Movies and video games as a medium have grown closer the more the two mature. Advancements in digital technology have created video games that many argue prove that video games are an art form. Movies and video games can invoke the same emotions of terror, joy, and anything in between. The two mediums have drawn inspiration from one another for many years.
There is no scarcity of movies inspired by video games, but the inspiration also flows in the opposite direction as well. The two mediums have a great deal to offer one another, and there are a number of celebrated games that take inspiration from movies.
10 Payday: The Heist Takes Its Love For Robbing Banks From Heat
Robbing banks, stealing diamonds, or hacking into the IRS are a few of the pulse-pounding heists the four-member team works together to complete in Payday: The Heist. Overkill Software was inspired by what some consider to be the greatest heist movie of all time to craft their playable adventures.
The team looked to Heat to gather inspiration and influence. Payday: The Heist offers up many homages in its various missions. From achievement names mirroring characters in the movie to perks mentioning characters, the influence in its missions is respected in many forms. Payday: The Heist wears its inspiration on its mask.
9 Metroid and Alien Have Gone On To Inspire Others
Metroid has imitated multiple elements from Alien. With the two being tremendous releases at their respective times, they have also influenced many other movies and video games themselves. Metroid and Alien share a lot of similarities in their characters, setting, and thematic elements.
Metroid and Alien are both led by strong female protagonists, and the movie influenced more than just the main character. The settings have a shared theme as well, having their respective leads surviving against an alien species on an unfamiliar planet. With such a solid connection between the two, players are reminded of the pivotal film in many aspects of Metroid.
8 Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Shares A Rise To Power With Scarface
Tommy Vercetti's rise to a criminal powerhouse in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City takes droves of inspiration from Tony Montana's tale in Scarface. Rockstar Games has acknowledged the Scarface link and has said that the film was a major influence during the game's creation.
The Vercetti mansion mirroring Tony's, a number of songs on the radio, and famous scenes from the film are all aspects of Grand Theft Auto: Vice City's main campaign that takes influence from the pivotal 1983 film. However, while Montana's story is one of greed and his eventual downfall, Vercetti's rise to power empowers the player.
7 Uncharted Finds Its Hidden Treasure in Indiana Jones
There is no shortage of male protagonists following a trail to find a lost treasure or hidden city of gold in video games, movies, or novels. Two of the most recognizable, however, are in the medium of video games and movies. Nathan Drake takes a great deal of inspiration from Indiana Jones.
While Uncharted: Drake's Fortune may not be based around the Indiana Jones franchise of movies, there is no shortage of inspiration. From treasure hunting in exotic locations to the sprinkle of supernatural elements in Nathan Drake's adventures, the Uncharted series has a lot to thank Indiana Jones for.
6 Using Los Angeles To Tell A Story In L.A. Noire and L.A. Confidential
L.A. Noire takes its inspiration from several classic noir films and stories. However, 1997's L.A. Confidential is where Team Bondi takes major influence for its characters and story. The picturesque and charming Los Angeles area is dismantled to show its true corrupt face in both stories. Employing detective adventures to tell a tale of corruption and greed.
The story of L.A. Noire mimics the tale told in Curtis Hanson's film closely, and Cole Phelps' journey shares steps with Edmund Exley's. Noir's roots permeate both stories. The backdrop of sunny Los Angeles is a familiar setting, and each tells its story beautifully.
5 Dead Space Shares Its Unnatural Horrors With Event Horizon
Derelict ships in space are a similarity in Dead Space and Event Horizon, and each's respective protagonists share the nightmare hidden inside each. Horrifying visions befall the crew that dares accept the beacon for help. While the creature designs take inspiration from other films in the horror genre, Dead Space's creators have marked Event Horizon as a major influence as well.
The unknown of space can be a terrifying place to explore. Dead Space expands upon the decades of science fiction to tell its story but takes a large influence from the horror classic.
4 Metal Gear Solid Uses Escape From New York To Build Its Characters
With so much influence seeping into the original Metal Gear Solid, including a matching name for the protagonist, it is no surprise that it brings up thoughts of Escape From New York when thinking of the two experiences. Snake Plissken has a lot to offer in terms of inspiration in his looks and demeanor.
Hideo Kojima takes inspiration from western media in all of his projects. Escape from New York provided a key influence to form one of the most recognizable characters in video games history and the start to one of gaming's giants in Metal Gear Solid.
3 Dead Rising Survives The Horde With The Help Of Dawn Of The Dead
With the lengthy list of similarities between Dead Rising and Dawn of the Dead, it is no surprise that copyright claims have arisen between the two. Fighting for survival against an undead horde in a shopping mall is simply the guise each story uses to tell its tale.
Underneath each is a parody of consumerism and a satire of video game storytelling in the case of the game. Each uses its medium to reach the viewer or player differently. Dead Rising draws a great deal of influence from Dawn of the Dead, and it is a journey worth taking in each respective medium.
2 Silent Hill and Jacob's Ladder Use Psychological Horror To Tell Their Stories
With major heads on the Silent Hill design team being admirers of Jacob's Ladder, it is no surprise elements from the movie spilled over to Konami's momentous horror game. Hallucinations of nightmarish creatures in subways and hospitals are similarities Silent Hill's creative team were influenced by when creating one of gaming's most frightening franchises.
With such an influence playing in the minds of the game's creators, Jacob's Ladder stands in some players' eyes as the perfect Silent Hill movie, even if it predates the release of the game by nine years.
1 Recreating World War II in Medal of Honor and Saving Private Ryan
While the events in Medal of Honor: Allied Assault and Saving Private Ryan are historical, the realistic and brutal depictions of war in each are intertwined. The creators of Medal of Honor wished to do for World War II gaming what Saving Private Ryan did for World War II movies.
Medal of Honor and Saving Private Ryan both wanted to show the war's impact on people generations later. The similarities in Medal of Honor: Allied Assault are not hard to come by in its campaign. Many of the film's impactful scenes are recreated in the video game.