Robin Bhuyan
Video games and movies are two distinct mediums, each having its own uniqueness and appeal. Watching a movie is often a more cost-effective form of entertainment, and it also has the advantage of allowing friends and family to enjoy the experience together! If we compare this with video games, although they offer more immersive experiences, the experience is tailored to individual players and in most cases only one person can enjoy the game at a time. In addition, access to the amazing world of video games requires specialized hardware like consoles or high-end PCs, and unfortunately, this limits its accessibility compared to movies, which can be enjoyed by anyone with a screen and/or a ticket!
Over the past three decades, there have been video games, that leave such a profound impact that keep fans wanting to share the experience with a wider audience. This leads filmmakers to venture into translating popular and well-loved games into movies, which is never an easy task. Many a time, these adaptations have not just failed to capture the essence of their source, but they have also failed to connect with the audiences on any level. Here, we are going to take a look at top 6 six movies that failed, despite being adapted from popular and highly successful games.
Hitman: Agent 47 (2015)
The Hitman games have received a lot of popularity and appreciation all over the world, due to being one of its kind. The story is about an assassin-for-hire Agent 47, who works for a secret non-political organization known as the ICA. The games take us to various locations around the world, as we play as Agent 47, as he takes out his various targets. The best thing about this gaming series was that it allowed a player multiple choices regarding how they want to get rid of their targets, and one could complete a mission without even killing a single person other than their target. While this concept seems interesting and unique, it might be difficult to adapt it onto the screen. The first Hitman movie released in the year 2007 was somewhat interesting, though it didn’t stick to the source material. The second movie Hitman Agent, which came out in 2015, turned out to be even worse, filled with dull violence and characters devoid of any personality.
Max Payne (2008)
The Max Payne gaming series, which tells the story of an undercover cop who embarks on a lengthy mission after losing his family, had gained a lot of positive reception from critics and audience. The movie based on the game, which was released in 2008, received the Award for ‘Best Videogame Adaptation’ from IGN, but it received harsh reviews from fans and critics. Unlike the video games, the movie did not connect well with the audiences. Mark Wahlberg, who played the role of the lead role, received a Golden Raspberry Award nomination for Worst Actor!
Resident Hill: Welcome to Racoon City (2021)
The Resident Evil gaming franchise is considered one of the best action horror gaming franchises to exist, especially due to Resident Evil 2, Resident Evil 4, and Resident Evil Village. Although the movies adapted from the games have received mostly negative reception from critics and fans, they have been hugely successful commercially. Resident Hill: Welcome to Racoon City was released as a reboot of the film franchise in 2021, but unlike the previous movies, the film promised to deliver a more accurate representation of the Resident Evil universe. However, the film was met with mixed reviews, and its biggest problem is that it was overstuffed.
Silent Hill Revelation (2012)
The Silent Hill franchise is another one of the most popular and successful horror gaming franchises, especially known for Silent Hill 2, which is considered by many as the best horror game in the history of gaming. However, the movies failed to live up to the mark. The 2012 film Silent Hill Revelation turned out to be quite terrible, as compared to the prequel, and although it makes attempts to recapture the psychological depth and suspense of the games, the movie fails big time.
Assassins Creed (2016)
The Assassins Creed gaming franchise has been one of the most popular gaming franchises in the history of gaming. The story revolves around The Assassin Brotherhood, a group that wants to preserve humanity’s free will, and their fight against The Templars, a group that wants to establish peace through control. The 2016 movie based on the games tried to bring the rich historical intrigue and intense action of the Assassins Creed universe to the screen. However, the film was a failure and didn’t connect with fans, and the most notable reason is probably because they totally diverted from the main story which is the very reason that made the game super successful!
Tekken (2009)
Tekken is one of the most popular and highly rated fighting games. However, its movie adaptation entirely failed to live up to the mark. It was hugely criticized for poor storytelling, as well as for not developing the characters properly.
Far Cry (2008)
On top of our list is Far Cry, which released in 2008. Based on the popular action game franchise Far Cry, it tells the story of a journalist who attempts to investigate a top-secret military base on an enigmatic island, where sinister things might be going on. The film failed to capture the essence of the video games and was hugely criticized for poor execution. It was met with hugely negative reception, and it can be considered the best example of how not to adapt a movie from a video game!
Therefore, if you ever feel intrigued by any of these gaming franchises, and feel like you want to delve into any of these universes, whether it be the Hitman Universe, or the Resident Evil universe, it would be better to experience them through the video games, rather than going for their movie adaptations- because although it might sound harsh – the movies can’t even offer you half the rich and fulfilling experience that the games can!
Also, this topic brings us an interesting question – why do filmmakers fail to adapt successful games into decent movies? Is it because the video games are so good that they have already set the bar too high, or is it because it is not just possible to adapt a 10–30 hour game into a 2-hour movie?
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