While movie-based video game have seen their fair share of success in recent years, it is hard to forget some of the biggest Hollywood blockbusters whose movie-based video games were comically bad.
In Hollywood, hit films have to keep making money, and video games remain one of the easiest ways for studios to keep earning from films with giant fan bases. From Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis in 1992 to Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 in 2023, Hollywood has no shortage of successful video games based on hit films. However, the number of hit films that are adapted into video games has fallen sharply in recent years. The gaming industry is a tough one to break into, and movie-based video games haven’t been very successful, and some of Hollywood’s biggest blockbusters aren’t spared.
Iron Man (2008) / Iron Man: The Video Game (2008)
Jon Favreau’s Iron Man birthed the MCU, a giant franchise that has grossed over $30 billion worldwide. However, its video game adaptation, Iron Man: The Video Game (2008), made very little contribution to that success. The game, which was released at the same time as the film, allows players to control Tony Stark on a mission to save himself after being kidnapped by terrorists and also take down the terrorist organization. Unfortunately, the game was lacking in most angles and had nothing comparable to the Tony Stark flair that made the film so interesting.
The most common disappointment for many players was the terrible controls and endless glitches that would cause Tony Stark to frequently get stuck mid-movement. The film’s popularity still helped the game sell over 2.5 million copies worldwide, which would be considered a success for any typical video game. However, its 45% rating on Metacritic is the highest it got on any aggregating platform – a stark contrast from the film, which is rated at 79% on the same platform.
The game’s erratic difficulty, uninspired voice acting, and repetitive missions stained the gamer experience, making it one of the worst movie-based video games ever.
Lord of the Rings Trilogy (2001-2003) / The Lord of the Rings: Gollum (2023)
With its 1.4/10 user score on Metacritic, accompanied by comments like “…Gollum’s voice really sticks out. It just sounds like an angry smoker they hired from a trailer park to do a gruff voice,” on Reddit, it is no surprise that The Lord of the Rings: Gollum was rated among the worst video games of 2023.
The stealth action platformer was supposed to tell the “missing chapters” of Gollum’s story as he hunts for the One Ring after it is taken by Bilbo Baggins. In the game, Gollum uses stealth action through the platforms as he accomplishes the missions that lead him to the One Ring. Unfortunately, the game is a visual and mechanical caricature of the film’s stunning VFX.
The game was also plagued with bugs, ranging from players falling through walls to getting stuck and dying in random locations. While the concept was promising, the creators neither invested in the character nor the creativity to recreate anything comparable to J.R.R. Tolkien’s literary masterpiece.
Shrek (2001) / Shrek Smash n’ Crash Racing (2006)
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Dreamworks pushed the limits of early 2000s animation with Shrek, winning the first ever Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. Shrek is now one of the biggest animated franchises in the world, so it only made sense when its kart racing video game was released in 2006.
Basically, the game is a Mario Kart replica where players get to control the 12 main Shrek characters in a kart race. However, unlike the film, whose exemplary writing and voice acting proved generational, Shrek Smash n’ Crash Racing feels more like a cash grab mission with little creative investment.
There is no original voice acting to accompany the game’s characters, and the graphics are atrocious. Besides its screechy audio, the game’s controls could have used a little enhancement. Most critics agree that the game has sloppy gameplay that leaves most gamers frustrated.
Fast & Furious (2001–2013, Film Series) / Fast & Furious: Showdown (2013)
“Insultingly terrible” is one of the comments used by critics on IGN to describe Fast & Furious: Showdown, accompanied by a 1.4/10 rating. Set between the events in Fast Five and Fast 6, the game is presented as a series of events being described by Monica Fuentes.
However, nothing about the game feels like the high-octane, visually appealing world of Fast & Furious. First of all, Dominic Toretto, who is essentially the face of the franchise, is not a playable character in the game. While the missions are serviceable, the graphics are first-generation-console-level at best, with fuzzy textures and a glitch-ridden environment.
The concept was still great as the game allowed players to switch between cars mid-mission and shoot from insane angles. Unfortunately, there is little for players to enjoy because everything about the game feels forced.
Godzilla (2014) / Godzilla the Game (2014-15)
Gareth Edwards’ Godzilla did everything right by Kaiju film standards, reviving the franchise in the West. Unfortunately, the same can’t be said for its video game tie-in, Godzilla the Game, whose Metacritic rating of 38% feels more than generous. The game’s biggest attraction on announcement was having Godzilla as a playable character.
Godzilla the Game players control Godzilla to destroy G-Energy Generators as he increases in size and defeats multiple enemies. However, Godzilla’s movement in the game is awkwardly slow and devoid of personality. He doesn’t have any real resistance either, with the game’s poor destruction physics making it worse as buildings seem to collapse with no impact or dust.
The game’s graphics are also outdated for both PS3 and PS4, on which it was released. All of the game’s modes, including the story mode, feel like an unfinished tech demo, which left most players frustrated, making the game a stain on the film.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1 (2010) / Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1: The Game (2010-11)
Considered one of the greatest successes of visual effects in the 21st century, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is a true cinematic masterpiece. After the film earned $977 million at the global box office, it only made sense for it to get a video game tie-in.
However, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1, the video game, suffered from a catastrophic lack of creative investment. The game features Harry Potter as a playable character in a third-person shooter perspective, where the same protagonists from the film take on Harry’s nemesis, Lord Voldemort. However, unlike the dark tale of the film, whose emotional weight is deeply touching, the game lacks character depth and neglects magical nuance.
From robotic-looking characters to recycled combat sequences and clunky graphics, everything about the game felt hurried and uninspired, the exact opposite of the film in which it is based.
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Charlie’s Angels (2000): Charlie’s Angels the Game (2003)
Despite its moderate box office returns, Charlie’s Angels remains a cultural phenomenon of the early 2000s, with its excellent delivery of high-energy female-led action with a gripping sense of humor earning global acclaim. After the film’s positive reception, Ubisoft teamed up with Neko Entertainment to create a beat ’em up video game based on the film, which was released in 2003.
While Natalie Cook, Dylan Sanders, and Alex Munday are all playable characters voiced by their film counterparts, the three actors literally half-groan through their lines the entire game. Its fuzzy visuals, sluggish movement, and clumsy combat also force players to spend more time fighting the view than they do playing the game.
The final experience is nothing close to the gripping espionage tale of the film, as the creators seemed to miss the whole point of the franchise, delivering a shallow storyline with extremely difficult missions that are almost impossible to accomplish.
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Billy Oduory is an Information Systems major and a lifelong nerd who has enjoyed comics since childhood. When he … More about Billy Oduory
Mentioned In This Article: Charlie’s Angel Charlie’s Angels the Game (2003) Fast & Furious: Showdown (2013) Fast and Furious Godzilla Godzilla the Game Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1: The Game Iron Man Iron Man: The Video Game (2008) Lord of the Rings Shrek Shrek Smash n’ Crash Racing (2006) The Lord of the Rings: Gollum
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