Along with releasing all sorts of remakes, reboots, sequels, and prequels, modern cinema is very fond of creating films inspired by famous video games. Today, video games play a huge role in the various spheres of mass entertainment. And already in the last three years, we got the chance to see the long-awaited movie versions of “Warcraft”, “Assassin’s Creed”, the final part of the “Resident Evil”, the new “Tomb Raider”, and much more. But it so happened that many films based on games turned out to be a big disappointment. Nevertheless, among the long list of bad movies, you can find quite high-quality representatives that will be interesting not only to fans of the respective games but also to the ordinary viewer. So, here is our top 10 best movies based on video games!
10. Assassin’s Creed (2016)
Thanks to revolutionary technologies that allow recalling the memories of previous generations, Callum Lynch resides in the adventures of his ancestor Aguilar in Spain in the 15th century. Callum finds out that he is a descendant of members of the mysterious secret society of assassins. Having accumulated incredible knowledge and skills, he comes into conflict with the powerful and brutal organization of the Templars in our day.
Michael Fassbender does a good job playing Aguilar and the other characters in the film are, at best, likable. It’s a dissent movie adaptation of one of the most popular modern games today, but to be honest, we all expected a lot more from this, I mean, like a lot more.
9. Mortal Kombat (1995)
This is one of our personal favourite movies on the list because we grew up watching it countless times. Also, some of us were huge fan of the Mortal Kombat games and watching this film was something really special for us. We must have seen it like 30 times and I still can’t get enough. Besides the nostalgia, it is actually a pretty well-done film. You can feel the respect that the cast and the director have for the game and they are doing everything they can not screw it up.
The story is based on a black magician who took over the world martial arts tournament in his power so that the people of the whole Earth would feel horror and obedience to the dark forces. But this will happen only when all the strongest warriors of the World are beaten in the arena of this tournament. To defend their honor, and save the planet, the greatest warriors will face a deadly battle with the soldiers of darkness.
But in the deadly battle, in which the soldiers of both sides have to fight, there are many dodges from the black magician. It will be understandable if you are not very impressed by the plot, but, believe us, this is a film worth your time, no matter if you are a fan of the Mortal Kombat franchise or not. Check it out!
8. Max Payne (2008)
We remember the times when we played the game and we were so addicted to it that we hardly got any sleep at all. It had one of the most amazing atmospheres you can possibly ask for. The feeling was like you were watching a real-life movie. When we heard about the film based on the game, we were so thrilled that ве couldn’t wait for the premiere. Was it half as good as the game? No. Was it that bad? Also no.
You see, with movies based on video games, there is always some kind of a disappointment you have to face. It’s inevitable. We recommend you see the film if you haven’t because it got a lot to offer, especially if you are a Max Payne fan. The atmosphere is there, the story is well told, the acting is decent and is really worth the time.
The plot of the movie follows very close the one of the game. The employee of the Anti-Drug Administration has nothing to complain about. He has everything: an excellent job, a loving wife, and a small child. In short, not life, but the American dream, which one day turns into the most terrible nightmare: a psychopath kills his family.
From now on Max has only one goal – to take revenge. But revenge is complicated by the fact that he is unfairly accused of murder, and everybody is trying to catch him – the New York Police Department, the criminal world, and the city authorities. Now he really has nothing to lose and nothing to fear. With such a desperate determination, only Max Payne is able to shed light on all the secrets associated with the destruction of his family, and most importantly, to receive the satisfaction of revenge, which he so craves.
7. Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (2001)
The adventure fantasy action movie “Lara Croft: Tomb Raider” is a movie adaptation of the popular computer game Tomb Raider. The film tells about the adventures of archaeologist Lara Croft, who is not afraid to risk her life and is constantly in extreme conditions. Lara is an intelligent and beautiful woman, she has an excellent physical training and amazing combat skills, performs a variety of dangerous stunts, and can shoot with any type of weapon you can imagine. She is the daughter of the English lord Richard Croft, who suddenly disappeared without a trace.
She never recovered from the loss, and at night she dreams of her father who warns Lara about the parade of the planets of the solar system, occurring every five thousand years. At this time, the Order of the Illuminati is about to begin searching for some ancient relic that will be used during the parade of the planets. Lara finds in her house an old clock, activated before the parade of the planets and directly connected with the Triangle of Light – the most ancient relic that the Illuminati need. It’s hard not to fall under the charms of Angelina Jolie, that’s for sure. The movie is a bit naive and makes any sense from time to time, but is everything you might expect to see – Lara Croft jumping, shooting and kicking ass! So that’s more than enough for me!
6. Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children (2005)
In 2005, one of the most beautiful computers animated movies came out – “Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children”, based on the popular Final Fantasy series. The plot of the movie starts two years after the events of the game Final Fantasy VII. The world is on the brink of death and only the protagonist with a bizarre hairstyle and a giant sword behind him can save him. The film looks amazing even today, 13 years after its release and it fascinates with it’s attention to detail, beautiful landscapes, and amazing action scenes. The bottom line – this is a worthy movie adaptation of one of the best games ever made.
5. Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time (2010)
The brave hero of the world famous computer game Prince of Persia finally got a movie adaptation. Even before it was released, critics promised success and an army of fans. The screen version turned out to be magnificent: the main character – Prince Dastan (played by Jake Gyllenhaal) looked very impressive and likable. The style of the movie is like a beautiful oriental fairy tale with all the proper attributes.
The plot of the film “Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time” is about the adopted son of the Persian shah Prince Dastan, who was preparing to become the head of the state. But suddenly, his father, King Shanahan perishes and everyone decides that Dastan killed his father. The prince is forced to flee the palace. In exile, he learns of the magical power of a dagger, which he accidentally found in the city. But now this dagger is under reliable supervision in the castle. And in order to return the throne, Dastan will need the dagger.
4. Need for Speed (2014)
It will not be too much if we say that is the most popular racing game ever made. We guess it was kind of logical to see a movie adaptation, and it is better than you might expect. In the center of the story is a young guy, a talented auto mechanic, and racer Toby Marshall, who loves sports cars and everything connected with them. This passion was passed on from his father, as well as the family car repair shop where Toby is engaged in the technical tuning of the “iron horses”.
In order not to lose his business, he takes the share of the former NASCAR racer Dino Brewster, who invests a lot of money in the workshop. But when business starts to make a good profit, Dino rigidly substitutes his partner, which leads not only to the arrest and to several years of imprisonment of Toby, but also to the death of his close friend. After his release, all that Toby wants is sweet revenge.
3. Tomb Raider (2018)
Lara is a very independent daughter who is trying to complete the work of her father-archaeologist. Last time she saw him was when she was a teenager and has not heard anything about him since. For a long time Lara believed that he went on another trip, but over the years she realized that most likely her father had died.
But one day Lara decides to find out the truth and start looking for her father, who left some clues behind. A decisive and brave girl is waiting for the mystery of the mysterious island, the truth about the secret organization “Trinity”, which plans a worldwide genocide, as well as the struggle for survival in the stuffed traps of the ancient tomb. The fate of mankind now depends on Lara Croft.
Tomb Raider is one of the most recognizable games ever, and it has millions of fans all over the Earth. It’s a new beginning for the franchise, as Angelina Jolie steps aside and the young Academy award winner Alicia Vikander plays the role of Lara Croft. It’s a fresh new start and it’s definitely a good one. One thing is for sure, this is not gonna be the last time we will see our favourite character on the big screen.
2. Resident Evil (2002)
In a giant underground laboratory, a dangerous virus breaks free, instantly turning its victims into zombies. One bite or scratch is enough so that a person becomes a distraught devourer of living flesh.
The military is sent to a secret complex, fighting with terrible mutated animals and hungry monsters. A group of special forces is also sent there, joined by the charming Alice and the brave police officer Matt. They only have three hours to destroy the virus before it spreads across the Earth.
In our opinion, one of the best movies based on video games ever made. It’s dark and brutal, the atmosphere is great and the soundtrack fits very well. If you haven’t seen it yet, we strongly recommend you should do that. You can easily skip the other movies of the franchise that came out after the first one, believe us, you won’t regret it.
1. Silent Hill (2006)
We had a really hard time choosing the number one on the list but that’s what a countdown is for, right? So here, I’ll have to go with this horror flick from 2006. The Silent Hill game is one if the best in the horror genre and has become an all-time classic. When the movie came out, the excitement was huge and the expectations were enormous. Fortunately, they didn’t screw it up this time!
The movie’s plot is about a young mother (Rose), desperate to find a cure for the mysterious illness of her daughter Sharon. Together with her, she travels to Silent Hill, a city whose name her daughter keeps repeating in her sleep. Despite the resistance of her husband, Rose is convinced that she will find there the answers that she needs so much. But when they approach the abandoned city, a mysterious figure appears on the road, Rose brakes abruptly, and the car gets into an accident. When she regains consciousness, she discovers that Sharon has disappeared.
In the company of a female policeman, Rose goes in search of her child to Silent Hill. The city is covered with fog, and it is inhabited by strange, damned creatures. From time to time the town plunges into darkness that literally changes everything that touches.
In search of her daughter, Rose learns about the history of Silent Hill, his Puritan past, full of violence, and the causes of the curse hanging over the city. She realizes her child is only part of a big, horrific puzzle.
Here are some honorable mentions:
Street Fighter (1994)
Silent Hill: Revelation (2012)
Doom (2005)
Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life (2003)
Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within (2001)
Warcraft (2016)
Pixels (2015)