Whether it’s due to rushed development times or not enough creative freedom, games based on movies rarely become the talk of the industry. Once in a while, however, a tie-in game will not only exceed expectations, but even transcend genre to inspire the rest of the industry.
If you’re convinced that all games that make the jump from movies aren’t worth playing, these may convince you otherwise:
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
It’s hard to believe that Peter Jackson’s fantasy adventures, which include some of the most ambitious and groundbreaking films of all time, were released almost 15 years ago. The legendary trilogy made The Lord of the Rings a hot license again, convincing various developers in the last two decades to create games set in Middle-Earth.
Atop the many excellent titles based on Tolkien’s world is The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers by Stormfront Studios. Players can fight and explore their way through some of the most memorable battles and locations from the first two films. The gameplay is addicting, the settings were faithful to the movies, and, best of all, you could play as the three coolest characters: Aragorn, Gimli, or Legolas.
Goldeneye 007
The world had already experienced 16 other films in the James Bond universe by the time GoldenEye released in 1995, but this film was the first to star Pierce Brosnan as the famous Secret Service agent, and it broke a six-year hiatus for the series. The film was met with mostly positive reviews, but perhaps its greatest achievement was inspiring one of the best video games of all time.
GoldenEye 007 released in 1997 for the Nintendo 64 and is considered one of the most important games in the industry. It’s revolutionary first-person shooter gameplay, story-driven campaign, and fun multiplayer influenced some of the biggest series today. Rare’s masterpiece is what the developers of classics like Call of Duty, Halo and other popular shooters studied endlessly.
Several Star Wars Games
The iconic space saga has been a part of the video game industry almost as long as the original film trilogy itself. As one of the most celebrated franchises out there, it’s no surprise that it has inspired more than 100 games. Although not every title has lived up to the name, there are a number of Star Wars games that every fan should play.
One of them is Bioware’s Knights of the Old Republic, an RPG that lets players feel like they’re part of a story set when the Jedi Knights were at their strongest. Gamers who love the fast-paced air combat in the films can check out Rogue Squadron II to jump into the cockpit of classic ships. For a shooting experience similar to Call of Duty, the Battlefront series is the way to go.
Spider-Man 2
In a time when we get at least three big budget movies a year based on Marvel Comics alone, it’s easy to forget about the original films that helped kickstart the superhero craze. A lot of credit goes to the original Spider-Man trilogy by Sam Raimi. The second installment, which is considered the best of the three, got its own action tie-in game that people love to this day.
Developed by Treyarch, a veteran studio now known for their Call of Duty games, Spider-Man 2 released in 2004 to immediate acclaim. Never before could players swing so seamlessly across an expansive city setting while using Web-Head’s famous moves. If there’s one game the devs behind the upcoming new Spider-Man should look to for inspiration, it’s this one.
The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay
The Chronicles of Riddick is one of those movies that bombed at the box office but somehow did very well with its DVD release. Despite getting bashed by critics and earning Vin Diesel a Razzie Award nomination, the film, along with its tie-in game, gained a very loyal and very large cult following.
Escape from Butcher Bay surprised everyone, featuring excellent action and stealth mechanics along with great visuals for the time. The voice acting, which featured performances by the actual film actors, was also highly praised. The game earned various awards and accolades, including several Game of the Year nominations.