By Emma Lanteri Devriendt
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Red Dead Redemption 2
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Video games and cinema have always had a strong connection. With the rise of video game adaptations, these two mediums influence each other more than ever. But long before this trend, many games were already paying homage to iconic films, sometimes recreating legendary scenes shot for shot, other times just making clear references to their inspirations.
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Then, some players take things into their own hands, using in-game tools to craft their cinematic tributes. Just look at GTA 5’s Rockstar Editor, which lets fans recreate classic moments…or even make their own indie productions. Now, let’s dive into some of the best moments where games brought the magic of cinema to life.
8 Sleeping Dogs - Heroic Bloodshed Movies
A Love Letter To Hong Kong Action Movies
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Sleeping Dogs
Open-World
Action
- Platform(s)
- PS4, PS3, Xbox One, Xbox 360, PC
- Released
- August 14, 2012
- Developer(s)
- United Front Games
- Publisher(s)
- Square Enix
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ due to Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Sexual Content, Strong Language, Use of Drugs
If Sleeping Dogs reminds you of classic Hong Kong action films, that’s because it embraces the Heroic Bloodshed genre - packed with stylized shoots and intense, dramatic action.
The undercover cop storyline is straight out of Infernal Affairs, while the shootouts and over-the-top action sequences feel ripped from Hard Boiled, John Woo’s legendary film. The game even features a wardrobe full of outfits referencing martial icons like Jackie Chan and Bruce Lee. If you are a fan of this genre, this game is a must-play.
7 Sifu - Oldboy
The Hallway Brawl You Can Play
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Sifu
Sifu is a martial arts brawler that aims to capture the feeling of classic Hong Kong action movies. It uses a detailed combat system modeled on Bak Mei kung fu, with a unique ageing mechanic to determine power and frailty.
Roguelike
Beat 'Em Up
-
- Top Critic Rating: 81/100 Critics Recommend: 85%
- Platform(s)
- Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
- Released
- February 8, 2022
- Developer(s)
- Sloclap
- Publisher(s)
- Sloclap
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood, Drug Reference, Strong Language, Violence
- How Long To Beat
- 9 Hours
- Metascore
- 81
- OpenCritic Rating
- Strong
If you’ve seen Oldboy, you probably remember its iconic hallway fight scene, the one where the protagonist single-handedly takes down a wave of enemies in a brutal, one-take brawl.
Sifu, the stylish beat’em up by Sloclap, pays direct homage to the famous Korean movie with a side-scrolling fight sequence that captures the same raw intensity - but this time, you’re in control of the relentless fighter. If you haven’t seen the movie or played the game, do both. We promise, it’s worth it.
6 A Way Out - Escape From Alcratraz
Escape Plans Never Go Out Of Style
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7/10
A Way Out
Action
Adventure
-
- Top Critic Rating: 79/100 Critics Recommend: 69%
- Platform(s)
- PC, PS4, Xbox One
- Released
- March 23, 2018
- Developer(s)
- Hazelight Studios
- Publisher(s)
- Electronic Arts
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Nudity, Blood, Intense Violence, Sexual Content, Strong Language
- How Long To Beat
- 7 Hours
- OpenCritic Rating
- Strong
Did A Way Out’s prison escape sequence feel familiar? That’s because it bears a strong resemblance to Escape From Alcatraz.
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The movie, based on the true 1962 escape of Frank Morris and the Anglin brothers, follows a similar plan to Vincent and Leo’s: digging a hole in the wall, sneaking through the prison’s air ducts, and executing a carefully thought-out escape to taste freedom. It’s one of the game’s strongest moments, proving that a well-planned prison break never goes out of style.
5 Max Payne - The Matrix
Bullet Time, Baby!
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6/10
Max Payne
Third-Person Shooter
- Platform(s)
- PC, PS2, Xbox (Original), Nintendo Game Boy Advance, Android, iOS
- Released
- July 23, 2001
- Developer(s)
- Remedy Entertainment
- Publisher(s)
- Gathering of Developers
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ due to Blood, Violence
Diving through the air in slow motion while firing two pistols? Yeah, that’s The Matrix all the way. While the movie popularized bullet time in 1999, Max Payne took it and turned it into an essential gameplay mechanic.
Every shootout feels straight from the movie, with Max diving, dodging, and firing in beautifully choreographed slow-motion sequences. Remedy Entertainment nailed the cinematic action so well that fans have been begging the studio to make an official Matrix game of their own. And honestly? They should.
Max Payne also features a difficulty mode called "Hard Boiled", a clear nod to John Woo’s legendary action film and another major influence for the game.
4 Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception - The Living Daylights
The Unluckiest Passenger Ever
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Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception
Action
Adventure
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4
- Released
- November 1, 2011
- Developer(s)
- Naughty Dog
- Publisher(s)
- Sony Computer Entertainment
- Multiplayer
- Local Multiplayer
- ESRB
- T for Teen: Blood, Language, Violence
- How Long To Beat
- 9 Hours
- How Long To Beat (Completionist Runs)
- 20 Hours
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The Uncharted series is often compared to the Indiana Jones saga, but it also borrows from other action-packed adventures, including James Bond. The cargo plane sequence in Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception is one of the most thrilling moments, mirroring a stunt from The Living Daylights.
Both Bond and Drake fight aboard a military plane and end up clinging to the cargo net, dangling over the open sky. Bond manages to climb back inside and even disarm a bomb hidden on the plane. Nate? Not so lucky. His plane explodes, though - like always, he survives by the skin of his teeth, only to find himself stranded in the middle of the desert. But let’s not spoil the rest.
3 Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas - Terminator 2
Hasta La Vista, Baby!
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Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
Action
Adventure
- Platform(s)
- PS2, PS3, Xbox (Original), Xbox 360, PC, macOS, iOS, Android
- Released
- October 26, 2004
- Developer(s)
- Rockstar Games
- Publisher(s)
- Rockstar Games
- Multiplayer
- Local Multiplayer
- Engine
- RenderWare
- How Long To Beat
- 30 Hours
Rockstar loves paying tribute to classic films, and GTA: San Andreas proves that with its recreation of Terminator 2’s truck chase. In Terminator 2, the T-1000 relentlessly pursues John Connor through the sewers, driving a massive truck that literally crashes through a bridge before landing on its wheels and continuing the chase.
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Now, replace John Connor with CJ and Big Smoke, swap the T-1000 for a gang of armed enemies, and you’ve got the San Andreas version of the sequence. Rockstar doesn’t just reference movies - they recreate them in pure GTA chaos.
2 Red Dead Redemption 2 - The Assassination Of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford
The Western That Became A Western
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Red Dead Redemption 2
Action
Adventure
-
- Top Critic Rating: 96/100 Critics Recommend: 94%
- Platform(s)
- PS4, Xbox One, PC, Stadia
- Released
- October 26, 2018
- Developer(s)
- Rockstar Games
- Publisher(s)
- Rockstar Games
- Multiplayer
- Online Multiplayer
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Nudity, Sexual Content, Strong Language, Use of Drugs and Alcohol
- How Long To Beat
- 50 Hours
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
Red Dead Redemption 2 is a love letter to classic Western films, but one scene, in particular, feels like it was pulled straight from The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford.
During the train heist sequence, Arthur Morgan stands atop a barricade, blocking the tracks, while his gang hides in the trees. The shots, the movements, and the flickering light hitting the trees is a near-identical recreation of Jesse James’s infamous train robbery scene. Red Dead Redemption 2 doesn’t just take inspiration from Westerns - it is one of them.
1 Ghost Of Tsushima - Sanjuro And Seven Samurai
An Akira Kurosawa Film You Can Play
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3.0/5
Ghost of Tsushima
Action
Adventure
-
- Top Critic Rating: 84/100 Critics Recommend: 88%
- Platform(s)
- PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5
- Released
- July 17, 2020
- Developer(s)
- Sucker Punch
- Publisher(s)
- Sony
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Language, Partial Nudity
- How Long To Beat
- 25 Hours
- Metascore
- 83
- Number of Players
- 2-4
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
If Ghost of Tsushima feels like a classic samurai film, that’s because it was designed that way. Sucker Punch took heavy inspiration from legendary director Akira Kurosawa, particularly from Sanjuro and Seven Samurai. The tense duels, where warriors wait for the perfect moment to strike, are lifted straight from the two movies.
The framing, the pacing, even the way the wind rustles through the grass - it all screams Chambara cinema. And if that weren’t enough, the game features Kurosawa Mode, a black-and-white filter with film grain and altered sound design to immerse you in the legendary director’s world fully.
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- Triple-A Games
- Red Dead Redemption 2
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