10 Movies That NEED Video Game Tie-Ins

10 Movies That Need Video Game Tie-Ins

Aaron Brown

Welcome to MojoPlays and today we’re wanting to relive some of our favorite movies in the palm of our hands!

“Extraction” Series (2020-)

The Extraction movies came out of nowhere, and much like the John Wick series took what could have been a simple concept and made it extraordinary with its incredible stunt work and relentless action. While the movies have their own continuity, players could explore the early days of Rake’s career and how he crossed paths with many of his fellow Special Forces comrades that become integral in the film series. Much like the later Splinter Cell games, especially Blacklist, players could be dropped into open combat arenas and choose how they want to approach each scenario with the game adapting to the player’s choices and escalating the stakes accordingly, particularly when it comes to the titular extraction itself. The mix of militaristic gunplay and brutal close quarters combat is a genre just waiting for something like the Extraction series.

“The Raid” (2011)

More than a few movies on our list already feel like watching a video game in live action, and The Raid series nails this aesthetic more than most. The first film especially is relentless in its non-stop action and savage martial arts fight sequences that barely give viewers a moment to breathe before the next encounter. The game could make great use of a combat system similar to the one in Sifu, with players adapting their attacks on the fly by making use of the environment and brutal finishing moves as players guide their officer to the top of the tower. Few games have managed to capture the true feeling of martial arts and combining that kind of combat against overwhelming odds driven by the goal of reaching the top to face down your final challenge is an exhilarating prospect, and something fans of both fighting games and brawlers would instantly be drawn to.

“The Magnificent Seven” (2016)
While Akira Kurosawa’s original masterpiece “Seven Samurai” would also be perfect for an adaptation, we’re going to focus on the potential that the recent western retelling presents. The idea of seven cowboys with varying skills coming together to defend a small town against overwhelming odds is perfect for an online cooperative shooter. With Red Dead Online all but dead, teaming up with 6 other players with differing skills and abilities could be the next great hero shooter if done correctly. Players could collect resources by scavenging the surrounding areas and each specific run could feature a new town with different objectives players need to account for as well as new layouts and terrain to consider when planning their defense. However, the game could also work as a story-driven shooter with players able to issue commands to their AI companions like the recent Guardians of the Galaxy or even switch to each of the Seven during gameplay.

“Dredd” (2012)

We know there have been video games based on Judge Dredd before, but we want to specifically focus on the best film representation of the character in 2012’s “Dredd”. While we’d love an open world Mega City One to explore and dole out justice, if we wanted a true adaptation of the film, letting players cut loose through 200 stories of a slum tower block to explore and unleash justice could also provide a much more curated experience as well as less development strain. With the challenge increasing through the higher floors as well as dwindling resources, much like the recent Robocop game, players could have access to Dredd’s iconic Lawgiver. A mix between first person shooting and 3rd person cover mechanics akin to Rainbow Six Vegas would be a perfect blend for players to ascend the tower and confront the many dealers, tenants and rogue Judges before reaching Ma-Ma.

“Nightcrawler” (2014)

This one might seem like an odd choice but stick with us here. Maintaining the film’s main theme of capturing the perfect shot, players could use their camera to collect the best footage of crime scenes, accidents and any other newsworthy content and the better the footage the better the pay. Eventually, players can even be given the opportunity to set up the perfect shot, but much like an investigation game, must maneuver things in such a way that won’t raise too much suspicion, but also be challenged to balance with the game letting them know how much more money they’ll earn for certain placements within the environment and the authorities catching on to the freelancer’s actions. By motivating the player with better rankings as well as bigger bonuses for their shots that they can use to acquire better equipment, the player’s morality would be challenged as they attempt to collect the best possible footage.

“Edge of Tomorrow” (2014)

Probably the entry on our list most perfectly suited for a video game of course is the film centered around the idea of dying and restarting a level. Tom Cruise’s sci-fi epic in which the central battle takes place around him and his fellow soldiers storming a beach and his repeated attempts to make it off the beach alive is so reminiscent of video games it’s remarkable there hasn’t been an adaptation already. The Exo-Suits could make combat, whether engaging in gunplay or up close and personal combat, more impactful and give the player enough power to take the Mimic invasion head on. The movie and subsequently the game’s central mechanic of repeating the same encounter to find the best way to engage the enemy would be perfect as a roguelike ala Hades or Ragnarok’s Valhalla DLC with each run being randomized and the player becoming slightly more informed and powerful with each run.

“The Running Man” (1987)

Running Man was well ahead of its time back in 1987, accurately predicting the rise of reality television and people’s obsession with televised competitions. Running Man could put players in control of a new contestant to the games and see them fighting for survival through a myriad of arenas and challenges with a boss encounter at the end of each gauntlet. The game could also feature a co-op element with players attempting to either help or hinder each other through each game until either the last team or last man is left standing. Ideally, much like the film, the focus would be on as many players reaching the end as possible but could also feature a spectating mode for players no longer in the game to still assist those who remain as if they’re watching through the games’ many TV monitors to guide them through the many challenges.

“Kingsman” (2014-)

While we wait for a new 007 video game experience, we’d love to step into the shoes of Britain’s OTHER secret service agency, the Kingsman. The series’ penchant for inventive gadgetry as well as mix of fisticuffs and gunplay are perfect for the video game space and the series’ more violent approach to encounters will also appeal to an audience looking for a more mature Bond experience. Considering the agency has branches all around the world, a video game adaptation could also see our newly minted Kingsman agent sent on a globe-trotting adventure full of gunfights, stealth infiltrations, and high stakes world ending calamities orchestrated by a charming but maniacal super villain. Letting players fully customize their agent and go through training right up until their first assignment, the series could easily follow the format of IO’s recent Hitman releases and continue to offer players new and branching missions after the base game is over.

“I Am Legend” (2007)

Admittedly this game’s scenario would be reminiscent of The Last of Us, albeit a bit lonelier. However, the idea of having a fully open world New York to explore and gather resources to survive the night when the Darkseekers roam the streets searching for the last man is too tempting to ignore. The isolation interspersed with the threat of exploring dark areas with your trusty dog companion and risking being caught while running for your life would be an exhilarating experience and adding some light crafting and base building defense mechanics to fortify your home would keep things fresh and interesting. The ideal way for this game to be played would be primarily single player for players to truly experience the original story’s sense of loneliness and adding in additional psychological elements to make the player second guess their sanity just like Robert did in the film could elevate the experience beyond a simple survival horror game.

“John Wick” Series (2014-)

Yes, we know John Wick technically has a video game already and while it’s a solid experience, we’re not going to lie and say it’s what we had in mind when we imagined a video game adaptation of the Baba Yaga. The John Wick series is perfectly suited for the video game treatment with its fast-paced action and ever-increasing set piece fights; the films are basically live action video games already. The mix of hand to hand and switching weapons and tactics depending on the encounters is ripe for player experimentation and allowing players to shoot or blast their way through walls and other decor would be perfect for epic takedowns using John’s seemingly endless skill set that made him a legend in the underworld. John’s early days and his rise to infamy in the underworld would be perfect for us to experience as the Baba Yaga in his prime.


What movie would you love to relive as a video game? Share your favorite picks down in the comments.