Uncharted and the Best Games To Be Made Into Movies - Weekly Recommendations 06/12 - 12/12


Every week I give three gaming recommendations (very) loosely tied to something topical. These recommendations span platform, generation and genre and are all games that I have played, enjoyed and highly recommend. As always, it's great to hear other opinions, so please do chime in with any recommendations of your own. Check back each Monday for a new set, and click here for past entries.

Over the last week we have been greeted with some tantalising news regarding the forthcoming big screen adaptation of Uncharted, arguably the finest video game franchise of this generation. Mark Wahlberg has been confirmed as the charismatic lead, Nathan Drake, with Robert De Niro lending his chops to the role of Drake senior and Joe Pesci as the uncle, roles created especially for the movie. Director David O Russell has also divulged some information regarding the script, with the Drakes being a family of international antique hunters, a clear move away from the source material. That’s right, Uncharted is being turned into the Antiques Road Show with guns!

These developments have led many a fan to vent their frustration towards the project (for the record, I like the casting of Wahlberg and De Niro, though I’m pessimistic about the narrative changes), but it’s far too early to pass any meaningful judgement on Uncharted the Movie. However, if history has taught us anything it’s that video game movies are passable at best, and often downright atrocious. They have a near perfect track record of being piss-poor, even when the source material is critically acclaimed.

So for this week, here are three of the finest games to have made the move to celluloid. Don’t let the quality of the films dissuade you from playing these outstanding titles.




1. Tomb Raider – Sega Saturn, PlayStation 1, PC (1996)

Looking back, It’s difficult to comprehend how a mish-mash of pointy polygons become an internationally recognized pin-up, but Lara Croft did just that, becoming a cultural icon in the process. Jagged nipples and impossibly long legs aside, Tomb Raider was more than worthy of all the hype. The combat, platforming and treasure hunting were a precursor to the Uncharted series and although the franchise has lost its way a little over the last 10 years, the original remains a stone-cold classic. I still fondly recall the joys of clambering up a waterfall just so I could jump back off of it again, crashing into a clear pool of water below. It is moments like these, as well as huge levels to explore and challenging puzzles to solve that will keep you coming back for more.

2. Resident Evil/Biohazard – Sega Saturn, PlayStation 1, PC (1996)

A pastiche of horror B-movies, Resident Evil revelled in cheap scares and OTT heroes and villains, and unlike some of the RE games that followed, it never took itself too seriously. From its bloody and hilarious live-action opening movie it kept its tongue firmly in cheek and set the standard for the genre. Even its antiquated, right-angle-movements-only controls couldn’t dampen the fun, as you moved from tense battles with hideous creatures, to solving crank and medal based puzzles, all the while trying to conserve the scarcest of commodities: ammo. Resident Evil was one of the finest games on the PlayStation and lay the foundation for a AAA franchise that is still going strong. The RE films, whilst not terrible, have failed to capture the joy of the games and would benefit from taking a long, hard look at where it all started.

3. Final Fantasy VII – PlayStation, PC (1997)

So as to avoid re-hashing what I wrote in a recent article about the continued appeal of FFVII, I will quote directly from it :)

“Final Fantasy VII was the defining moment in an important time for gaming. The PlayStation was breaking down barriers and appealing to a far wider audience than previous home consoles, and FF7 was the high profile, AAA title that the platform needed. It's been credited as the game that sold the PlayStation brand and is widely regarded as one of the most influential titles of all time.”

Chances are you have already played FFVII, multiple times. If you haven’t, then get a second hand copy or download it from the PSN store and get stuck in. Unfortunately, Final Fantasy VII - Advent Children, Gaia's contribution to the silver screen, was an exercise in dry melodrama. As a fan of the game, it was fun at first to revisit the universe of FFVII, but it soon wore out its welcome and has few, if any redeeming features for viewers unfamiliar with the original adventures of Cloud and Co.

Comments

  1. Tomb Raider is my favorite of these games. If you've never checked out the Anniversary remake you should. Gives the classic game some non-terrible controls. I also really like Sands of Time the game which got a movie treatment recently. I'm not too into the casting choices for Uncharted or maybe more so I'm not into the changes to the story. Oh well, we'll wait and see what happens.

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  2. i can't play 7 ever again. final fantasy 7 is the only final fantasy game i've beaten just once. the reason i will never play 7 again will make you laugh but when it was released on psn i gave it a go. the second i saw aeris/aerith i quit. 10+ years later and i'm still upset.

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  3. Cheers for the comments.

    TripOpt55 - I havent played the aniversary remake, but am intrigued. As for Uncharted, lets cross our fingers and hope for the best.

    James - Ha! Some wounds take longer to heal than others, especially katanas through the chest! I share your pain.

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