Let's take a look at the list of the Top 8 Video Game Themed Anime. Video games and anime have been intertwined since the early 80s, and as such, it is not uncommon for anime to feature video games as a central plot point. In this article, we've compiled a list of eight video game-themed anime that we think are well-executed and seamlessly incorporate games into their main storylines.
Persona 5 The Animation or Yu-Gi-Oh! We won't be including anime like these because they were games first and only received anime adaptations later on. All of the entries on this list were anime first, and if there are game adaptations, they were made after the anime's release.
Video Game Themed Anime
Log Horizon
Wow. In my last post I talk about how much I love Log Horizon's mechanics and how they would translate well if made into a game. The story begins with the characters being transported to the game they are playing called Elder Tale. In Log Horizon, there is less fighting and more talking, as main character Shiroe values diplomacy over brute force.
The anime takes a realistic approach to being stuck in a new world, with the characters adapting to the world's culture and politics. If you're interested in political conversations with a side of raiding, you'll love this anime.
Sword Art Online
The anime itself follows Kirito and his friends' journey through different games. While this anime focuses more on Kirito's interpersonal relationships, video games have always been a central theme in each of the "arcs" the anime takes place in. Unlike Log Horizon, SAO has more action, so if you're more into it, give this one a try.
No Game No Life
If you've been around the anime scene for a while, you've probably been recommended to watch No Game No Life. This anime is about two brothers named Shiro and Sora. After being challenged by the Game God via a computer screen, the brothers defeat him, resulting in them being summoned to a new world called Disboard.
In Disboard, everything is determined by the outcome of a game agreed upon by the participants. Games can be as simple as rock-paper-scissors or as detailed as a virtual reality FPS. In this anime, you will see how Sora and Shiro defeat their opponents as representatives of Imanity, which is considered the weakest race in the entire Disboard.
Bofuri: I Don't Want to Get Hurt, so I'll Max Out My Defense
Ah yes, the first and only anime on this list with long names, which is fast becoming the standard these days. For the sake of simplicity, we will call it Bofuri. Bofuri focuses on Kaede, a female student who has recently picked up NewWorld Online, a fictional virtual reality MMORPG. As he begins his journey in the game, he opens the character creation tool and decides to become a shield class, putting all his stat points into vitality because he doesn't like pain.
The anime is very light-hearted and doesn't take itself seriously, unlike SAO and Log Horizon. This is evident in the first episode of the anime, when Kaede defeats a monster by biting it until it dies.
New Game!
We're going to go off the beaten track for a while here. Unlike SAO and Bofuri, which focus on characters playing games, New Game! In , the characters are the ones who make the games. This anime focuses on game development as it follows a new artist's journey from rookie to lead character artist up the game development corporate ladder.
This anime fits into the “cute girls doing cute things” subgenre, which is pretty self-explanatory. It's a light-hearted anime that you can watch to relax and has interesting depictions of industry practices like crunch time and sleeping in the office to get work done.
Recovery of an MMO Junkie
Recovery of an MMO Junkie leans more into romance than anything else. The anime tells the story of two characters who accidentally find each other in an MMORPG and a romance develops between them.
Unlike SAO and Bofuri, this anime does not have action scenes and focuses more on what the characters do outside of the game rather than in it. However, the in-game segments of the anime still provide a lot of context. If you're interested in a romance anime with gaming as the main plot, you might want to check this one out.
Uncle From Another World
There's only one word for this anime: Hilarious. There isn't a single episode that doesn't make me burst out laughing. Uncle From Another World tells the story of two relatives, an uncle and his nephew. The uncle, who is considered the main character in the anime, fell into a coma after an accident. He wakes up after 17 years and reveals that he was actually in another world while he was in a coma.
At first his nephew didn't believe it, until his uncle cast a spell. The nephew, who now believes in his uncle, opened a YouTube channel for his uncle to show his magic. Uncle From Another World is a homage to the retro gaming era with many references to existing games such as Sonic and Guardian Heroes.
Gamers!
A friend of mine called it “Misunderstandings: Anime” and he was right. It revolves around a group of misfits who somehow find themselves in the same group of friends. Friendships turn into love and tensions escalate, and characters get into funny situations because they can't be bothered to ask the other person to clarify what they're saying.
Amidst the drama, characters spend a lot of time talking about the game, referencing games like Guilty Gear and Persona 4 Arena. Characters also refer to other games with different names. I'm glad they showed Star Ocean some love.
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