Adaptation Logic

"Aliens vs. Predator" is the rare movie-to-game that works, so what other blockbusters could get a virtual transfusion?

If “Star Wars” affords unique, memorable action appropriate for games, it also boasts a deep mythology, inventive creatures and grand melodrama, all of which make it suited for role-playing games, as thrillingly proven by BioWare’s “Knights of the Old Republic” titles. “The Lord of the Rings” similarly provides both action and RPG game possibilities, and while “Star Trek” has yet to prove its own worthiness in this respect, the TV/film series is a natural candidate for a shooter as well as a massive role-playing adventure (like the recently released “Star Trek Online”).

Still, even when a film-game link seems like a no-brainer on paper, there’s no guarantee that the union will fly, a preeminent case in point being “The Matrix,” which has the potential to make a great combat game (especially since its bullet-time effects influenced countless original games) as well as a more intricate, story-driven title. To date, however, it’s only resulted in the dismal “Enter the Matrix” and the only slightly more successful – and now permanently offline – “Matrix Online” MMORPG.

“The Matrix” is far from the only property that should have, but hasn’t, made a sterling mark on the gaming world — “Superman,” for one, has long been a sterling example of a beloved character whose interactive ventures have ranged from bad to worse to god-awful. Regardless of a few first-rate attempts, the “Indiana Jones” franchise has also not yet given birth to a classic game saga.

Ditto “The Terminator,” still the series that — the sterling “T2: Arcade” aside — is most ready for its own sprawling, thrilling third-person action-adventure title, but has so far received nothing but half-formed efforts like the recent “Terminator Salvation” tie-in.

In its combination of superhuman fighting and monumental chase sequences, “The Terminator,” like more than a few other film properties, just needs the right stewardship in its journey from the theater projector to the home console, a transition that doesn’t necessarily require the King of the World (though Mr. Cameron’s help likely wouldn’t hurt) so much as simply a dedication to making sure, above all else, that gameplay functions as a natural extension of source material.

[Additional photos: "The Simpsons Game," Electronic Arts, 2007 "Aladdin," Disney Interactive Studios, 1993, "Terminator Salvation," Evolved Games, 2009]

Pages: 1 2