John Wick has its own video game on the way in the form of John Wick Hex. The announcement comes just a week shy of the theatrical release of John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum on May 17th.
The third John Wick film is a hotly anticipated release. The story sees Wick on the run after a bounty on his head makes him the target of assassins from around the world. The film stars Keanu Reeves and a supporting cast that boasts Laurence Fishburne, Ian McShane, and Halle Berry. John Wick’s popularity has led to the franchise making several forays into video games. Starbreeze Studios made the dog-loving hitman a playable character in Payday 2. In 2017 the same studio released John Wick Chronicles, a virtual reality first-person shooter for PC. Most recently, Fortnite announced plans for John Wick-themed content.
This time it’s Mike Bithell and his crew at Bithell Games helming development of John Wick Hex in collaboration with Lionsgate and Good Shepard Games. Enemy encounters present players with a variety of options. The announcement trailer below displays choices such as shoot, takedown, parry, and throw gun, among others. Bithell Games states players will need to carefully consider these moves as every action has an immediate consequence, and even reloading needs to be planned. Despite the strategic nature, the action appears to play out in a fast pace similar to its source material. As the story progresses players can earn additional suits, weapons, and locations.
Bithell Games worked closely with the film’s stunt teams to faithfully recreate the movie’s choreographed fight scenes. John Wick Hex features an original story starring several cast members from the movies. Names include Lance Reddick and Ian McShane, who reprise their roles as Charon and Winston, respectively. The game’s animated noir presentation also helps to evoke the film’s stylish atmosphere. John Wick Hex will arrive on consoles as well as PC as an Epic Games Store exclusive. There’s no release date, but it’s tough to imagine it arriving that far apart from the launch of the new movie.
John Wick has arguably been the most video game-friendly movie franchise in recent memory, but seeing it translated in this form is both surprising and exciting. A pure action game would have been the obvious route, but the strategy spin offers something different while seemingly retaining the spirit of the movies. Complemented by Bithell’s strong track record for quality, John Wick fans may have something else to look forward to after Parabellam’s credits roll.
Source: John Wick Hex