It seems that lately, you can’t have a successful story-driven game without Hollywood attempting an adaptation. With shows like HBO’s The Last of Us, Amazon Prime’s Fallout, and upcoming God of War, as well as films like Sonic the Hedgehog, Tomb Raider, Super Mario, The Legend of Zelda, Mortal Kombat, Iron Lung… I could keep going; the list of upcoming adaptations is piling up incredibly quickly.
Once upon a time, it used to be that the opposite was true, that when a film came out, you could bet that there’d be a poorly developed video game tie-in not long behind it.
These games were subpar, and that’s me being extremely generous. They were more often than not lazy cash-grabs hoping to trick people (mainly children) into buying something just because it was based on their favourite movie.
But once in a blue moon, something magical would happen. As if by divine providence or merely by chance, these games would end up being… Good? Sometimes, they were even better than the film they were made to promote. This list is dedicated to a handful of the best movie tie-in games I have ever played.
10
Scott Pilgrim vs. The World: The Game
2010 | Ubisoft | PS3,Xbox360
Scott Pilgrim vs. The World is widely considered one of the best films of 2010, especially by me. I love this movie. I also love the graphic novels by Bryan Lee O’Malley, and it’s fair to say I also love the game. It’s a classic arcade-inspired side-scrolling beat ’em up. Much like every other adaptation of the Scott Pilgrim story, this game isn’t subtle when it comes to its references or inspirations. The series creator, as well as the film’s Director, Edgar Wright, had a hand in the development of the game, and it shows. There’s not just respect but a clear admiration for the source material.
The game has great pixel art, a fantastic chiptune soundtrack (by Anamanaguchi), fun gameplay, and, for any Pilgrim-heads out there, a branching narrative based on what character you decide to play as. The game was updated and re-released on PS4, Xbox One, and the Nintendo Switch in 2021 and is definitely worth some attention.
9
The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie
2004 | THQ | PS2, Xbox, GameCube, PC
“You don’t need a licence to drive a sandwich”. Incredible. The SpongeBob Movie is one of those rare instances where the film will hold up to your, now “grown-up”, sensibilities. The game follows the plot of the film closely, and a lot of the mechanics in-game are related to said plot. Specifically, the upgrade system and the ‘Manliness Points’ SpongeBob and Patrick need to collect. This game is a glowing example of developers actually caring about the game they make.
It’s an extremely competent early 2000’s action platformer with wit and charm that permeates the SpongeBob SquarePants brand. It was ported to the PS3 in 2012, but it had significant technical issues and was quietly pulled from the PlayStation Store… So if you want to play this one, it’s time to blow the dust off the PS2.
8
Mad Max
2015 | Warner Bros. | PS4, Xbox One, PC
If you loved the Arkham games, you’ll like this. Mad Max really makes you feel like Batman, with a similar combat system but with an emphasis on driving and vehicular combat. You take control of the eponymous Max (who is mad) as he wanders the wasteland of what used to be Australia in search of some McGuffin. In classic Mad Max fashion, some crazy wastelander called Scrotus comes along and makes an enemy of Max by stealing his car.
You spend the majority of the game upgrading your replacement car, The Magnum Opus, with an NPC pal, charmingly named Chumbucket, as Max reluctantly continues to be the only halfway decent person in the world. While this game wasn’t directly tied to the release of Mad Max: Fury Road, it was released that same year. It was also, unfortunately, released on the same day as Metal Gear Solid V, which some believe contributed to its underwhelming sales. Regardless, it’s an entertaining romp in an open-world apocalypse that’s well worth your time.
7
Cars
2004 | THQ | PS2, Xbox, GameCube, PC, Wii
Listen, this one could be nostalgia talking, but I remember absolutely loving this game. Unlike most movie tie-in games, this game takes place after the events of the film. With Cars 2’s quality a hot topic of debate, this game serves as the perfect narrative between Cars and Cars 3… If that’s important to you. Cars itself is an adventure racing game where you, as Lightning McQueen, lock in and train your ass bumper off to win the next Piston Cup.
The game has a fair few milestone races Lightning must participate in to qualify for the Piston Cup. In between these races, there are mini-games like Tractor Tipping and a Tire-Hunt on top of what I consider to be the single greatest aspect of this game, the open-world Radiator Springs you can explore.
You can unlock multiple different characters to race and explore as, there’s a phenomenal soundtrack, and to top it all off, the film’s voice cast reprise their roles! Honestly, you can skip Cars 2 and just play this beauty. Then watch Cars 3 because it’s honestly not that bad.
6
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
2002 | EA | PS2, Xbox, GameCube, PC
Listen, I’m not a fan of her either, but this list is about good movie tie-ins, and this is just a damn good game. It’s a loose adaptation of the film and the book, and funnily enough, acts as a sequel to the first Harry Potter game. The vibe of this game is wholly unique. There’s a certain level of horror here, although I say that very generously. There is an oppressive feel to some of the levels in this game, and frankly, it does feel very much like Harry (and by extension, you) is in a great amount of danger in some sections.
However, once things chill out narratively, the game can really just be a great place to hang out. Once you unlock your broom, there are dedicated moments you can free-fly around Hogwarts and the surrounding areas, completing side quests, finding collectables, and frankly just seeing the sights.
5
The Thing
2002 | Black Label Games | PS2, Xbox, PC
This one genuinely surprised me. For those who don’t know, The Thing might just be one of the best horror films ever made. It’s about a group of researchers in Antarctica who get attacked by The Thing, a creature that can assimilate and imitate other organisms, like people. This game is set after the events of the film as you follow Blake, a special forces Captain, as he’s sent to find out what happened to the research team.
This game was a commercial hit! It sold over a million copies worldwide, and in 2024, a remaster was released. The game opens and immediately hits you with an eerie and cold atmosphere as you immediately explore a ravaged Antarctic research base, the buildings are destroyed, there’s blood spatter on the walls, and more than a few corpses that look as though they’ve been ripped apart.
The game is a single-player shooter, where you command up to 3 NPCs, all with their own skills and talents, as well as a Fear/Trust system. The choices you make in gameplay matter; if your allies begin to distrust you, they’ll suspect that you’re a Thing, and they will attack. Each NPC also has a “Limit” to what they can handle, becoming more and more fearful the more horrors they begin to witness. Honestly, this is such a blast to play and wholly ahead of its time.
4
007 Golden Eye
1996 | Nintendo | N64
Golden Eye is a classic for a reason. At the time of it’s realease, it was a pioneer in not just the genre, but in home consoles as a whole. I probably can’t say a whole lot about Golden Eye that the general public doesn’t already know; it certainly felt like a game that would’ve been criminal to ignore for this list. James Bond, as a franchise, has an extremely long and prosperous legacy that doesn’t seem to be going anywhere. 007 First Light already has a great deal of people excited
Golden Eye’s impact on gaming culture cannot be understated; Its singleplayer campaign is remembered for popularising atmospheric-narrative-based missions, and to this day, it’s considered one of the all-time greatest multiplayer party games from the N64-era. It sold over eight million copies! Making it the third best-selling Nintendo 64 game behind Mario Kart 64 and Super Mario 64.
3
Spider-Man 2
2004 | THQ | PS2, Xbox, GameCube, PC, PSP
This is an uncontroversial inclusion, but one that this list would be incomplete without. Spider-Man 2 is probably the best superhero film of all time, and the game was widely considered one of, if not the definitive Spider-Man game, before 2018’s. It’s known mainly for its physics-based Web Swinging, which was revolutionary. The majority of the film’s cast reprise their roles for the game (with varying enthusiasm), and the entire game was humorously narrated by Bruce Campbell. The game loosely follows the plot of the film, but has significant variations when it comes to characters and set pieces.
I love this game, and it really set the standard for what a Spider-Man game should be… I will say, however, that if you want a classic, physics-based, Spider-Man game that’s SLIGHTLY better than Spider-Man 2, you really need to check out the Ultimate Spider-Man game that came out in 2005. Not only is it a well-written game with a very cool artstyle, but you can also play as Venom. There’s a level where, as Venom, you fight Wolverine in a dive bar… I mean, come on!
2
X2: Wolverine’s Revenge
2002 | Activision | PS2, Xbox, GameCube, PC
Speaking of Wolverine, X2: Wolverine’s Revenge is another underappreciated PS2 gem. This is one of those movie games that has next to nothing to do with the movie it’s named after… Which is probably why it’s so good. The game has an original story written by Comic Writer Larry Hama, where, during his time at the Weapon X facility, Logan was implanted with a killer virus called ‘The Shiva Strain’. The Virus is now active in Wolverine’s system, and he has 48 hours to find a cure. The only thing this game has in common with any of the X-Men movies is Patrick Stewart as Professor X and a big picture of Hugh Jackman on the cover.
The game itself suffers from early 2000’s clunk and a less-than-ideal checkpoint system, and despite some challenging segments, X2: Wolverine’s Revenge is a really underrated Stealth/Action adventure through a grittier, bloodier Marvel Universe. There are plenty of unlockable costumes and other hidden goodies spread throughout the game’s six chapters. Mark Hamill does a stupendous job as Logan and has quickly become a personal favourite of mine as far as voices for the character go.
I had to choose X2 based purely on my own love of the game, but there is another Wolverine Movie Tie-in that’s better than the film it’s based on. Consider this the only honourable mention on this list; X-Men Origins: Wolverine for the PS3 and Xbox360 is an incredible game that was also forced late into development to be tied to a film. Hopefully, Insomniac Games’ new Wolverine game breaks the cycle and is allowed to be its own thing.
1
Peter Jackson’s King Kong:
The Official Game of the Movie
2005 | Ubisoft | PS2, Xbox, GameCube, PC
Now this… This is a movie game if I’ve ever played one. Peter Jackson’s King Kong: The Official Game of the Movie (Christ, what a title). Once again, we have a star-studded cast, as the major players from the film reprise their roles; Jack Black and Naomi Watts give stellar performances, and Adrien Brody is there too. The thing that stands out to me about this game is its complete lack of a HUD, which really immerses you into the gloomy environments of Skull Island.
For the majority of the game, you play as Adrien Brody’s Jack Driscoll, a New York script writer aboard a ship to the mysterious Skull Island at the behest of film director Carl Denham (Jack Black) and actress Ann Darrow (Naomi Watts). When you eventually “land” on the island, monsters almost immediately attack you. Jack is kind of badass as he picks up giant bones and discarded spears, which he can throw at the creatures. There are also numerous types of firearms scattered around Skull Island, either relics left behind by past expeditions or thrown to you by your allies. Given that there’s no HUD menu, a button is dedicated to Jack announcing how many bullets he has left or if he needs to reload. It’s honestly impressively immersive and way cooler than it has any right being.
Then we get to what I’d refer to as the other side of the coin. You see, this game has two playable characters, Jack Driscoll and the King himself. The Kong sections of the game are just cool, no ifs and/or buts. As King Kong, you can punch, grab, and thrash corpses around as weapons and go into Monkey ModeTM. Kong has a powerful fury mode where the sky changes colour, and your attacks become much more devastating.
The game even has a Peter Jackson-approved alternate ending, which I won’t spoil. This game was an absolute pleasure to discover, and I’m happy to say I’m not the only person in the world to think that this is one of, if not THE best, Movie-Tie in film. It has the film’s cast giving great performances, it has innovative and immersive gameplay, you get to play as King Kong, and it even has a director-approved alternate ending. Peter Jackson’s King Kong: The Official Game of the Movie is honestly so worth the time it takes to say the title, and if you’ve taken anything from this list, please find a way to play it.
