While they aren't as prevalent as they once were, video games based on popular films are still being made. These games are often notorious for being bad; mostly due to a rushed production cycle to coincide with the release of the film. While there are some film based video games that are genuinely good, that's not what I'm here to talk about. I'm going to talk about some movie based games that are just plain strange for one reason or another.
One of the first I want to discuss is the 2005 game called "The Warriors" based on the film of the same name from 1979. The game revolves around the plot of the film where you and your gang are wrongly accused of murder and must survive the night in a gang ridden New York City. The game is actually pretty fun and received positive reviews, but it's still odd that this game even exists. The film "The Warriors" was a cult hit when it came out in 1979 and while it has been referenced in other media (such as a Simpsons parody), it never really hit mainstream popularity; which would lead me to ask the development team why they thought they should base a game on it in 2005. Heck, the only reason I found out about the 1979 film was because this game was released. It just seems like an odd choice for a game.
In 2004 the game "Fight Club" was released based on the 1999 film of the same name. The game was a fighting game based around the fight club style combat seen in the film. The game was poorly received due to its overly repetitive combat and poor animation. I just find it odd that this product exists given the themes of the film. The film criticizes the over commercialization of our capitalist society and how our overly macho and aggressive behaviors can potentially lead us to becoming susceptible to cult like indoctrination. That makes it very ironic that the video game is a poorly constructed commercial product that exists to make money off of brand recognition and that the gameplay glorifies the violence that the film criticized.
Finally, the game Scarface: The World Is Yours is a 2006 game based on the 1983 film "Scarface". The game is a pretty decent Grand Theft Auto clone, which is appropriate since the 80s gangster film inspired the aesthetic and tone of those games. The odd part, however, is the game's plot. The plot begins where the film ends (spoilers) with the attack on Tony Montana's mansion and Tony fighting them off in a coke fueled rage. However, the game doesn't end with Tony's death; Tony escapes and the game's plot focuses on you rebuilding your criminal empire and kill those that tried to kill you. It just amuses me that the plot plays out like someone's alternate universe fanfiction.
These are just a handful of games that I decided to cover. There are several other strange movie games that made their way into the market, such as an E.T. game that's basically just escaping pits or a game based on a film as bizarre as "The Fifth Element". I just wanted to discuss some of the strange decisions that are sometimes made when it comes to adapting one form of art to another.
