These Classic Action Movie Franchises Could be Revitalized as Video Games – CBR

It’s no secret that the 1980s was a golden age for pop culture. It produced some of the world’s biggest franchises that Hollywood is still cashing in on today. In a way, they were like the Triple-A video games of the time. Insert a simple premise, a cool testosterone-filled protagonist, and each with a unique gimmick to make them unique. The 80s action movies deeply inspired many classic games to come, with countless iconic films such as Rambo, The Terminator, and Predator — to name a few.

As the decades have rolled by, many of these beloved film franchises have either been forgotten or died shamefully, while gaming, on the other hand, has only gotten bigger and bigger. While some of the 80s Icons have found a second life in the world of video games, many are yet to find their place in modern times. Movie remakes may be a distasteful choice for their legacy, but alternatively, everybody loves a good video game.

10 Die Hard: The Ultimate Survival Horror Action Series

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Die Hard is easily one of the most beloved action movies of all time. It also already had several largely forgotten video game adaptations, including Die Hard: Trilogy (1996) & Die Hard Trilogy 2: Viva Las Vegas (2000). While Die Hard is no stranger to the video game treatment, its attempts have so far been nothing more than cheap movie tie-in games or Arcade Machines.

Die Hard would be perfectly suited for a modern Triple-A title. Set in Nakatomi Plaza, on Christmas Eve, players can be greeted by an experience that plays on modern first-person shooters, like Call of Duty mixed with elements of survival horror like Resident Evil. This approach would be great for getting players in the shoes of John McClane, mixing puzzle solving with stealth sections and the classic “shoot-em-ups” style gameplay. The concept has more than enough bones to form a fully functioning game franchise that could stand together with the films, even branching off with new stories and new characters. Die Hard is one of the most beloved action films, so why not one of the most beloved video games?

Die Hard

A New York City police officer tries to save his estranged wife and several others taken hostage by terrorists during a Christmas party at the Nakatomi Plaza in Los Angeles.

9 Highlander: Create The One, Be The One

Something of a cult classic, Highlander is the story of an immortal Scottish swordsman whose driving purpose in the film is, “There can be only one”, as he puts it. Connor MacLeod must fight against his fellow Immortals to absorb their power in a process called The Quickening. The last remaining immortal will gain the Prize: a mysterious and powerful new ability for one of their kind.

For a Highlander video game, the word “RPG” should come to mind immediately. Highlander is a story that spans several centuries, but in this case, it would be best suited to the pre-20th century. Whether it be D&D, a Western, or perhaps a Victorian England-based steam punk-like setting. It could be a simple premise; create a custom Immortal, and let the player experience the world in a new and exciting way. A fun multiplayer system, good and bad choices, a deep well of lore and exploration; and the ultimate question, who can be the “only one?”

Highlander

An immortal Scottish swordsman must confront the last of his immortal opponents, a murderously brutal barbarian who lusts for the fabled “Prize”.

8 Batman: A First Person Detective Adventure, in Rubber

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The Dark Knight is no stranger to video games, not even close. The Arkham Series is for many the perfect example of how to do great superhero video games. However, there is an entirely perfect Batman video game that has never been made, one vastly different from what was created by Rocksteady in 2009. Similar to Robocop: Rogue City, Gotham in Tim Burton’s Batman offers up the possibility of a sleek and damp first-person experience. This Batman would lean much closer to the slow-burn Detective side of things with light RPG elements.

Tim Burton’s world of Gotham has a vast amount of iconography that many lovers of Batman would deeply enjoy exploring. As Batman, players can investigate cases, interfere in ongoing crimes, and, of course, battle with some of Batman’s greatest enemies. Though, unlike The Arkham games, players will experience the stiffness of Michael Keaton’s suit, they will be encumbered by the retro technology, and they will not simply be allowed to fly through the air at superhuman speeds. Players will be exposed to a more grounded and intimate setting of Batman’s world, one where fans will need their wits more than their button-mashing.

Batman (1989)

The Dark Knight of Gotham City begins his war on crime with his first major enemy being Jack Napier, a criminal who becomes the clownishly homicidal Joker.

7 Bloodsport: A New Form of Fighting Game

Jean-Claude Van Damme has had a long history with video games. Most famously, a Jean-Claude fighting game was later evolved into what would become Mortal Kombat. The plot of his most famous film, Bloodsport, revolves around an underground world of illegal fighting tournaments and is loosely based on the real-life experiences of martial artist Frank Dux. It’s a simple movie, with a simple premise. While it would be easy to just say “fighting game” in this case, there is no way it could compete with juggernauts like Mortal Kombat or Street Fighter.

However, a potential Bloodsport video game would be perfect for the genre, with some added features to help it stand out. For example, an open-world system would allow players to explore a retro 80s version of Hong Kong, take on side quests, and discover new characters throughout the world. The fight mechanics themselves would be a classic arcade-style fighter, but a new spin on the genre would be an interesting take and a great way for a potential Bloodsport game series to get its foot in the door. It could even be published by NetherRealms Studios, a good chance for Ed Boon to get that Jean-Claude game.

Bloodsport

Bloodsport follows Frank Dux, an American martial artist serving in the military, who decides to leave the army to compete in a martial arts tournament in Hong Kong where fights to the death can occur.

6 Predator: No Action Heroes, All Horror Movie Final Girls

The Predator franchise has had some terrible video games in the past, most recently seen in Predator: Hunting Grounds.Predator should be an easy movie to adapt into game form. The movie is about a small team of special forces being picked off one by one in a tropical jungle by some alien creature in the trees; and with Arnold Schwarzenegger of all people as the lead, a video game would be an obvious sell.

A prime example of how to make a great Predator game is Alien: Isolation. With a simple swap of franchises, from Xenomorphs to Predators, and from the ruins of a space station to a jungle, Predator: Isolation would not need to work too hard to be great. The franchise’s main problem is its need to stay in the action genre, but if it can strip all that down and remember the film’s inherent horror roots; a potential game would be a smash hit.

Predator

A team of commandos on a mission in a Central American jungle find themselves hunted by an extraterrestrial warrior.

5 Commando: The Stupid-Fun, Schwarzenegger First-Person Shooter

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Arnold Schwarzenegger has had several films over the years that would fit right at home in the video game world. One that may not instantly jump out is Commando. Its plot is basic, and its characters are exactly what fans would expect. It’s a movie that is a product of its time, for better or for worse. While Commando wouldn’t go far in the worlds of RPG or Hack-n-Slash games, it does have a good shot at being a great campy first-person shooter.

With the inclusion of Arnold as the lead voice actor, Commando has a real shot at being the next Duke Nukem series, with a lot of signature Arnold screaming and wincing sound effects. While this game wouldn’t take much to be enjoyable with a talented game developer and an engaging play style; the success of the game would be up to one thing, whether Arnold is in or out. Provided a game company can agree to Schwarzenegger’s surly high price point, this series would undoubtedly find new life behind the gaming controller.

Commando

A retired Special Forces colonel tries to save his daughter, who was abducted by his former subordinate.

4 Lethal Weapon: The Revival of Two Franchises

Lethal Weapon is an action film that attempts to be about more than just action. Telling a gripping story about a grizzled old Detective, Murtaugh, played by Danny Glover, trying to come to terms with his daughter’s death. In Lethal Weapon, there are the bones for a fresh walk in the shoes L.A. Noire left behind.

In a lot of ways, a potential grounded adaption of Lethal Weapon could serve as a continuation of L.A. Noire: a period piece set in the 1980s, with two great protagonists players can choose between, that would do wonders to continue the legacy of both franchises. With the involvement of Rockstar Games, this partnership could even result in a healthy melding of both L.A. Noire and a little dash of Grand Theft Auto.

Lethal Weapon

Two newly paired cops who are complete opposites must put aside their differences in order to catch a gang of drug smugglers.

3 The Terminator: The Open World Action RPG

Arnold Schwarzenegger has been in a lot of movies, with The Terminator franchise easily being his most iconic endeavor. While The Terminator is a series filled with plenty of games, none have been remembered very fondly. Its most recent attempt, Terminator: Dark Fate – Defiance, received average reviews and was largely not known about.

Unlike other Arnold movies on this list though, this franchise’s chance for success would be greatly helped by distancing from the original star. There have been many Terminators and even more survivors of Skynet’’s wrath. The Terminator series of video games would do well to avoid the films entirely and build a new story featuring all-new characters. Cyberpunk 2077 immediately comes to mind. An open-world experience that dives deep into the world of RPG would be a breath of fresh air for this IP, and with the incorporation of time travel, the game has an organic way of introducing multiple maps and sandboxes to the story. CD Projekt Red would be a perfect fit for the task; so long as they finish the game before releasing it.

The Terminator (1984)

A human soldier is sent from 2029 to 1984 to stop an almost indestructible cyborg killing machine, sent from the same year, which has been programmed to execute a young woman whose unborn son is the key to humanity’s future salvation.

2 Escape From New York: Nathan Drake Edition

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Released in 1981, Escape From New York is set in the dystopian future of 1997. The film presents a United States that has turned the entire island of Manhattan into a maximum-security prison. Of all the 80s classics, this plot could be the closest to a video game setup; and Snake Plisskin offers up a darker rendition of the Nathan Drake archetype.

Naughty Dog, responsible for the Uncharted series, could be capable of delivering a perfect adaptation of Escape From New York which plays on the game mechanics of Nathan Drake. With proper time to develop a compelling retelling of the original movie; adding in a deep weapons upgrade system, challenging combat sections indicative of the Dark Souls or God of War Series, and a battle-royale style multiplayer. Escape From New York could become the next action adventure juggernaut of the next gen consoles.

Escape From New York

In 1997, when the U.S. president crashes into Manhattan, now a giant maximum security prison, a convicted bank robber is sent in to rescue him.

1 Beverly Hills Cop: GTA Series Meets Bully

One of Eddie Murphy’s best roles, Beverly Hills Cop is easily the most capable of all the 80s action classics to survive in the world of gaming. With a dynamic main character in Axel Fowly and a host of memorable side characters like Sgt. Taggart, Beverly Hills Cop could become the next Grand Theft Auto franchise.

An open world 1980s Los Angeles, from the perspective of a young Axel, Beverly Hills Cop could offer up an alternative Grand Theft Auto: a story like GTA but about stopping crime rather than causing it. Rockstar Games would be the perfect developer to create its own greatest enemy. A potential game to take cues from classics like Bully or Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, while borrowing inspiration from their esthetics and mechanics, respectfully. Bullworth Academy could be the perfect inspiration behind how to portray Fowly’s bustling police department. A sun-soaked adventure with the heart and humor of a beloved 80s icon, Beverly Hills Cop is a video game classic waiting to happen.