Video game adaptations of movies have always been an opportunity for publishers to cash in on the brand, rather than focusing on the quality of the finished product. There have been some gems in the previous decades, but the 00s in particular were a bad time for video games based on movies.
The movies on this list are some of the biggest blockbusters, perfect for being translated into a video game. Not all of the games on this list were reviewed particularly well, but they tried to capture the essence of what made the movies so entertaining.
10/10 The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay/Assault on Dark Athena
Before Vin Diesel joined one of the biggest stars on the planet The Fast and the Furious movieshe played arguably one of the coolest anti-heroes in Pitch black in 2000. Pitch black introduced the world to Riddick, a real badass that was dangerous and exciting.
Such was the allure of the character, Riddick would go on to appear in two more films, comics and video games. Both The Chronicles of Riddickgames are seen as two of the best examples of video games tied to movies. Some critics go so far as to say that the video games were better than the movies.
9/10 Alien vs. Predator
Monster mash-ups are not a new idea. They date back to the 40s, with films such as Frankenstein meets the Wolfman and Dracula’s house. Modern movie fans have had some of their fantasy movie face-offs fulfilled with the likes of Freddy Vs. Jason, Godzilla Vs. King, and Alien vs. Predator. Directed by Paul WS Anderson, the latter film was a financial success but was panned by the critics.
Alien vs. Predator video games were in development long before the movie appeared in theaters. There are few to choose from depending on one’s favorite game genre. Capcom’s 1994 arcade game resembled side-scrolling beat ’em ups that Last match and Captain Commando. The Atari Jaguar version was extremely well received upon release, becoming one of the few must-own titles for that system.
8/10 Lord of the Rings
Many balked at the announcement that Peter Jackson would direct Lord of the Rings Movies. Apart from the critically acclaimed Heavenly creatures released in 1994, Jackson’s previous work included low-budget parties such as Bad taste, Dead Alive (AKA Brain death), and Meet the Feebles. But, Lord of the Rings the trilogy would cement Jackson’s place as one of the greatest directors in history, as well as showcase some of his low-budget horror roots.
There were many Lord of the Rings video games long before Jackson’s award-winning trilogy, but the games released to coincide with the films are fondly remembered. The two towers and The return of the king was a third-person hack-and-slash game published by EA. Both were faithful to the source material, using the original voice cast and recreating key scenes from the films. The player can also choose their favorite characters, such as Gandalf, Aragorn, Gimli and Legolas.
7/10 Hulk
Ang Lee’s view of Hulk is a divisive film for some. While many praised the cast and dramatic depth, others felt it lacked action. Attempt to bring Hulk to the big screen in an independent film has not always been easy.
The official movie video game adaptation of the Hulk had mixed reviews upon release in 2003. The cel-shaded style graphics and the return of Eric Bana, who voiced Bruce Banner, were highlights. Despite not being based on the film, The Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction is arguably the best video game to play as the man you don’t want to piss off.
6/10 King Kong
How does one follow up one of the most successful film trilogies of all time? This is the question Peter Jackson faced when deciding what to work on next Lord of the Rings Movies. Not wanting to shy away from a challenge, Jackson decided to direct King Kong. Despite being one of the most expensive films ever made, it was a financial success.
King Kong the video game was a first-person shooter where the player controlled Jack Driscoll. There were also third-person sections that gave the player the chance to feel the power of Kong himself as he battled dinosaurs. The game was praised for its atmosphere and voice cast, many of which were original actors from the film.
5/10 The Bourne Conspiracy
The Bourne trilogy of films helped propel Matt Damon to superstardom, and also gave a certain suave British spy a run for his money. While 007 battled with invisible cars and other outrageous gadgets in Pierce Brosnan’s last Bond film, Die another day, Bourne was a stripped-down spy film. The focus of the Bourne films was the characters, the tension and vicious, sharp violence.
The Bourne Conspiracy was a “jack of all trades” style game that had multiple playstyles. The fight sections were relatively simple, but they featured the crushing style used in the films. There were some stealth sections with gunfire, and a driving section that was taken straight from The Bourne Identity. Although Matt Damon’s likeness was not used in the game, this did not detract from the fun gameplay or the exciting tone of the films.
4/10 Saw
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There is no denying that Saw franchise is a license to print money. Since the series began in 2004, it has earned over $1 billion at the box office. Even more impressively, the budgets for each film are relatively small, meaning more profits go to the studio.
Konami’s Saw video games caused some controversy when they were released for their gruesome depictions of gore and violence. Although the gameplay was not particularly good, the game was faithful to the film series, with writers James Wan and Leigh Whannell lending a hand with the script.
3/10 Spider-Man 2
Spider-Man 2 is widely recognized as one of the greatest superhero films of all time. Sam Raimi struck gold with the first film in 2002, but Spider-Man 2 took Webslinger to new heights. The film was a financial and critical success, and for many years has set the standard for what fans can expect from superhero films.
The Spider-Man 2 the video game tie-in continued with the high quality set by the film. The realistic open-world Manhattan setting was praised by critics, as was the swinging mechanic. Another bonus was the return of the original voice cast from the film, as well as horror icon and longtime Sam Raimi collaborator Bruce Campbell, who served as the narrator.
2/10 Lego Star Wars
Because some are Star Wars The prequels were a huge disappointment. After years of waiting for a new one Star Wars movie, the announcement of three prequels generated immense excitement for fans. Maybe they never lived up to the high expectations, or maybe they just weren’t very good movies. However, despite negative reviews, the films were a huge financial success.
The officially licensed video games are based on Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith received mixed reviews. The best video game based on the prequels is Lego Star Wars game. Released in 2005, Lego Star Wars was hugely successful and started a trend of Lego games based on famous films. The last part, Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Sagais the definitive way for fans to experience adventure in a galaxy far, far away.
1/10 X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009)
Although X-Men Origins: Wolverine may have been a disappointing film for some, it has a few notable moments. The opening scenes showing Logan and Victor Creed fighting together through the ages are truly excellent. Liev Schreiber also has fun in the role of Creed/Sabretooth. Despite being a financial success, the film was poorly received by critics and is not remembered as a fan favorite.
Not much was expected from the video game adaptation, but it was a fun hack-and-slash title that included many elements that fans felt were missing from the film. The game was extremely gory, which was perfectly demonstrated by Wolverine’s health system. Chunks of flesh would be torn from him when he took damage, which would slowly regenerate as he healed. This was the last Wolverine game to be released, but it won’t be long before fans get to experience a brand new Wolverine game. which is being developed for the PlayStation 5 by Insomniac Games.
