Gaming and films have always had close ties. Being two of the most popular entertainment media in the world, it’s little wonder that the ideas represented in one often find their way into the other. But thanks to the legacy of cinema, it has often been the primary source of influence for games, rather than the other way around.
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PostsPlenty of games have been made into movies over the years. But the way movies have affected games can be more subtle, with industry trends helping to shape the titles we know and love.
8 The Matrix
Release Year
1999
Influence
Bullet Time
Games Of Note
Max Payne, FEAR
The Matrix is one of the most significant pop culture movies of all time. The trilogy managed to reshape the way action and science fiction are represented on screen, not to mention how cool trench coats and sunglasses could look. Arguably, the most recognizable scene comes from Keanu Reeve’s Neo bending backwards to dodge a series of bullets in slow motion — an incredibly cool feat that gaming was quick to replicate.
Bullet time has become a staple of many action games over the years, but all of them can trace their roots back to Remedy’s Max Payne. A gritty detective story that allows you to trigger a slow-motion effect when diving, creating an awesome display of bullets whizzing by while you fire off a barrage of your own. It truly makes you feel like The One.
7 Alien
Release Year
1979
Influence
Oppressive space atmosphere
Games Of Note
Metroid, Doom
Ridley Scott’s iconic horror action flick is a pop culture staple. Few out there would be unable to recognize the terrifying design of the Xenomorph. But outside just the iconography, the Alien series has many other themes and ideas that have found their way into gaming. One such element is the dark, claustrophobic ambiance used to excellent effect on screen.
These principles were carried over into gaming, most notably 1986’s Metroid. Though dated by today’s standards, the graphics, sound, and gameplay all managed to create an oppressive atmosphere few games before had managed to capture. For a more direct correlation, Samus is a female protagonist in the same vein as Ellen Ripley. One of the primary antagonists of the series is even named after the director, the towering winged alien Ridley.
6 '80s Action Films
Release Year
1980s
Influence
Bombastic over-the-top action
Games Of Note
Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon, Broforce
The action films of the '80s have stood the test of time, with many still being household names to this day. Terminator, Robocop, and Rambo shaped this era of silver-screen action with their engaging stories and incredible visual effects. However, in recent years, these films have garnered a different kind of reputation due in large part to how cheesy they can sometimes appear to the modern eye.
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PostsMany games have sought to capitalize on this trend with titles like Broforce, while others have gone for a more direct route like 2023’s Robocop. But no game has captured the spirit of this era of filmmaking quite like Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon. A standalone spin-off, Blood Dragon is unapologetically '80s with its neon-drenched jungles and synth soundtrack. But whereas others have used these elements to spoof the movies of the times, Ubisoft instead created something that would fit right in with the other action greats.
5 Dawn Of The Dead
Release Year
1978
Influence
Hordes Of Zombies In Shopping Mall
Games Of Note
Dead Rising, Killing Floor 2
George A Romero has, in many ways, shaped the way we view zombies in media. His horror filmography is full of classics. From the early days of Night of tthe Living Dead in 1968 up to Survival of the Dead in 2009, his impact on the genre cannot be understated. Incidentally, it could be his naming conventions that led to the oversaturation of the word ‘dead’ in zombie titles like Left 4 Dead, Dead Island, and Dead Space.
Then there is, of course, Dead Rising. Capcom’s other zombie killing series that sees you assume the role of Frank West, part-time journalist and full-time zombie killing machine. Trapped in a mall, he must use whatever means necessary to slaughter the shambling dead. With creatures and a setting bearing an uncanny resemblance to Dawn of the Dead, Dead Rising lets you live out the fantasy of turning a shopping mall into a chopping mall.
4 John Wick
Release Year
2014
Influence
Intense stylish gunfights
Games Of Note
Pistol Whip, Fights In Tight Spaces
It feels as though any project that gets Keanu Reeves attached to it is certain to make waves in pop culture in some way or another. Series like Bill and Ted, The Matrix, and John Wick have all managed to see their time in the limelight. The stylish, violent series of action movies has managed to capture the attention of audiences with its stunning gunfights.
A few different games have managed to get their hold on the Baba Yaga through collaboration events like Payday 2 and Fortnite. But a game that truly captures the pulse-pounding action is the VR title Pistol Whip, an on-rails shooter that rewards you for fighting in time with the beat. You’ll even be able to use some of John Wick’s iconic hardware, completing the experience of simulating the world’s most deadly assassin.
3 Black Hawk Down
Release Year
2001
Influence
Modern Military Action
Games Of Note
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, Medal of Honor
Military films are often a harrowing watch. Seeing the people of the armed forces put into perilous situations is not the kind of thing all audiences enjoy. A sentiment that only becomes more truthful for films as personal and gritty as Black Hawk Down. It, along with other modern military focused movies, helped to usher in new ways that war could be portrayed in cinema.
The same is true for gaming. For its first few entries, the now iconic Call of Duty series focused on World War 2. While these games were enjoyable in their own right, it was a push towards covering more modern conflicts that encouraged Call of Duty to do the same. While Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare chose not to follow any particular real-life conflict, many of its themes and sequences were directly inspired by movies like Black Hawk Down.
2 Quarantine
Release Year
2008
Influence
Found Footage
Games Of Note
Outlast, Slenderman
The horror genre is easily one of the most dynamic in all fiction. As generations change and sensibilities alter, what scares people can change radically. The Red Scare of the 1950s inspired the Invasion of The Body Snatchers, while the Manson Murders of the 1970s brought with it the slasher genre. In the late '90s and early 2000s, a new kind of horror made its way to the scene. The ever-so-personal found footage film.
These creepy flicks involve toying with the fourth wall, with the camera and those recordings being a central part of the story. Quarantine is one such movie, a unique zombie feature that inspired the likes of Outlast. The added layer of documenting the horror around you leads to a sense of immersion that greatly elevated horror in gaming as seen in other internet sensations like Slender: The Eight Pages and The Backrooms.
1 Heat
Release Year
1995
Influence
Action-packed crime stories
Games Of Note
Payday, Grand Theft Auto
Ever since the original Scarface in 1932, audiences have loved a good crime movie, and in that genre, there are few titles more iconic than 1995's Heat. With a star-studded cast, the film tells the story of both a gang of bank robbers and the detective who is trying to track them down. It's filled with great action and memorable sequences, possessing many of the elements that made director Micheal Mann such an acclaimed filmmaker.
These themes have also worked their way into gaming. Most notably with games like Payday: The Heist. Whether it be the now iconic masks or urban gunfights against legions of cops, Payday along with other crime-based shooters owe much of their success to Heat.
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