It’s always been common for major movie franchises to include video games as part of an all-encompassing marketing blitz. But there are some movie franchises that lend themselves better to video game adaptations than others. There are certain movie worlds, such as the Star Wars universe, that are simply vibrant and deep enough for fans to be able to explore them in great detail in a different medium.
While there are numerous others audiences are hoping to see in the future, these are all examples of the cinematic brought into the playable in an expert manner. They usually benefit from an open-world format the most and often tell unique, original narratives rather than rehashing what was seen on the big screen.
Honorable Mention: Avatar
It hasn’t been released yet, but Avatar: Frontiers Of Pandora appears to be everything fans are hoping for from an open-world Avatar title. The world of Pandora itself has already been richly painted on the big screen, with the flora and fauna that only the imagination of a couple of creative geniuses could come up with.
The visuals of the cinematic franchise are their main selling point and as fans build up to heading back into cinemas with The Way Of Water, Frontiers Of Pandora looks to be an excellent way to dive into this stunning landscape. Some franchises are just built to be explored further and this is one of them.
Lord Of The Rings
The Lord Of The Rings series has helped to completely define the fantasy genre. The movies themselves are groundbreaking in their portrayal of the fantastical Middle-Earth, but the video games have been able to go further in their breakdown of these incredible kingdoms.
Shadow Of Mordor and Shadow Of War, introduced the Nemesis System and added new characters and narratives to the lore. Tactical games like Battle For Middle-Earth allowed strategists to get involved with the wars for the rings, while Gollum is a compelling new stealth title. The characters and settings ultimately lend themselves well to video games.
DC And Marvel Comics
The comic book worlds of Marvel and DC contain such a diversity of protagonists and villains that it’s no surprise that the storytelling of these two massive companies works in so many mediums. They’ve established themselves on the page, and their iconic characters and arcs are now on the big screen too.
These have in turn influenced the world of video games. From the immense Arkham series to the most recent successful run of Spider-Man titles on the PlayStation, and even the upcoming releases of Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League and Wolverine, there are so many avenues to explore. Every genre has been hit from fighting with Injustice to strategy with Midnight Suns.
Star Wars
The galaxy far, far away has also been known to dominate every storytelling medium. The page and screen weren’t enough and over the years there have been some truly astounding titles set within Star Wars. Battlefront and Jedi: Fallen Order are recent standouts from the intellectual property.
But going back further, Star Wars has been able to innovate with simulation titles based around flying X-Wings, to the famous Knights Of The Old Republic which revolutionized choice-based gameplay. It continues to be one of the most dynamic and unexpected franchises when it comes to pushing its game capabilities.
Alien
Unusual genre combinations really benefit from the vast array of tools at the disposal of a video game developer. The mix of science fiction and horror that can be found in the Alien series is great for producing a game of a similar style, allowing for jump-scares and terrifying moments of violence.
There have been a handful of Alien games thus far, although that perfect release is still yet to be. Isolation, Blackout, and even a Predator crossover are just a few standout examples, yet there’s still even more work to be done as Dark Descent was recently revealed.
Fast & The Furious
There’s a natural connection to be made between video game titles and The Fast & The Furious. After all, the racing genre itself has come to influence the movies and vice-versa. The franchise has actually crossed over with a handful of already established titles, including Forza Horizon 2.
However, fans might not know that outside of mobile games, there have been a few other attempts to bring this racing series to a platform where players can interact with the cars and the characters. As the franchise reaches its finale there’s a possibility that there’s one more game left.
Harry Potter
Thus far each passing movie has been linked to a corresponding game. Magic is fully alive in these Harry Potter spin-offs and the series has actually improved with each release. The LEGO iteration is also one of the most beloved of the TT line but there’s so much more potential here.
Fans have gotten a taste of what it’s like to attend Hogwarts, be sorted into a house, make potions, and cast charms. That’s where Hogwarts Legacy comes in, allowing audiences to have the full student experience, with a unique narrative and a customizable character.
Mad Max
A post-apocalyptic world with a gritty action hero and a high-stakes mission to provide for people. There’s definitely an easy game to be made out of Mad Max, and its subsequent sequels. That’s exactly what was achieved with a hugely underrated title that placed players in that desert.
From the look of the world to the fighting style of the protagonist, there’s a lot to work with. Fans of the movies should certainly check out the release, but there’s so much more to achieve here. With Furiosa getting her own on-screen spin-off, perhaps another title could begin development.
Jurassic Park
LEGO games and spin-off titles are exactly what plays to the strengths of the Jurassic Park and Jurassic World franchise. But there’s one genre, in particular, that is unmatched when it comes to how it bonds with the movie series. That’s the simulation experience.
Players can create their own theme park and dinosaur-based zoo in Jurassic World Evolution and its sequel, which hosts plenty of familiar and terrifying beasts to populate the area. It’s a slow start but the series has found its niche point with the playable sim and the visuals are absolutely gorgeous.
James Bond
The James Bond series has a legendary reputation on consoles. In fact, there are some true classics among its many releases, including stealth-based titles and first-person shooters. Goldeneye often stands out, as does Nightfire and a few other worthy games.
Although there have been some missteps, especially when it comes to the legacy-pitched title, there are many more years left in the James Bond tank. In fact, the espionage genre recently got a shot of adrenaline and with next-gen titles, the sky is the limit. The format of the movies just mashes so well with what consoles can provide.
