Summary
Video gamesbased on movieshave an ill reputation, and not without cause. For much of the fifth, sixth and seventh console generations, it was common for films to have a mediocre tie-in game released alongside them in a bid to maximize corporate earnings. This led to the entire realm of licensed games being mistrusted by audiences.
Yet there are a select few games which were not made as film tie-ins, but rather as film sequels. The idea is sound: video games provide an avenue to explore a fictional world at your own pace the way you never could in a film. The production of a sequel also need not be halted due to an actor’s unavailability. Here are some notable ones.
8The Thing
Sequel To The Thing (1982)
A full 20 years after audiences were terrified by John Carpenter’s film of the same name, The Thing allowed you to realize your paranoid fears through gameplay. The typical third-person shooter gameplay was supplemented with an infection system that could turn any NPC into a monster. The story takes place three months after the film, featuring a special forces squad conducting an investigation of Outpost 31.
The game does not rely too heavily on the plot of the film, so you can enjoy it even if you haven’t watched it. The gameplay will delight fans, however: paranoia and fear play a major role in how you interact with NPCs. The game wasremastered by Nightdive Studiosin 2024.
7Wanted: Weapons Of Fate
Sequel To Wanted (2008)
A game based on a film based on a graphic novel, Wanted: Weapons of Fate was a surprise because it was a solid third-person shooter in a time where most licensed games were low-budget cash-ins. Set immediately after the events of the movie, Wanted: Weapons of Fate shows Wesley Gibson hunting down different chapters of a fraternity of assassins.
Weapons of Fate’s cover-shooter gameplay was solid, and the turret sections were inspired as well. True to the film, the game features bullet-time mechanics. Its few slip-ups like excessive QTEs have more to do with gaming conventions of the time than individual pitfalls.
This game isn’t high-budget or well-polished. What it is, is a heck of a good time and a gonzo gem that deserves to be acult classicif only for the absurdity of its plot. That’s saying something, considering the film it’s a sequel to.
This video game sequel amps up the stakes of the vampire section of the movie by introducing zombies. Its hybrid first- and third-person gameplay is just serviceable, but the script makes it a blast to play through - incidentally, the game was written by Hubert Chardot, the creator of Alone in the Dark and arguably the father of survival horror.
Sequel To 1992’s Army Of Darkness
Despite its cult classic status, Army of Darkness was not a hit at the box office, meaning a film sequel was out of the question. Luckily for fans, the story was continued in video game form with Evil Dead: Hail to the King. This Resident Evil clone may have its shortcomings in gameplay, but it delivers on the promise of continuing the Ash Williams saga.
Bruce Campbell’s voice work and the fun plot manage to make up for thestiff gameplay. The story translates to video game form better than it could on the silver screen, meaning Hail to the King picked the correct medium.
Everything or Nothing makes a strong case for the use of video games to make sequels to films once their real-life actors are unable to continue in the role. Pierce Brosnan may have retired from playing Bond after 2002’s Die Another Day, but his likeness - and voice talent - continues the story in this 2004 title.
Featuring a plot about nanomachines and an ensemble voice cast directly from the films, Everything or Nothing is a respectable entry in the Bond canon. It may not be as famous as GoldenEye, but is a serviceable third-person shooter in its own right.
Though it has since been decanonized by sequel films, Tron 2.0 was a respectable effort byMonolithto continue the story of 1982’s Tron. Featuring bright neon lights and dazzling cyberpunk environments, Tron 2.0 perfectly recreates the atmosphere of the film on sixth-generation hardware.
Due to the real-life time that passed between the film and the game, Tron 2.0 focuses on Alan’s son, Jet, so that it can bring its computing lingo up to contemporary standards. Amusingly, the game’s references to then-current software like RealPlayer and Netscape make it a period piece itself.
The 1983 classic Scarface ends with Tony Monatana lying facedown in a pool of blood - not exactly a sequel hook. To remedy this, The World Is Yours puts you in Tony’s shoes right before he gets shot, allowing you to turn things around and stop his would-be assassins.
Out of all theGTA clonesof the time, The World Is Yours is one of the most detailed. Its many mechanics include fast-talking cops, striking shady drug deals, purchasing property and running businesses as you attempt to get all of Tony’s wealth and power back. The combat was deeper than that of GTA: San Andreas, its closest competitor - Scarface allows you to target individual body parts and do glory kills.
The most common title you’ll see cited as an example of licensed games being good is likely to be Alien: Isolation, and for good reason. This 2014 game continues to awe us even today with its magnificent atmosphere and frighteninglyrealistic enemy AI.
Alien: Isolation takes place after the original 1979 film but before its 1986 sequel. It stars Ellen Ripley’s daughter, Amanda, as she investigates a space station stalked by paranoids, androids and a relentless Alien. This game perfectly recreates the isolation and dread of the 1979 movie while continuing its story in an original way.
