For some reason, the practice of turning popular movies into console games has fallen out of fashion in recent years – and that’s terrible news for both film aficionados and gamers alike. It’s a shame, really, because we’ve been getting some of the most game-worthy films in history these days. Things like the entirety of the MCU would make amazing gaming experiences and could help expand the storytelling of movies in ways that no TV show or comic book ever could. That’s why today, we’ve made a list of 10 movies that would make excellent video games.
10. Battle Royale (2000)
Alright, we get it: the idea of a battle royale titled Battle Royale might not sound too appealing at first, but just think for a moment about the cultural impact this 2000 film had on modern pop culture. Set in an alternate timeline where Japan has become some sort of sadistic and militaristic state, Battle Royale sees a group of high school students as they fight to survive and kill each other on a secluded island. Yup, this is the film that inspired the whole Hunger Games or The Squid Game craze and also redefined the rules of modern battle royale games like Fortnite. The game basically writes itself.
9. Resident Evil: Extinction (2007)
Wait, isn’t Resident Evil an already successful video game franchise that just released its eighth mainline title? Yes, yes it is – but that doesn’t mean that it has anything to do with the Paul W. S. Anderson franchise of Resident Evil films. The post-apocalyptic setting of Resident Evil: Extinction would make for an amazing open-world zombie game. The unique blend of zombie-killing action and Mad Max vehicles would be a dream come true for gamers and could introduce a new sub-series for Capcom’s legendary franchise. Even if the plot of the Resident Evil films isn’t all that good – maybe it’s even a bit terrible, Alice is still a cool character that could be awesome if used by the right writing team.
8. Sleepy Hollow (1999)
For this game, we’d take inspiration not just from the classic story written by Washington Irving, but also from the 1999 Tim Burton film. Starring Johnny Depp and Christina Ricci, this movie takes some creative liberties with the Ichabod Crane character that would work perfectly in a video game. Instead of being a teacher, Ichabod is now a police detective, sent on a special assignment to investigate the strange happenings in Sleepy Hollow. The game could be based on Ichabod solving various paranormal cases throughout the Thirteen Colonies, much like that awesome subquest in Assassin’s Creed III.
7. It Comes At Night (2017)
When it comes to modern horror classics, no one makes them better than the folks over at A24. It Comes At Night is an experimental horror film that plays on the audience’s distrust and fears, making for an excellent story about the human condition in times of despair. The similarities with The Last of Us are pretty obvious, and a game based on this movie would certainly look quite similar to Sony’s popular franchise.
6. The Conjuring (2013)
Let’s face it: horror movies in general just would be better as interactive experiences. That’s why the premise of 2013’s The Conjuring would work so well in video game form. The movie follows the Warrens – a duo of accomplished paranormal investigators – as they work in one of their darkest cases yet. Opinions on the veracity of the Warrens’ accounts aside, there’s no denying that a game following a duo of paranormal investigators around would be fun to play, especially if it follows a formula similar to Quantic Dreams games or the Dark Pictures Anthology.
5. The Mummy (1999)
What began as a reimagining of the classic Universal monster film ended up being one of the best adventure films of all time. Starring Brendan Fraser, this Indiana Jones-inspired thrill ride has an excellent balance of comedy and adventure, which makes it a modern classic that redefined an aged monster like The Mummy. A game based on the 1999 original film would play almost exactly like a mix between Uncharted and Horizon Zero Dawn, two of Sony’s most popular franchises.
4. 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea (1954)
Exploring the vastness of the sea is a setting that’s rarely been used in video games. Titles like Subnautica received impressive amounts of fan support due to their spectacular gameplay and alien sense of exploration. To put it shortly: the ocean is freaking terrifying. If there’s one movie that really captured the excitement of exploring the depths of the sea that would have to be the original Disney adaptation of 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea. Much like the novel by Jules Verne, the movie follows the Nautilus and its captain, Nemo, as they hunt down a massive creature that’s been sinking ships in the Pacific Ocean. A game based on the Disney version of the story would have to include its amazing version of the Nautilus, and also the terrifying giant squid that lurks in the abyss. If you have thalassophobia, this might not be the game for you.
3. Army of the Dead (2021)
Love it or hate it, Zack Snyder’s Army of the Dead has a setting that’s absolutely worthy of a video game adaptation. The movie revolves around a group of mercenaries that are sent to Las Vegas to use the excuse of the zombie outbreak as the perfect opportunity to pull off a daring heist. Imagine if we got a game that combines the best parts of Payday 2 with State of Decay, and we’d get the ideal Army of the Dead video game. Considering that Netflix has been trying to get into the video game market for a while, it wouldn’t be too surprising to see them expanding Snyder’s new cinematic movie universe with a licensed game.
2. Dredd (2012)
The criminally underrated Dredd has not received the recognition it deserves from mainstream audiences. However, ever since its release in 2012, the movie has gained a considerable cult following thanks to its intense action scenes and stylish setpieces. A game based on this version of Judge Dredd would need to incorporate the film’s slow-mo scenes, a feature that’s decidedly similar to Max Payne’s bullet time. Someone as badass as Dredd deserves as a proper next-gen game.
1. Kill Bill Volumes I & II (2003 – 2004)
Let’s be frank: any Quentin Tarantino film would make an awesome video game. Heck, even Jackie Brown might make a good visual novel. However, when it comes to cool action flicks that would be even cooler games, the Kill Bill series definitely takes the cake. Featuring Uma Thurman as the Bride and buckets upon buckets of blood, Kill Bill would be a fantastic hack-and-slash game just like Devil May Cry. It would be even better if Suda 51, the creative mind behind the No More Heroes series were to take the lead in this adaptation. Maybe Kill Bill 3 could be a game instead?
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Tell us which movies you’d like to see made into video games.
