The the recent uptake in movies based on video games and with Assassins Creed coming out at the end of the year I have been thinking about the reverse. In the 90’s and early 2000’s there were a lot of games based on movie franchises however in recent years there has been far fewer. This is due to the fact that many of theses games were sub-par and did not receive the treatment they deserved. With the right movie and developer I believe that some great video games could be made. Below is a list of 5 movies that would make great video games.
5. Centurion
Growing up some of my favourite games to play were set in the time of the Roman Empire such as Spartan: Total Warrior. Unfortunately except for total war strategy games and Ryse, there has been a lack of games set in this era. I think this 2010 film starring Michael Fassbender would be a great story for a different type of Roman game.
Where most of the Roman games took place around Rome or in the surrounding area. Centurion follows the story of one soldier in the 9th legion. This famed legion is sent to the edge of the Roman empire to deal with the Pict threat in Britannia, when the legion is lost and their Commander taken its up to Fassbender and a small group of soldiers to find him and get safely back to the wall.
The story and combat seem perfect for an action adventure game. With the huge number of people chasing you it the perfect game to mix you all out action with stealth gameplay. The different combination of weapons from swords to spears and arrows, the traps to stop pursuers and the foraging of items for crafting are all great systems that could be implemented to make that movie into an amazing and fun game.
4. In Time
In Time came out in 2011 and unfortunately did get great reviews. The movie itself was not very good, however the premise of the movie unique. Everyone stops aging when they reach the age of 25, from there that have 1 year to live. The currency of this society is time. You work to get more time and everything you buy cost time, people live from day-to-day not knowing if they are going to have enough time to make it to the next day. On the other hand there are people who have millions of years.
When Will Salas’s mum dies and he is given millions of hours by a random stranger, he is set on a path to bring down the system where the poor die to the rich can live. On the run from law enforcement, and this societies form of criminals all trying to take the time he was given away from him. While I think this movie is a great setting for a game I believe the story of the game should be different.
I think this movie would be great as an open world game, where you start of in the poor district just trying to make it to the next day as your time slips away. As you find more and more ways to earn time you start moving up in the world, working your way from the poor areas to the richer ones as you do anything to get more time. Till you realise you having all this time to live means others have to die. You then have to make a decision. Are you to let others die or will you do something about it.
3. Gangs of New York
Gangs of New York is set in 1862 which is an era that is not usually depicted in video games. With the weapons of the era only having 1 shot and a long reload time makes it difficult to make the action seem fast paced and fun. In recent years the developers of Assassins Creed have found a way to make one shot pistols and melee combat into a fun, exciting experience especially in Assassins Creed : Syndicate.
The brutal combat featured in Gangs Of New York lends itself perfectly to this kind of combat system. Along with the great story of revenge in the movie, I believe it is absolutely perfect for a game. Starting out on your own and slowly building up your own gang, gaining more enemies and infamy as your gang grows. All this happening in a time with issues like civil war and immigration leaving plenty of stories to use for side missions.
There are so many stories and characters hidden in the background of this movie, all getting overlooked due to the fact in films it is hard to flesh out other characters due to the time limit put on the film. Video games have the unique opportunity to flesh out characters and stories that are otherwise overlooked in other mediums. Gangs Of New York seems like it is practically begging for someone to make it into a video game.
2. Ender’s Game
It’s hard to think of a movie more suited to be adapted into a game then Ender’s Game. Based on the book of the same name by Scott Orsen Card, Enders Game follows the story of Ender Wiggins. A young boy who goes through a special military academy trying to find children with special gifts in tactics and warfare to help combat the threat of the alien species that attacked Earth 50 years earlier.
During the course of his training Ender runs combat simulations where he is put in control of a Fleet of spaceships in skirmishes against the alien threat. He is quite literally playing a real-time strategy game much like Total War. This makes it obvious that this game is practically perfect for a video game to be based on it.
If strategy games are not your cup of tea, there is always the option for Ender’s Game to be made into a combat shooter based around the “Battle Room”. This is a zero gravity combat arena where 2 teams battle it out trying to get a member of their own team into the other teams gateway or to immobilise the other team by shooting them with the special laser pistols provided. There are numerous ways for Enders game to be made into a fun and interesting video game.
1. Serenity/ Firefly
Serenity and the TV show it was based on Firefly has one of my all time favourite franchises that has its own cult following already. I have wanted a game based on this franchise ever since I saw the film. What sounds more fun then a western like Red Dead Redemption set in space. That is basically the premise for Serenity.
The world that Joss Whedon has created is full of amazing places and great lore. From the war of independence to cannibalising Reavers to amazing characters like Captain Malcolm Reynolds, there is so much to explore and discover.
I think a Role Playing Game set in the Firefly universe would be an amazing. Become the captain of your own Firefly class ship and have to find your own crew to help you run jobs on both sides of the law. Meeting characters from the movie and TV show along the way. Maybe uncovering your own deep conspiracy along the way. I can not think of a single movie I want to be turned into a game more than Serenity.
So there you have it, a list of the top 5 movies that would make great video games. Which movies or T.V shows do you believe would make a great video game? Let us know in the comments.
