Ten Films that Would Make Great Games

March 5, 2010

Ten Films that Would Make Great
Games

We drum up some great films that
would make for a fine transition to gaming platforms.

Starring Matt Damon , Universal’s
upcoming film Green Zone is an action-thriller set in Iraq just before the
military surge and follows a warrant officer (played by Damon) as he assists the
CIA in searching for weapons of mass destruction. With big action set pieces in
a war torn country, Green Zone has an intense feel and high level of suspense
that would make it a great fit for a video game.

Films have been making the
transition from the silver screen to videogames since the early days of Atari,
but very rarely are these games met with critical acclaim. There have been some
standouts over the years, but for the most part they are disappointing shells of
their film counterparts. However, there are some films out there that seem to be
perfect for the world of videogames that haven’t gotten their due. Here’s others
some that would be great for gaming:

10. Equilibrium
This underrated action title had some great gunplay and a cool story, two prime
ingredients for a high-octane action game.

9. Smokin’ Aces
The original film featured intense shootouts in confined hotels and crazy
characters as well as some high-powered weaponry, making for a fine translation
into the realm of video games.

8. District 9
One of most well-received films of last year, District 9 was not only a fine
symbolic look at South African race relations, but also featured some great
action sequences and alien weaponry that subtly seemed to reference games like
Half-Life 2.

7. Gladiator
Ridley Scott’s Roman epic brought back a genre that hadn’t been in the
mainstream for decades and introduced a great hero in Maximus. Waging
gladiatorial battles in the Coliseum would be a perfect fit for a video game.

6. Children of Men
This excellent sci-fi film played out like a collection of news footage from a
warzone, and the stoic Theo would be a fine lead for an action game.

5. Vanishing Point
Kowalski’s cross-state trip is a classic of 70’s film, and the game would have
to feature the same variety of awesome car chases as well as the immortal white
1970 Dodge Challenger.

4. Se7en
David Fincher’s crime opus brought the former music video director into the
forefront and showed him to be one of the most atmospheric directors around. A
game version would definitely have to capitalize on the ambience that the
director was capable of while utilizing some great crime scene investigation
elements, something that can be done capably in a video game as evidenced by
titles like Condemned: Criminal Origins.

3. The Running Man
With a cadre of themed villains (like the motorcycle riding Buzzsaw and electric
Dynamo), a killing game show premise, and a strong hero filled with quippy
one-liners, this one needs a good video-game translation.

2. Kill Bill
Tarantino’s two film arc would be great for a video game (or two), especially
with huge samurai sword-driven battles, iconic villains, and a thrilling
showdown at the end.

1. Big Trouble in Little China
This one has it all; a snarky badass hero, awesome fight scenes and great
villains. Include a vehicle level on the Porkchop Express and a midair sword
fight and you’ve got a sure-fire cult hit.

 

Universal’s Green Zone hits
theaters everywhere March 12, 2010.