There are moments in movies and TV shows that manage to transmit feelings and emotions as real as life itself, and on the lighter side of things, there are instances of pure adrenaline that just make you want to jump into your favorite action sequence. Luckily, we have video games, a form of interactive media that not only allows you to do both, but enables those who play them to create memories of their own based upon worlds where they are the protagonist.
It’s no secret that games draw a lot of inspiration from other media, so whether you’re missing roaming around in your favorite games or are just looking to expand in the narratives and ideas behind them, here are some suggestions to take your next playthrough to a new level:
Mafia & Goodfellas
The original Mafia was meant to be a more realistic take on the open world madness that was Grand Theft Auto, and almost two decades later it’s safe to say it delivered. Regardless of whether you played the original game or not, you ought to Goodfellas is certain to have had its part when crafting the game’s story. With the upcoming Mafia: Definitive Edition set to launch soon, now is as good time as ever to work your way up the top in the fictional underworld of Lost Heaven, much in the same way Henry Hill does in Goodfellas, while exploring the crimes, gang wars, betrayals and crumbling relationships in a bittersweet plot much more deeper way than what the games could offer. There are more similarities to Goodfellas in the setting for Mafia II, partly because the latter is also set in New York, but either one goes well with this classic movie.
Honorable mentions:The Godfather, A Bronx Tale, Once Upon a Time in America.
Ghost of Tsushima & Seven Samurai
When the game itself comes with Kurosawa mode included it’s hard to deviate from that suggestion. There's hardly a better choice to complement Ghosts of Tsushima than one of the films used by the game’s creators as their main source of inspiration. Combining classic Akira Kurosawa film elements like the prominent use of landscape shots, intricate sword combat and storytelling around the way of the Samurai, Sucker Punch Productions made something with an outright focus on the beauty of 13th century Japan that’s not only meant to be played, but also to be looked at, much in the way movies are. Be aware that Seven Samurai is over 3 hours long, but it’s completely worth the time to explore the kind of characters encountered while playing Ghost of Tsushima.
Honorable mentions:Throne of Blood, Ran, 13 Assassin’s.
Nier: Automata & Neon Genesis Evangelion
So at first glance these two stories don’t seem that similar, aside from the very general plot element of giant battling robots every now and then. But the further one dives in the themes their characters contend with, the more obvious the similarities become. While aesthetically very different, both deal at its core with deep-rooted existentialism and the pursuit of meaning in life. On one hand there's 2B, an android traversing a world packed with robots named after some of history’s greatest philosophers posing too many theses to name; on the other, Shinji, an angsty teenager who pilots a humanoid war machine in order to obtain his father’s approval, in a world packed with religious iconography and putting heavy emphasis on Schopenhauer's Porcupine Dilemma. Make sure to watch Death & Rebirth and The End of Evangelion too, unless you want to be stuck with an incomplete ending, much in the vein of Nier: Automata.
Honorable mentions:Ghost in the Shell, Ergo Proxy.
Sleeping Dogs & Infernal Affairs Trilogy
By now, the undercover cop narrative is far from revolutionary when it comes to crime related movies, but what made Sleeping Dogs a great game was the polished opportunity of tackling this moral challenge from within a Hong Kong Triad. Infernal Affairs goes all out to portray the tension in a story that not only follows an undercover cop, but also an undercover gang member inside the police. The first film in the trilogy is so good that it prompted Martin Scorsese to pick it up, remake it and win an Oscar for best picture; but the Infernal Affairs trilogy is its own thing and deserves watching, solely for being set in Hong Kong just like Sleeping Dogs.
Honorable mentions:The Departed, Eastern Promises.
Grand Theft Auto V & Too Many
Rockstar Games are not shy about using each new Grand Theft Auto entry as a way to satirize modern society and neither do they hide their intentions to pay tribute or just outright copy iconic scenes from movies. If after 7 years, you’re hungry for a next-gen Grand Theft Auto, your best bet right now is trying to remember whatever made you love the last one and the people at Rockstar make it really easy to do just that.
Grand Theft Auto V missions are after all mainly heists and the heist film genre has plenty to offer. For specific movies where you can spot moments you might recall from in-game missions consider: Heat, No Country for Old Men, The Italian Job (1969 British or 2003 American version), Lethal Weapon 2 and Beverly Hills Cop 2. If you simply want to enjoy watching a ragtag group of charming criminals, then Baby Driver, Breaking Bad, Hell or High Water and Reservoir Dogs are a good fit.