First-person and third-person shooters are the styles of some of the most revolutionary games of all-time. From the original Doom and its many clones to Dead Space, the shooter genre has spawned a plethora of iconic games, including modern hits such as Apex Legends and Red Dead Redemption.
Therefore, it makes sense that many games based on movies would want to take on these forms of gameplay as well. Movie licensed games often result in rushed, unpolished experiences but every now and then, a gem shines through and proves that it can work. In fact, some of the best movie licensed games over the years also happen to be shooters.
Die Hard: Nakatomi Plaza
When it comes to Die Hard games, most tend to remember the Die Hard Trilogy game for the PS1. However, there was another game that is often overlooked and that is Die Hard: Nakatomi Plaza. The best way to describe it is a Half-Life clone with a Die Hard paint job.
It plays nearly identical to most shooters of that era but that's hardly a bad thing. It follows the story of the first Die Hard movie rather well and provides a lot of thrilling shooter sequences. Add in some cheesy impressions of famous actors, puzzles, and plenty of familiar locations from the movie and Die Hard: Nakatomi Plaza results in a bizarre but entertaining shooter.
Predator: Hunting Grounds
For a multiplayer experience, Predator: Hunting Grounds was a bit of a mess at the initial launch. However, the dedicated team at IllFonic has released many patches and DLC since then, creating a fun experience. For those unaware, the game has four human players completing objectives and/or fighting a fifth player as the Predator.
Is it perfect? No, there is still the issue that humans feel too overpowered at times. However, the gameplay is a lot smoother, there are a lot of Easter Eggs for fans of the franchise, and there is more than one mode to enjoy. Although, it must be noted that Predator: Hunting Grounds does have a large learning curb to overcome, which can detract new players.
The Chronicles Of Riddick: Escape From Butcher Bay
Those that are still waiting for a fourth Riddick movie with Vin Diesel are seemingly out of luck. However, they can play as Diesel himself in the prequel to the original Pitch Black known as Escape From Butcher Bay. Mixing first-person shooter action and stealth mechanics, it is a worthy addition to the Riddick universe.
Vin Diesel is not the only celebrity voice, as Cole Hauser returns as Johns, Dwight Schultz plays the prison's Warden, and Xzibit plays a guard. With polished gun and melee combat and beautiful visuals, fans of the franchise fervently praised the game - so much so that it received a follow-up in the form of Assault On Dark Athena.
The Thing
A video game based on John Carpenter's The Thing twenty years after the movie's release? The project had every reason to be a disaster. Instead, it was clearly designed by fans of the film who remained loyal to the claustrophobic and paranoia-fueled horror and ended up being an unofficial sequel that fans grew to love over the years.
Not only does the player have to contend with the monster, but they also have to keep the team of AI companions together or else they might turn on the player out of fear and paranoia. The player can also test blood, which can result in horrifying encounters with monsters that require burning. It is everything a fan of the franchise would want in a game based on the movie.
GoldenEye 007
GoldenEye 007 is often ranked as one of the greatest games for the Nintendo 64, if not the absolute best. This is for good reason as GoldenEye 007 changed shooters forever; it featured realistic feedback and movement of the guns, reinvented multiplayer modes, and balanced it all with a well-made campaign that mixed action and stealth.
GoldenEye 007 was such a hit that it spawned a plethora of James Bond games that would follow its format. It even received a remake starring Daniel Craig's James Bond and Judi Dench's M in near word for word retelling of the movie's story.
Star Wars: Republic Commando
There are a lot of games set in the Star Wars universe but when it comes to shooters, very few match the level of quality of Star Wars: Republic Commando. Before The Bad Batch ever came along, the Republic Commandos of Delta Squad were the original hard-edged clones sent in for special assignments.
Not only are the titular commandos all voiced brilliantly - allowing them to leave an impact on players - but the gameplay is also stellar. The transforming blaster and squad commands made Republic Commando more tactical and challenging than an average shooter. This is why the game recently received an HD port for consoles. The only issue fans agree upon is that the campaign is way too short.
Tron 2.0
Before Tron: Legacy, Tron 2.0 was the original sequel to 1982's cult gem Tron. Featuring the return of Bruce Boxleitner as Alan Bradley, this first-person adventure sees Bradley's son Jet entering the Grid to stop a new threat from destroying it.
This sequel retains the visual style of the first movie with lots of neon combined with red and blue visuals. It also features the iconic identity disc as a weapon, new weapons, and light cycles to make it feel like a true Tron sequel while still updating it for a more advanced (at the time) era.
Ghostbusters: The Video Game
If anyone has ever wanted to feel like a real Ghostbuster, this is the game for them. Firing a proton pack and trapping ghosts as the Rookie feels so satisfying with every encounter. To keep things from becoming too boring, there are also multiple proton pack gadgets for different purposes.
As if that wasn't great enough, the Rookie is beside all four original Ghostbusters voiced by their legendary actors in an original story by Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis. By all accounts, this was the original Ghostbusters 3 before Ghostbusters: Afterlife was announced. Fans loved it so much that it was one of the few movie-licensed games to receive a remaster.
Peter Jackson's King Kong
Utilizing a lack of a HUD, Peter Jackson's King Kong manages to balance action and horror featuring the movie's cast including Adrien Brody, Jack Black, and Naomi Watts. Playing as Jack Driscoll, there is very limited ammunition as the player faces off against giant insects and a plethora of dinosaurs alike.
The dinosaurs - especially the V-Rex boss fights - can be downright horrifying. The player is also forced to pay close attention, since Jack will audibly say how much ammo is left. Additionally, there are segments of the story that allow the player to control Kong for equally challenging fights and puzzles. What is surprising about the game is that, much like the movie, it is surprisingly long but it never feels dull or drawn out.
Alien: Isolation
Technically, this is not much of a shooter since the player mainly relies on gadgets. However, it still features a pistol and shotgun for certain enemies so it counts. Alien: Isolation is a contender for one of the best horror games ever made, mixing Outlast and Resident Evil into a sequel to the original Ridley Scott's Alien.
Ellen Ripley's daughter Amanda is stuck on a space station with the iconic xenomorph stalking her. What makes Alien: Isolation work is the alien itself: it utilizes a revolutionary AI that increases the xenomorph's intelligence throughout the campaign, forcing the player to evolve as well. As a bonus, the story, puzzles, and other enemies such as the androids keep the game from becoming too repetitive.