Worst Film Tie-In Video games of All Time

The film tie-in recreation is considerably of a misplaced artwork, however from 2000 to the mid 2010s, it was an enormous factor to do. Whereas there are a number of respectable gems within the film tie-in universe, those that failed are much more prevalent.

They’re typically extremely low effort, quick, and as senseless as will be. They mainly make these video games for a fast cash-in, and though respectable firms are generally behind the product, there often is not near the type of effort you’d usually get from them. That is often as a consequence of a time crunch to get issues prepared simply in time for a film launch.

We’ll try a handful of horrible film tie-in video games that handle to take even the most effective motion pictures and drag them right down to the depths.

10

Reservoir Canine

If You Shoot Me In a Recreation, You Higher Wake Up and Apologize

A Reservoir Canine tie-in recreation makes zero sense from the get-go, because the film wasn’t about GTA-style, over-the-top shootouts or motion sequences, however fairly the relationships between a bunch of financial institution robbers and the value of loyalty when every part goes to hell. So what does the sport model of this film do? Over-the-top shootouts and motion sequences, in fact.

It simply misses the purpose so terribly. It is mainly the identical mission time and again, capturing at cops as you attempt to make your ill-fated escape. Whereas there are some novel concepts, like taking hostages and a form of Mr. Blue-inspired rage meter that sends you right into a blood-soaked frenzy, this recreation simply barely feels just like the film it is tied in with.

It additionally got here out practically a decade after the film launched, which was baffling in itself. Total, it simply did not actually make sense to show a film like that into an motion recreation, and the outcomes converse for themselves.

9

Dragonball Evolution

Powering Down

Dragonball Evolution was a wild try at making a live-action Dragonball film, and whereas the intention was good, the film was something however. So naturally, a tie-in recreation got here proper together with it, and it was one way or the other worse than the already atrocious film.

Initially, you’ve got bought characters that look far much less cool than their anime counterparts. For instance, Goku, the principle character who’s a Saiyan with insane energy and is constructed like a truck, is portrayed by Justin Chatwin, who just isn’t plausible within the slightest within the position, even in online game kind. It simply will get worse from there.

The controls are terrible, the size of the sport is shorter than your common combating recreation, and the assaults that should be world-destroying and light-weight up the display screen come off as pathetic variations on those we all know and love. They needed to know this might be a catastrophe, and that is why it solely launched on PSP. However you may’t get something by us.

8

Struggle Membership

Too Little, Too Late

Struggle Membership got here out in 1999, however the recreation of the identical identify did not come out till 2004. At that time, we would seen Struggle Membership, we would talked about Struggle Membership, and guess what? We have been sick of Struggle Membership. So, in fact, we get a tie-in to the film 5 years later, in the course of the yr of 2004, the place gaming was taking leaps left and proper.

Struggle Membership offers you a customized participant and shoves you into the story of Struggle Membership. It is an extremely quick recreation that appears okay within the graphics division, however fails in each different class. The gameplay is extremely repetitive for a combating recreation, with poorly defined mechanics and an total clunky feeling that often is the factor that ruins any recreation on this style.

Then you definately’ve bought the precise plot, which, in keeping with this recreation, was extra concerning the combating than anything. When you’ve seen the film, you understand that is solely a modicum of the plot, and one which is not significantly essential within the larger scheme of issues. It was only a missed alternative in so some ways and a recreation that shamefully shares its identify with among the best motion pictures on the market.

7

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Half 1

You are a Soldier, Harry

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Half 1 is a good film, and one of many extra contemplative ones of the collection. So what did EA do for the sport model of it? Flip it right into a third-person shooter within the vein of Gears of Struggle, in fact.

I am not joking, your wand right here is basically a gun. Now that is not a horrible thought by itself, however at no level on this franchise was Harry performing like an motion hero. There are additionally plain weird segments right here too. For instance, do you bear in mind within the film the place Harry had a shootout with two quick meals employee wizards in a restaurant? Me neither.

You are enjoying a canopy shooter as Harry Potter. It is as ridiculous because it sounds, and whereas it appears strong sufficient and the voice performing is okay, the sport simply feels unhealthy to play. The spells do not have a ton of impression and the animations for casting them are fairly terrible as effectively. It is also linear as will be, leaving little creativity to the participant. There’s a cause that this collection hasn’t labored in video games till Hogwarts Legacy modified every part in 2023.

6

007: Tomorrow By no means Dies

The Successor That Failed

Tomorrow By no means Dies had a brutal job, and that was to comply with up what’s arguably the best film tie-in recreation of all time in Goldeneye. As a PlayStation unique, this was purported to be the reply to the N64 mega-success that was Goldeneye, however instantly, the vibes weren’t good.

The graphics have been fairly horrible, even for even 1999, and the view went from first individual to 3rd. A giant downside got here with that. The principle one is lock-on capturing. All of the ability, the hours going through off in multiplayer with mates, and mind-numbing makes an attempt to defeat the management room have been erased right here with some actually terrible lock-on third-person capturing. It simply turned so rattling straightforward, and all sense of accomplishment was gone.

It did not assist that the story was simply the film’s plot, which wasn’t good both, however the gameplay may’ve made up for it. Sadly, it was arguably the worst half.

5

James Cameron’s Avatar: The Recreation

An Expertise Like Any Different

James Cameron’s Avatar: The Recreation was an excellent thought in idea, however essentially, it did not handle to convey any little bit of the magic from the precise film into recreation kind. It got here out earlier than the film, and whereas that is positive, the sport does nearly nothing to clarify simply what the hell any of this even is. What Avatars are, what their objective is, and what they’re combating for is barely defined. Whereas the looks of the ever hilariously named Unobtanium offers the RDA their objective, little else is given to the participant.

You play as both the RDA or the Navi in a prequel story, and that dichotomy is cool as an idea, however the execution is simply so plain. You get both a generic third-person shooter because the RDA, or a melee-focused route because the Navi. Sadly, whereas the capturing is ok, the missions are extremely boring, amounting to little greater than fetch quests half the time.

The Navi get some extra fascinating sections, however that does not assist disguise the completely horrible melee fight that you will be partaking with for almost all of the sport. In contrast to Ubisoft’s go on the collection, the world right here is not near as polished, full, or vibrant as that have, and the ending result’s a recreation that felt rushed out and wasn’t practically as centered because it ought to’ve been.

4

Enter the Matrix

Not the Ones

The concept of a Matrix online game was really easy to see, because the film itself mainly stars somebody who’s utilizing all of the cheat codes in a recreation. So a online game primarily based on the Matrix made good sense, besides as an alternative of combating and dodging bullets as Neo, Shiny Leisure as an alternative we get to play as Ghost and Niobe, two characters who barely register within the motion pictures. And but, they’re entrance and heart right here.

The sensation of being unimportant within the scheme of issues is simply manner too pervasive right here. You are technically enjoying by the occasions of the films, however you are operating mainly grunt missions whereas Neo, Morpheus, and Trinity deal with the actual enterprise. The gameplay just isn’t all that nice both, with stiff animations and a definite lack of cool that the films lived on. The capturing was haphazard, and worst of all, the graphics have been unhealthy.

By itself, the sport is not horrible, however the issue is what the sport ought to’ve been. It ought to’ve starred Neo and firm. It simply looks like a slice of the pie once we wished the entire thing. We might ultimately get the precise recreation we deserved two years later within the type of Enter the Matrix: The Path of Neo, which, whereas it had its personal points, is a vastly superior expertise.

3

Transformers: The Recreation

Autobots, Go Away

Transformers: The Recreation is one in all a protracted line of Transformers video games, however this one relies on the blockbuster hit film. It got here out previous to the film launch, and for those who performed it earlier than seeing the film, you seemingly would haven’t any cause to see the film. You may get to play as both the Autobots or the Decepticons, however truthfully, enjoying because the Autobots simply sucks. Half your weapons do no harm to enemies, and whereas the graphics are fairly sufficient for a 2007 recreation, you might be typically caught in missions the place you are traversing metropolis streets as slow-moving autos with some terrible closing dates concerned as effectively.

The Decepticons are much more enjoyable, and the sport feels prefer it was made for them, however there may be barely any selection within the missions. Most aims are simply “destroy this,” and the occasional boss combat is only a boring forwards and backwards that depends on flashy visuals fairly than partaking gameplay.

The strangest determination right here is how weapons do not have an effect on most enemies you face, so half your arsenal will get arbitrarily erased for no obvious cause. That leaves you with the melee fight, which is extremely fundamental and lacks the form of suggestions you’d count on from building-sized robots clashing in a metropolis avenue. The film was no masterpiece both, however it was a enjoyable motion flick that did a hell of much more with the property than the sport did.

2

Iron Man

Why Cannot We Get This Proper?

Iron Man ought to’ve been arguably the simplest superhero to adapt to a online game, and but, we have seen time and time once more that this simply is not the case. Whereas they managed to get Robert Downey Jr. onboard, in addition to Terrance Howard, the remainder of the sport just isn’t close to the film’s high quality.

First, the graphics are simply plain ugly, particularly in relation to the character fashions, and though issues get a bit bit higher as soon as the missions begin and you are taking to the skies as Iron Man, the drab ranges, generic-looking environments, and creatively bankrupt enemies do not actually do a lot to wow the eyes both.

Mission-wise, you will be killing X quantity of targets or defending X factor, and it is simply so extremely uninteresting that after the primary few missions, you’ve got just about seen all the recreation. Add in bizarre selections like solely letting you employ new unlocked armor in missions you’ve got already overwhelmed, and compelled villains from the Iron Man comics with barely any context, and you have got a boring, quick expertise that manages to lose every part the film did effectively within the translation to recreation kind.

1

Charlie’s Angels

Failing the Characters

Charlie’s Angel the sport is a beat-em-up, which is the primary large mistake of many who this recreation manages to make. To associate with that, we have got atrocious animations, restricted movesets, laughable problem, and a plot that makes the film’s story seem like Shakespeare.

There are occasional puzzles that do the naked minimal, and the enemies you combat border on parody. Which is all to say, I feel this recreation missed the purpose of the films. The entire tongue-in-cheek comedy, cool combat scenes, and nice surroundings is nowhere to be discovered right here.

As an alternative, it is a half-assed beat-em-up with barely any combo variation and the occasional capability to set off an final assault, which basically breaks the sport that wasn’t all that tough to start with. That is actually the underside of the barrel in relation to tie-in video games.