Many classic gangster movies have been adapted into video games, with some being more successful than others. The Godfather and Scarface have both received the video game treatment, but there aren't a lot of gangster movie adaptations currently available on current game consoles.
There is definitely an appetite for video games in the gangster genre. Grand Theft Auto 5 is one of the most popular games on the planet right now. Also, The Mafia Trilogy was a resounding success for 2K Czech, and LA Noire was considered to be a cult hit when it was released in 2011. Here are a few more gangster movies that would do great as a video game.
Casino
A video game with gangsters set in a casino in Vegas sounds like it could be a visual delight if it was to be made. It is a surprise that nobody has thought to turn Martin Scorsese's classic 1995 hit, Casino, into an immersive video game. The film was based on a true story written by Nicholas Pileggi, who also wrote Wiseguy which was subsequently turned into Goodfellas, also directed by Scorsese.
The main character in the film is Ace Rothstein who is portrayed by Robert De Niro. It wouldn't be a far-fetched idea to coax De Niro into lending his voice to the video game. He has proven with his recent movie roles that he will pretty much do anything offered to him if paid enough. Luckily, De Niro seems to be back in with Scorsese these days, starring in both The Irishman and the upcoming film, Killers of the Flower Moon.
Goodfellas
Goodfellas is one of the best gangster movies ever made. It's one of those films where it feels like viewers are in it. Many games like Mafia and Grand Theft Auto 5 involve the stories of the rise and fall of the gangster, so Goodfellas wouldn't be out of place in this regard. In an ideal world, a voiceover by Henry Hill would assist just nicely with the story in a potential game, but unfortunately, Ray Liotta who played Hill, died last year.
However, technology being the way it is, it might be possible to lift some of his voiceover from Goodfellas and other films he starred in, to create a coherent story for a game version. The fans wouldn't want to just play a rehash of the film, they would want to go to places the film didn't take them.
The Departed
It's unlikely that Jack Nicholson will ever grace the screens again with another memorable performance, as he's enjoying his retirement too much.
This is a great shame, but a consolation would be to see his character, Frank Costello in The Departed be transported into the video game world. A prequel story game that involves the player following Frank's rise in the Boston criminal underworld before the events of the film would be spectacular.
Donnie Brasco
Imagine playing an undercover FBI agent infiltrating the mafia in a video game. It's hard to believe Donnie Brasco is based on a true story as it's so unbelievable what Joe Pistone did to infiltrate organized crime. It would be great fun to see a video game adaptation of this film being made.
Gamers would love the opportunity to be involved in taking down the mafia, but also vicariously enjoying the benefits of being an associate in the Lucchese crime family. Or the game could go down a different route where instead of being based on the real life story, the Donnie Brasco undercover cop brings down a fictional mafia crime family. This would probably avoid a potential lawsuit from the real life people involved in the case.
Heat
There was a proposed video game, based on the 1995 film, Heat, in development by Gearbox software many years ago. It would’ve been available on Playstation 3 and Xbox 360. However, Gearbox didn’t obtain the license to make it and development was brought to a halt in 2009.
A company like Rockstar Games need to obtain the IP to this game, and get working on another attempt to get it made. Heat 2 is currently in the development after the success of the sequel/prequel book, so it would make sense to do a video tie in with the release of the movie.
Gangster Squad
A secret group of LAPD officers join forces to bring down the infamous gangster Mickey Cohen, in Los Angeles in 1949. Fedora hats and machine guns aplenty, this would make one hell of a video game. Think of a mixture between LA Noire and Mafia II, and it sounds like a game version of Gangster Squad.
Ryan Gosling and the rest of the cast would be unlikely to return in a motion capture style game, as all of them have a busy schedule of projects coming up. But this wouldn't matter, they could hire some great voice actors to bring this game to life.
The Irishman
This would be a weird and wonderful game if it ever saw the light of day. Games based on real life events are always on dodgy ground. However, there's no disputing that The Irishman would make for a very entertaining multiplayer game.
The player could choose whether to play as Jimmy Hoffa, Russell Bufalino or De Niro's hitman, Frank Sheeran. They should opt for the motion capture model that has been successful in Until Dawn and The Quarry. They de- aged and changed the appearance of its main stars in the film, they might as well do it for a potential game as well.
Layer Cake
Before Daniel Craig became James Bond, he played a gangster in one of the genre's best films of the 2000s. It was never revealed what his character's name was in Layer Cake, he was just credited as 'xxxx''. But that adds to the mythology, and he would work well as a video game character in that respect.
It's a surprise nobody has bought the rights to make a video game of Layer Cake, especially with the success of Craig's career since this film's release back in 2005.
Miller's Crossing
The Coen Brothers don't tend to get video games made of their film's, but it's time that changed. Miller's Crossing would fit perfectly into the mold of a game franchise like The Mafia Trilogy. Fedora hats and tommy guns are in ample supply in this classic gangster film, backed up by a very rich story that would transfer over well to an intense story game.
The cast would probably lend their voices as all of them are still working class actors today. A game is unlikely to come to fruition, as the film is more of a cult classic, but fans can always dream.
American Gangster
American Gangster just sounds like a game. The film had mixed reviews when it was released in 2007. The action kicks off in 1968, with Harlem's top mobster, Frank Lucas entering the heroin trade.
The Harlem setting would be fun to play with in a game, and it would have to feature lots of the colorful characters that appeared in the film. But any potential game should put the player in Lucas shoes, as he navigates a brutal and unforgiving New York in the late 1960s.