10 Overlooked Movie Licensed Games (That Were Actually Awesome)

After years and years of being burned by godawful movie tie-in games, players in 2015 are pretty justified when they meet every newly-announced title with the same exhausted sigh.

In fact, players have been disappointed by soulless movie games so much over the past decade or so, that even when a good title comes out, they probably won't even play it due to the stigma that lingers around the entire sub-genre. But when it comes down to it, there are plenty of movie-inspired games that haven't received the praise they deserved, just because they happened to be born out of one of the most hated genres in the history of gaming. 

Because of this reputation it's very easy to forget that some of the medium's most iconic titles have actually been licensed video games. You might have to dig through a pile of terrible Charlie's Angels titles to find them, but I promise you, there's always a GoldenEye or a Spider-Man 2 waiting at the bottom to make it worthwhile.

So for a change, I'm not going to be taking the expected route that spotlights the very worst of these games, but instead showcase the titles that prove why the sub-genre is needed in the first place. These games might be the exceptions to the rule, but damn, I'd play through Catwoman ten times if it meant I could get my hands on one of these gems straight after.

Based in the same universe as the cult classic movie version, the 1997 Blade Runner game worked as more of a side-story to its filmic counterpart. Focusing on a brand new character, this point-n'-click adventure game struck gold with a more story-focused experience long before Telltale came onto the scene to adapt every single media property in the universe.

Although the developers weren't able to acquire the likeness and voice of Harrison Ford, the title still created and delivered an exciting story in its own right that ran parallel to movie, weaving in and out of its key moments.

Regardless of this potential to feel like a throwaway narrative, the same noir mystery was still central to the whole experience. With multiple endings that were all brilliantly affecting depending on the way you played through the game, there was a real reason to go through Blade Runner more than once just to see all of the different variations in the story. 

Even though point and click games aren't the most satisfying to actually play mechanically, the calibre of writing and the title's cinematic style more than made up for any lack of challenge or slight repetition in the gameplay.