Games based on movies tend to have a bad reputation. This was probably thanks tomovie tie-in games— titles whose sole purpose is to distill a movie into a video game for the sole purpose of cashing in on some of that box-office hype.
This, however, is only part of the greater “movie franchises as games” sphere. In addition to this, there are games based on movie universes. Separate from any specific movie, they act as supplementary material to flesh out a world or narrative. The following games do just this: work alongside an existing movie franchise to make something wholly unique and entertaining.
This game was released in the era of Clone Wars products that weren’t terrible. The “Clone Wars Adventures” comics were in full swing, and theStar Wars: The Clone Warsanimated series was on its way. Clones were featured in the prequel trilogy, but not heavily, which left a lot of room to work with within this era of Star Wars.Star Wars: Republic Commandoputs players in the boots of a Republic Commando squad leader succinctly named “Boss.”
The game plays a lot likeHalo: Combat Evolved, but Chief was limited to only three marine escorts at a time, which isn’t the case here.Republic Commandorequires some modding on PC to get it to run in widescreen, but the game is fantastic; which is ironic because even Halo couldn’t pull off this game’s concept 10 years later withHalo 5: Guardians.
Avatar: Frontiers of Pandorais an open-world map-marker driven game, set after the first James CameronAvatarmovie. The game follows many of the tropes seen in games likeFar CryorAssassin’s Creed, but adapts many of these mechanics to fit the world of Pandora while adding new ones to immerse players in the experience.
This creates a game that feels like a proper sequel toFar Cry,giving the series a shot in the arm with a myriad of mechanical changes to better fitAvatar’s setting. If the idea of playing aFar Crygame on an alien planet is interesting, give this a try.
Robocop: Rogue Cityis an FPS RPG designed by Teyon, the creators ofTerminator: Resistance. The game is loosely an alternate take on the third movie, but doesn’t follow any movie particularly. In emulating Alex Murphy’s slow mechanical movements, Teyon crafts an interesting and unique game unlike most FPS games, straddling the line between a gallery shooter and a typical first-person shooter.
Where most games would have players taking cover,Robocop: Rogue Cityessentially forces the player into open space to be combat effective. This makes an experience that’s atypical of other shooters, and completely in line with the game’s source material.
Alien: Isolationwas created by Creative Assembly, the creators ofTotal WarandHalo Wars 2. A departure from both turn andreal-time strategy games,Alien: Isolationis a bona fide horror title. The biggest praise this game getsis its AI, which observes player behavior and tries to punish repeated tactics. The enemy dodges attacks that it’s become accustomed to, or lays traps in areas the player visits often.
This was done to recreate the atmosphere of the originalAlien, before the franchise blended more action elements in with its sequels. It was so successful, in fact, that the game even ran into some controversy because of its difficulty.
One surprise hit of 2024 wasIndiana Jones and the Great Circle. When this was initially revealed, it came with a little bit of unease. How does Indiana Jones fit into the gaming space whenUnchartedalready exists? Machine Games is known primarily for their first person titles, but how does that translate for a franchise that’s based on viewing Indy from afar? The answer is spectacularly.
The game is a puzzler with stealth, melee, and ranged combat. It can be compared to something likeDishonoredwith more detective elements, but that undersells how unique of a package it is. It’s a must-play for fans of the film, as well as those who are interested in the"tomb raiding"experience.
Yes,The Lord of the Ringsis a book series, but this game is heavily inspired by the Peter Jackson trilogy of movies, right down to the character and monster models. Coming out four years after the trilogy finished,The Lord of the Rings Onlinecapitalized on the success of these movies and the booming success ofMMOslikeWorld of Warcraft.
As a result, the game is similar toWorld of Warcraft, which is to say that it’s a relatively player-friendly tab-target MMO, but set in Middle Earth. The biggest achievement of this game is that, despite being close to 20 years old, it’s not only completely playable, but is still updated with new content and system overhauls. The MMO is an interesting piece of preserved history, and is a great pick for those looking for an MMO with a smaller and more personable community.
The LEGO gamesare an absolute titan in the movie license scene, and easily among the best family oriented games. They’re legitimately fun for both adults and kids while supporting effortless local co-op. These games are the definitive parody experience in gaming, comedically recounting the events of movies and extended universes all while providing genuinely good gameplay.
LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Sagais only one of the many LEGO games that deserve attention, but it best fits this list as it covers the entire Star Wars franchise as it exists today. For those who are somehow unfamiliar with the LEGO games, they’re platformer puzzle games with action sequences sprinkled in; and a real treat. They’re a definite must-play for those who haven’t tried them already.
