts, turned into overly prehistoric versions of themselves. Mario and Luigi are devoid of all personality, with characterization weaker than a World 1 Koopa Troopa. While being considered a cult classic, this movie was a massive box office Bob-omb.

“Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li” (2009)

Chun-Li is one of the most iconic protagonists in the genre of fighting games. Instantly recognizable from her martial arts skills and famous qipao dress, “Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li” fumbled its interpretation of this Interpol icon. Fans of the series expect brawls in broad daylight with killer combos, but scenes of Chun-Li’s fights are scarce and seldom out on the street. Straying from what made Chun-Li so great in the games results in a hero as derivative as the nameless goons she beats up. 1994’s “Street Fighter” garnered a cult following, but after “The Legend of Chun Li,” Capcom brought the ban hammer down on any live-action feature adaptations of their properties. Talk about a combo breaker.