Every once in a while, when I’m watching a movie, I’ll randomly find myself thinking, “Hmm, this scene or plotline sure feels video gamey…” Sometimes, it happens the other way around. I play a really great video game and start wondering if there are any movies with a similar feel, whether it’s the setting, the plot, the theme, or just the overall vibe.

So here I am, listing some of my favorite movies in no particular order and trying to find their video game counterparts.

Enjoy the list!


Children of Men (2006)


Counterpart: Half Life 2

I actually just recently watched this movie during my commute time, and it's already making its way to my top list. As a fan of dystopian decay aesthetics, it's absolutely beautiful, in a depressing way. It's about a chaotic, oppressive police-state world where no babies are born in a long time. It's pretty much how I imagine City 17 from Half Life 2 if it sets in Britain instead of Eastern Europe. There's this despair feeling from the very first minute of the movie but also hope during its act 3, just like Gordon Freeman's quest to end the Combine occupation.


Se7en (1995)


Counterpart: Still Life

Murder mystery is always fun for me to watch (unless it's happening in real life, of course), and this film is my all-time favorite regarding whodunnits. The haunting crime scenes, the seven deadly sins motif, and the hardboiled noir vibe; there's nothing to complain about if you like detective works and utilizing the old little grey cells.

The most similar video game I played is not any Sherlock Holmes games; instead it's a less known point-and-click adventure game from 2004 called Still Life. It was an era where pre-rendered backgrounds were the shit. I still remember I played the demo CD of the game I got as a bonus from a gaming magazine back when I was still a kid, and the very first scene of murder haunted me for weeks. Too bad the sequel wasn't as good.


Scarface (1983)


Counterpart: GTA Vice City

Well, if it isn't the most obvious influence. Rockstar Games is known for their homage to crime movies in all their works. When watching Scarface, you can't avoid comparing the rise-to-power criminal journey of Tony Montana to Tommy Vercetti. The 80s Miami setting, the "deal gone wrong" setup, and of course, the famous mansion shootout. Thank God we don't get to see Al Pacino also ragequit when operating an RC helicopter to blow up a building.


Apocalypse Now (1979)


Counterpart: Spec Ops: The Line

Another obvious influence here, as the game narrative is lifted loosely from the movie's original source of idea: Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness. Despite the difference in the setting (Vietnam jungle versus Dubai desert), both the movie and game succeeded in showing the brutality and insanity of wartime and its effect on people's minds. I was upset the first time I watched the movie because I expected it to be a normal Vietnam War movie, only for it to get more and more surreal as it goes. Which is exactly what happened in Spec Ops. Nobody expected The Horror™ that comes after you.


Mad Max Fury Road (2015)


Counterpart: Mad Max

This is now plain cheating, but who cares about rules. Every cool person I know who watched Fury Road agrees that it's awesome, that's including me. It's got one of the most interesting post-apocalyptic world in the history of fiction (Kenshiro's stamp of approval). It is beautifully adapted by the 2015 Mad Max video game. Sure, it's not a direct adaptation as it doesn't have a flamethrowing blind guitarist riding on top of a truck. Heck, I'm not sure it's even the same Max as the movie. What it's got are high-octane adrenaline chases and sick upgradable car complete with your own crazy mechanic sidekick. Oh, and a huge Australian wasteland to explore to your heart's content.


--To be continued in part 2--

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