Everyone knows video game developers always look out for new and interesting ideas, and sometimes, that means repurposing an established franchise from a different medium. Some of these work out better than others, though. For every Batman: Arkham City, gamers get at least one Lord of the Rings: Gollum. That being said, this handful of movies would make a ton of sense for a movie video game adaptation and make developers’ jobs a little bit easier.
1. Shaun of the Dead
As a zombie movie parody in and of itself, Shaun of the Dead would make an excellent movie video game. Its diverse set of scenarios, endless zombie bashing, and a colorful cast of characters would make any video game better, and the humor would only elevate it further while differentiating it from its contemporaries. Shaun of the Dead has also been around just long enough for a game to cash in on some nostalgia points, which always helps a game generate more interest.
2. Logan’s Run
The quest for freedom and themes of breaking away from conformity underpin science fiction across all mediums, but perhaps land best in video games. The agency afforded in games like Deus Ex, Mirror’s Edge, and other games set in dystopian futures just seems made for games, and a movie video game based on Logan’s Run should have no problem following a similar formula with choices and player freedom. Strong narrative aside, the survival elements of Logan’s Run would also make a nice transition into gaming. Evading lethal enemies, managing scarce resources, and navigating through complex social situations feel like huge elements in the film, and the blueprint for these things in more narrative-focused games seems pretty well-defined at this point.
3. 28 Days Later
Similar to Shaun of the Dead, 28 Days Later begs for a video game adaptation. Hordes of running zombies and charismatic characters have appeared in video games before, but they still work. Perhaps 28 Days Later’s darker aesthetic and morbid tone could help it stand apart from the pulpier movie video games like World War Z and Left 4 Dead, and carve out its own niche in this ever-expanding genre.
4. The Transporter
Plenty of modern action movies would slide into video games with minimal effort, but we think The Transporter takes the cake in most regards. The segmented missions of Frank’s adventures throughout the movies would work well as dividers for levels, and the emphasis on driving and combat could also cultivate a GTA-meets-Yakuza vibe for the gameplay. All the game would need to feel authentic? Jason Statham’s voice. This would bring Frank to life without Statham needing to make an additional movie. It’s a win-in.
5. Saving Private Ryan
With Call of Duty sticking with modern and far-future scenarios for their games these days, and the Medal of Honor franchise on ice, perhaps the best time for a Saving Private Ryan movie video game has arrived. The immersive war scenes and intense cinematography of the film have been replicated and recreated in countless video games as it is, so there’s no real reason for a competent team not to take a whack at bringing all these elements together in a recognizable IP. While we suspect the rights to such a well-regarded film wouldn’t come cheap, we also think it could be worth the investment.
6. The Shining
With so many classic horror movies being made into movie video games, The Shining feels like a rather obvious choice. Playing as Danny, Wendy or even the Grady Twins as they try to evade their psychotic pursuers would offer a compelling scenario, and the plethora of ghosts and other entities that inhabit the Overlook hotel could inject endless variety into the proceedings if extrapolated well. Despite players already knowing the ultimate outcome of the story, there remains more than enough untapped material within the walls of the massive haunted hotel to justify a 10-20 hour movie video game.
7. Inception
An Inception movie video game could take a few different directions. Still, regardless of whether it focuses more on narrative, straight-up action, or some combination of the two, an Inception game feels like an excellent idea. Leaping from dream to dream, explosive weaponry, and the inherent depth of the conflicts surrounding the characters remains fertile ground for an entire series, let alone a single game. Given the complex nature of the layered dream traveling, an Inception movie video game could also capitalize on that for lots of unique puzzles and compelling exploration.
8. Underworld
An Underworld game could get away with copying the Bloodrayne aesthetic and just replacing all the red stuff with blue stuff, sure, but there’s much more potential here than that. The action-horror genre remains quite popular and isn’t showing any signs of cooling off, so something that fits in that genre but with a few more drops of action than we see seems like a great path. On top of that, the varied monsters and creative weaponry featured across all the movies would fit into a video game version of Selene’s arsenal like a glove.
9. Kung FU Hustle
The outrageous combat and over-the-top characters of Kung Fu Hustle would fit in the movie video game format. Without taking itself too seriously, the movie establishes an entertaining balance between humor, action, and eye-catching visuals that seems tailor-made for action games. Given the multiple characters, perhaps some sort of co-op component would make sense, too. As a nice cherry on top, the modern consoles and graphics cards of today’s gaming machines would handle the vivid colors and striking cinematic style needed to encapsulate the movie’s feel.
10. Goodfellas
Several outstanding mafia games have come close to replicating that evasive level of Scorsese magic, but none of them have quite done it. Given that, why not just go for it with one of his best stories and turn it into a narrative-focused action game?
Everything from managing the logistics of major heists, keeping various income streams afloat across an open world, to getting to know the movie’s iconic characters all over again would be extremely appealing in a Goodfellas movie video game. While most of the actors from the film likely wouldn’t (or in some cases, couldn’t) reprise their roles, a competent cast could still do a similar script enough justice to make it all work.
11. Independence Day
Great action, fun characters, and a generous helping of cosmic tension will always make excellent ingredients for a fun video game, and yet they make up nearly the entirety of the film Independence Day. Developers could go in a few different directions with this, as a sprawling adventure that covers the many events of the movie, or focusing on the spaceship combat that sustained the film’s third act could work just fine. Either way, Independence Day movie video games would sell themselves, especially if they had a solid marketing plan that culminated in a July 4th launch date.
12. Kingsmen
Similar to Kung Fu Hustle, the stylish action and flashy cinematography of the Kingsmen films feels like a great fit for movie video games. Whether based on any of the movies, or creating a new story within the same universe, a game in this world makes about as much sense as anything. The varied objectives of spy thrillers and action movies could all go together well in a single game about the imposing force known as The Kingsmen.
13. Kill Bill
With well over half of the screen time of both Kill Bill movies being action-packed brawls to the death, Kill Bill gets the nod as a fantastic candidate for video gamification. The films stand out well by borrowing stylistic ideas from classic kung fu films of the 70s and 80s, and that, if translated with some care, could do the same for a Kill Bill video game. Dealing with legions of enemy fodder, more challenging characters above them, and the final battle with Bill himself feels like a video game anyway. So why hasn’t this one hasn’t happened yet?
Starting out in traditional news media, John shifted his emphasis towards gaming news, reviews and other topics in the pop culture over time. Now solidified in this space, he specializes in sifting through the classics and analyzing how they impact audiences today while still keeping up with newer experiences.