Just because somebody is a genius in one creative field does not mean the same magic will work in another medium. Video games and movies are totally different ballgames. However, the filmmakers detailed below manage to make some large contributions to celebrated video games.
This does not mean they were in the trenches coding and programming full-time, but their ideas and active involvement helped make these games what they are. Some of these directors have made their love for gaming known throughout their careers, while others will surprise readers when they find out just who was involved in which games.
8 Trey Parker And Matt Stone - South Park: The Stick Of Truth
South Park games existed before this 2014 RPG, but they were often critically derided. With The Stick of Truth, the developers ensured they captured the heart of the show with an almost endless homage to its best jokes and episodes. Trey Parker and Matt Stone, South Park's creators, were involved in many aspects of the production, including writing and voice acting.
Even more, the whole project started because Trey Parker contacted the developer Obsidian with the idea of making a game together. Not only does the game feel like the show, but it also is an interesting and brief RPG experience.
7 Josef Fares - It Takes Two
Many people reading this might only know Josef Fares for his games like A Way Out and It Takes Two. Before founding Hazelight Studios and making two co-op-focused adventures, Fares had a long career directing films in Sweden. A Way Out is a deeply cinematic experience, so it makes sense that a director designed it.
It Takes Two has a bigger focus on optional environmental interactions and a variety of new and interesting gameplay mechanics with each chapter, making it feel more like something that could only be done in gaming.
6 Vin Diesel - The Chronicles Of Riddick: Escape From Butcher Bay
Vin Diesel's love of gaming and sci-fi is well documented. When it came time to make a game based on his popular character Riddick, it was Tigon Studios, a company founded by Vin Diesel, that took on the project in collaboration with Starbreeze. In an era where most games based on movies were universally panned, Escape From Butcher Bay actually impressed both fans and reviewers.
The first-person game focuses on stealth instead of bombastic action. Releasing in 2004, the graphics were impressive for the time and the slow-paced gameplay was unique for the genre, especially when it came to consoles.
5 Spike Lee - NBA 2K16
Basketball fans are going to play basketball games. Everyone else will largely ignore it. NBA 2K16 might have brought a few more people into the fold, though, when it introduced a story mode written and directed by Spike Lee, who is famous for classics like She's Gotta Have It and Do the Right Thing.
Even if someone is not familiar with the sport, putting characters with motivations in the middle of it will encourage many to see it through to the end. The game received rave reviews for the most part, and the story mode was mostly met with approval.
4 John Woo - Stranglehold
If anyone were to name some of the best action movies from Hong Kong, several of them would likely have been directed by John Woo. One of his most iconic films is Hard Boiled, starring Chow Yun-Fat. In 2007 Midway released a video game sequel called Stranglehold in collaboration with Tiger Hill Entertainment.
John Woo served as a producer on the third-person shooter and also provides a voice to one of the characters. True to the original movie, Stranglehold is a marathon of shooting galleries and contains highly destructible environments.
3 John Carpenter - FEAR 3
Unlike the previous two games in the franchise, FEAR 3 is focused on slightly asymmetrical cooperative gameplay. One player controls like a traditional FPS while the other is able to possess enemies.
It sacrifices the scares of the first two entries for a heavier emphasis on action. All the same, the developers tapped master of terror John Carpenter to direct the game's cinematics. Carpenter has made classics such as Halloween, The Thing, They Live, and Escape From New York.
2 J.T. Petty - Outlast
Taking some inspiration from the found footage horror craze, Outlast makes good use of night vision and its VHS aesthetic to enhance the scares.
The game was written by J.T. Petty, who has a series of horror movies under his belt. His most interesting work is S&Man, a documentary about underground horror that also mixes in a fictional subplot about the genre, making it a part of the genre it explores. Fortunately, Outlast is completely fictional, though even this knowledge won't help some sleep at night.
1 Steven Spielberg - Medal Of Honor
One does not need to be a cinephile to know the name Steven Spielberg. He has numerous classics under his belt, including E.T. and Saving Private Ryan. Considering the latter, it only makes sense that he came up with the idea for Medal of Honor and helped develop its story.
The idea was to use a video game to educate young gamers about World War II. There are only a few quality first-person shooters on the original PlayStation, and Medal of Honor is perhaps the most notable. The game spawned a franchise, including a reboot set in Afghanistan in the 21st century.