Captain Laserhawk: A Blood Dragon Remix

Netflix, for its faults as a production titan, seems to have really figured out how to tap into the video game sector. It hasn't quite cracked how to offer actual games for its subscribers in a compelling way just yet, but its efforts to offer adaptations of video game series and IP is nearly unmatched by any other platform. Arcane, Castlevania, Cyberpunk: Edgerunners. These are just a few of the projects that have blown us away over the years, and this year, ahead of the undoubtedly fantastic Scott Pilgrim Takes Off, Netflix has debuted a show that few would expect to be excellent - but it really is.

Because while Captain Laserhawk: A Blood Dragon Remix is best described as a R rated Ubisoft fever dream, when you start pulling back the layers, it's clear that this is a well-written, beautifully and creatively animated project that hits all the right marks when attempting to connect with a gaming fanbase. It features nods to the industry, with animation techniques that resemble retro pixel games, low-res FMV, virtual reality, and more, and then connects them altogether in a story that effortlessly blends together Ubisoft's treasure trove of IP in a way that a lot of publishers would perceive as blasphemy.

Rayman is an evil, drug-fuelled propaganda machine, Sam Fisher is a disabled war veteran, the Order of Assassins is represented by a frog who (fittingly and no doubt as a pun for Ubisoft's European roots) happens to also be French. Hell, even Rabbids are referred to as interdimensional kaiju-level threats. Creator Adi Shankar has taken his experience of making Castlevania a Netflix classic and turned his talents to Ubisoft's untapped library and created something that feels unnatural upon first inspection but is in fact tight, compelling, and well-pieced together.

Captain Laserhawk: A Blood Dragon Remix does require a little bit of insight to enjoy it in its entirety however. This isn't a show for all viewers, it's for gaming fans. With a short runtime of six 20-30 minute long episodes, it doesn't really waste time with character development beyond a select few of its main cast, meaning if you have no prior knowledge of Sam Fisher and the operative he is, his place in the show will come across as a bit forced. As will the likes of the Rabbids and the other characters from more obscure IP, such as Beyond Good and Evil and even Watch Dogs. The latter is a great example, as both DedSec and the character Wrench make appearances, but neither are really explained, meaning you have to know about the Watch Dogs series for their arc to land.

But despite having this steep entry requirement to enjoy the series, if you have even a baseline knowledge of Ubisoft's portfolio, Captain Laserhawk: A Blood Dragon Remix stands out as one of the top animated video game adaptations on Netflix. It's hilarious, action-packed, crammed with creative animation techniques, and features a story, narrative, and performances that are top quality. I'm still unsure how Shankar managed it, but this show works, and really well at that.