Summary
Some of the finest characters and stories the world has ever seen have come from the world of gaming, from the tear-jerking story ofTheLast of Usto the great character-building done in theFalloutfranchise.Those franchises have been adapted into TV showswith varying degrees of success, further cementing the importance of these stories as they are shared by wider audiences through their adaptations.
The same can be said for other mediums being adapted into gaming, with many games licensed from movies and TV shows, with examples being the Disney classicsAladdinandThe Lion Kingor theSpider-Mangames based on Tobey Maguire’sSpider-Manmovies. The movie game tie-in has changed a lot over the last few decades, becoming less commonly seen. However, games based on the characters and worlds of movies and TV have continued to be popular.
Perhaps the most quintessentially 80s movie -The Karate Kidshowcased the story of Daniel Le Russo as he learned to combat his bullies with the help of his karate sensei Mr. Miyagi. TheKarate Kidspawned three sequels, a reboot, and a smash hit TV show,Cobra Kai, focusing on the later lives of Le Russo and his bully Johnny Lawrence.
There have been many games based on theKarate Kidfranchise released andThe Karate Kid: Street Rumbleis a 2D beat ‘em up retelling the story of the originalKarate Kidtrilogy. The game leans into the nostalgia of the franchise, with itsgameplay feeling like it was ripped straight out of the arcade. Players are given the choice of four playable characters from the series, a fun combat system, and entertaining mini-games based on moments in the movies, like catching a fly and the famous wax on wax off scene. With a fun retro arcade feel and engaging visuals,The Karate Kid: Street Rumbleis one of the best licensed games on the PS5.
TheEvil Deadfranchise began in 1981 and has featured two sequel movies and a TV show, as well as a terrifying reboot and the latest entry,Evil Dead Rise.The original movie starred Bruce Campbell as the protagonist, Ash Williams, as he faces off against “Deadites” controlled by the Kandarian Demon.
Evil Dead: The Gamefollows the formula of games likeFriday The 13thandDead By Daylightasplayers become either part of a team of survivorslooking to complete a ritual to banish evil from the map or a demon on the hunt with an army of “Deadites” at their disposal. With a detailed progression system for each character and a fun mix of survival horror and battle royale looter and combat gameplay,Evil Dead: The Gameis a great addition to this list.
Aliendefined a generation of horror, with its famous tagline “In space no one can hear you scream”. The franchise continued to grow and evolve with more action-centric entries becoming popularized, toeing the line between science-fiction, action, and horror.
Aliens: Dark Descentis set 19 years after the original trilogy, following a squad of colonial marines as they attempt to survive andclear the threat of rogue agents and Xenomorphs. The top-down strategy gameplay sees players command the squad in battles to survive. Players are able to upgrade their Marines in between missions and revisit areas to discover everything the game has to offer.Aliens: Dark Descentcaptures the feel ofAliensin an inventive way and is one of the best licensed games on the PS5.
Star Warsis one of the most lucrative movie franchises of all time, with nine mainline entries, multiple spin-offs, TV series, and expanded media. With three movie trilogies to exploreLego Star Wars: The Skywalker Sagaretells the series in a comedic and thoroughly entertaining way.
Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Sagafeatures five missions from each episode in the Skywalker movies, beginning withThe Phantom Menaceand ending withThe Rise of Skywalker.The game brings hours of entertainment in this retelling withhundreds of collectibles and objectiveswhilst retelling the Skywalker movies with the humor only the Lego games franchise can do. From the expansive worlds featured from Naboo to Hoth,Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Sagais a culmination of all the excellent progress the Lego games have made over the years.
TheJurassic Parkfranchise began in 1993, now featuring six movies with a seventh to be released in 2025. The eponymousJurassic Parkis a theme park created to showcase dinosaurs to the public, but when aiming to keep huge predators captive, things always go wrong.
Jurassic World Evolution 2gives players the opportunity to make their very own parkand are tasked with creating the ultimate theme park, whilst also preventing any catastrophes that could occur when keeping dinosaurs, like escapes during a storm, in an attempt to keep guests safe. The game excels with its ability to let players tour the park they’re building and examine the dinosaurs up close whilst unlocking all the available species.
Star Wars Jedi: Survivorcontinues the story of the Jedi, Cal Kestis, following the ending ofStar Wars Jedi: Fallen Order,with Cal fighting the Empire to stand as a beacon of hope in a galaxy far, far away.
TheStar Wars Jedifranchise combines excellent action gameplay with stellar storytelling. In its second entry, Cal Kestis undergoes many trials and tribulations with twists and turns along the way. The story of Jedi Survivor is where the game shines, with Cal reuniting with his crew fromStar Wars Jedi: Fallen Orderto stop the villainous Rayvis.The game also shines with its combatand level design, with six planets to explore.
Spider-Man is one of the most popular superheroes of all time, with appearances in comics, TV, movies, and games. TheMarvel’s Spider-manfranchise began withMarvel’s Spider-manon the PS4 and was followed byMarvel’s Spider-man: Miles Morales,and with the third entry into the franchise, they created the best-licensed game on the PS5 to date.
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2builds on the excellent free-flowing combat system present in its previous two entries, combining it with epic boss fights against Sand-Man and Kraven the Hunter. The game excels in its story and open world, with a fully explorable New York City with huge numbers of collectibles and side objectives to complete.Marvel’s Spider-Man 2presents a new story that hits emotional heights for both Peter Parker, Miles Morales, and their alter-egos learning to trust each other and confront their demons. With superb storytelling and exciting action set pieces,Marvel’s Spider-Man 2is the best-licensed game on the PS5.
