Whenever I become entirely engrossed in a video game, I seek out other forms of media through which I can try to capture that same feeling. Here are some of my favorite video game and movie pairings.
10
Robocop Rogue City (2023) and Robocop (1987)
I know, pairing the only good Robocop game with the best Robocop movie might feel a bit obvious—but hear me out. 2023s Rogue City is a genuinely worthwhile AA game that perfectly captures the feeling of being Alex Murphy in the futuristic and crime-ridden Old Detroit. Part of what makes the game so great is how well the tone of the original film has been preserved.
The game is full of Easter eggs that reward eagle-eyed viewers. You’ll see familiar brands and adverts for the “Series 7 Sports Heart by Jensen” on the walls of the hospital, and an immaculately modeled police station complete with many of the same familiar faces. Peter Weller even reprised his titular role to provide voice acting for the game.
Stream it on Max.
9
Fallout and The Road (2009)
When I first saw The Road I couldn’t stop thinking about how much it reminded me of the Fallout series. While the film lacks the levity that characterizes the game’s satirical nature, both properties depict a similar view of the harsh reality of living in a post-apocalyptic world. And fair warning, The Road is one of the most depressing films I’ve ever seen.
Both the game and the movie paint a bleak picture humanity’s handling of a world-ending event. Cannibals and slavery are constant threats alongside with the enduring theme of not being able to trust anyone even if they seem friendly. There are many points in the film that remind me of encounters I’ve had in the games, like the feeling of stumbling across a foreboding-looking highway tunnel or whether the tempting location ahead will end in an ambush.
Stream it on Apple TV or Peacock.
8
Red Dead Redemption and The Wild Bunch (1969)
The Red Dead Redemption series feels like a love letter to the entire Western genre. You’ll find parallels in films like The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly (1966), Unforgiven (1992), 310 to Yuma (1957), Tombstone (1993), and many more. Don’t start playing Rockstar’s open-world cowboy simulators unless you’re ready to go down the Western rabbit hole!
But perhaps the film that best encapsulates the series is 1969’s The Wild Bunch. Set during the death of the American West, it depicts a group of outlaws who are past their prime and looking for one last score. The brutality of their choices isn’t sugar-coated, nor is the reality the gang faces when the consequences of their actions come back to haunt them. If all this sounds rather familiar, Ernest Borgnine also plays a character called Dutch.
Stream it on Apple TV.
7
Cyberpunk 2077 and Blade Runner 2049 (2017)
While the original Blade Runner (1982) helped define the genre, it’s 2017’s long-awaited follow-up that best accompanies CD Projekt Red’s cyberpunk open-world action RPG. There are a lot of blurred lines in the genre, and you could argue that movies like Ghost in the Shell and The Matrix would fit just as well here (and you’d be right).
But perhaps the simplest reason to put 2077 and 2049 alongside one another is that they are two of the best examples of their kind. Modern spins on a futuristic world ravaged by ecological collapse, rampant inequality, and that “high tech, low life” feeling that permeates throughout.
Rent it on Apple TV, Amazon, and more.
6
Ghost of Tsushima and Seven Samurai (1954)
It’s no secret that Sucker Punch Productions’ 2020 open-world samurai sim Ghost of Tsushima is heavily inspired by the works of legendary Japanese filmmaker Akira Kurosawa. The fact that the game includes a “Kurosawa Mode” that applies a high contrast black and filter to the action should speak volumes, but the parallels run a little deeper.
The game features a one-on-one dueling mechanic which developers alluded to when namedropping Kurosawa’s film Sanjuro (1962) in an interview with Entertainment Weekly. But perhaps the best point of comparison is what is considered the director’s finest outing, 1954’s Seven Samurai which was clearly used as heavy inspiration for game’s protagonist, Jin.
Stream it on Max or The Criterion Channel.
5
Dead Space and Pandorum (2009)
EA’s 2023 Dead Space remake is a prime example of how a video game remake should work. True to the original, visually stunning, and absolutely terrifying, it’s a must-play for any sci-fi horror fan. Fortunately, there’s no shortage of movies that share a common thread if you love the game.
2009’s Pandorum is a little less cheesy than Event Horizon (1997) while being truer to the game’s lonely feel than Sunshine (2007)—though they’re all worth a watch if you’re into this sort of thing. Pandorum piles on the psychological horror and manages to capture the same feelings of dread that you experience while exploring the USG Ishimura in Dead Space.
Stream it on Starz.
4
The Last of Us and 28 Days Later (2002)
The Last of Us and its sequel are classic “don’t call them zombies” games, set in a world that’s been left to ruin following the fallout of a civilization-ending event. 1998’s British horror film 28 Days Later tells a similar tale, opening with an iconic shot of the deserted City of London to quickly set the scene of infection ravaging the population. Though these stories are set on opposite sides of the Atlantic Ocean, they stir up remarkably similar feelings.
There are parallels between characters who must mature quickly and adapt to a world that’s been changed forever, and both deal with the ugly reality of how humanity reacts to such events. But perhaps the most striking thing is the tone of two worlds that can be both brutal one moment and beautiful the next. They’re also hideously violent, which serves to keep you on your toes whether you’re watching or playing.
Rent it on Apple TV, Amazon, and more.
3
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle and Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
There have been a few Indiana Jones games over the years, but none are as good as 2024’s immersive sim from Wolfenstein pros Machine Games. The game has you globe-trotting in search of mysterious artifacts, solving fantastical puzzles, and pistol-whipping Nazis in an adventure that’s truly worthy of the Lucas Films license.
I felt like a child playing Raiders of the Lost Ark for real, right down to Troy Baker’s accomplished voice acting that would make you think Harrison Ford had stepped into the recording booth himself. The game has signature Indy vibes, thrilling set pieces, and decently large open areas that you can explore at your own pace. More of this, please!
Stream it on Disney+.
2
Alien: Isolation and Alien (1979)
The original Alien is quite different from the films that followed it. While the sequel Aliens (1986) was more of an action film and Alien 3 was just dull, 1979’s debut outing was a tense sci-fi horror. It’s a film that asks more questions than it answers while making its characters feel like helpless prey, to great effect. No game has come close to capturing the essence of what makes Alien so great like 2014’s Alien: Isolation.
You play the role of Amanda Ripley, Ellen Ripley’s daughter, aboard the abandoned Sevastopol space station. Like your mother in the 1979 film, you feel almost powerless compared to what is hunting you. The game does a great job of recreating the low-tech 1970s aesthetic that made the original feel so unique. If you’re really brave, you can play it in VR.
Rent it on Apple TV, Amazon, and more.
1
Red Faction Guerrilla and Total Recall (1990)
You could pick any Red Faction game to compare with Paul Verhoeven’s 1990 masterpiece Total Recall, but Guerrilla is the best. It’s the Total Recall game we never had, and will probably never get. While the setting of Mars is the obvious point of comparison, both also feature a worker’s uprising against an oppressive government as a main plot point.
The two also share similar styles of architecture, vehicle design, and weapons. Guerilla_’s main schtick is its destructible environments, which lead to some truly impressive physics effects and make the game feel a lot more like a Hollywood blockbuster than many of its contemporaries. Pick up the Re-Mars-tered_ edition of Guerilla and enjoy.
Stream it on Paramount+.
It’s only just struck me how many of the games above are open-world in nature. When you’re done watching and playing, you might want to take a break play some games with fewer choices.
