Lionsgate has announced that a studio could embark on the development of a John Wick video game, whose fourth film is scheduled for 2023.
Sooner or later there could be an ambitious video game adapted from the John Wick saga, a monument of action films carried by a Keanu Reeves at the peak of his art (and his form). As reported by Eurogamer on November 6, Lionsgate said the license has the potential to become “ a AAA video game and that was kind of the point of the story.
” We are gathering proposals. We’re interested in following up, but I don’t want to say anything at this time. “, confided Jon Feltheimer, CEO of Lionsgate, to his investors. Note that a video game adaptation from John Wick already exists: it is John Wick Hexwhich we rather liked when we tried it – but which is not a AAA project (the levels are like puzzles to solve).
What might an ambitious John Wick video game look like? We prophesy.
The ingredients to make John Wick a great video game
1. Keanu Reeves must be there
Like the Matrix, the John Wick films are inseparable from a face: that of Keanu Reeves. And it is impossible to design a video game headed by Lionsgate without the star player. Keanu Reeves is literally John Wick, namely a nonchalant individual with unsuspected charisma. From a distance, the hero looks like someone without a story. When we see him fight, we can only applaud his prowess. Without Keanu Reeves’ performance, we don’t even want to hear about a video game. We recall that the actor appears in Cyberpunk 2077.
2. A polished achievement
The John Wick saga is loved by moviegoers for one obvious reason: the making. Beyond the action scenes with impressive choreography, the films are visually magnificent (the photography, the science of the frame…) — New York under the rain of John Wick Parabellum attests to it. We therefore expect John Wick to become a video game that is also very beautiful and, of course, technically infallible.
3. Precise and hard-hitting gameplay, mixing shooting and melee
Known as Baba Yaga (which says a lot about his reputation), John Wick is a ruthless killer feared by everyone. He can do absolutely anything when it comes to assassinating targets, whether ranged or melee. To be a good adaptation, the video game must be both an excellent shooting experience (with a varied arsenal) and a good hand-to-hand combat game (hard-hitting and dynamic). The balance will undoubtedly be difficult to find, but John Wick cannot limit himself to one of the two categories. The game should mix the best of TPS (Third Person Shooter) and beat them all.
4. Memorable bosses
Retired killer in search of a peaceful life after the disappearance of his wife, John Wick is forced to return to service after the visit of Iosef Tarasof, son of an underworld boss who is going to kill… his dog. His desire for revenge will quickly turn into flight, while he has several talented assassins on his back. To captivate the audience, the films rely on a five-star cast (Ian McShane, Laurence Fishburne, Halle Berry, Mark Dacascos…). The video game will have to do the same, with bosses that will be difficult to get rid of.
5. A Continental Hub
Should John Wick be an open-world video game? Not necessarily. On the other hand, it must integrate the Continental, a hotel where the assassins meet and which is considered a truce zone (blood must not be spilled there, according to the codes established by the High Table). We can very well imagine a hub giving access to the main missions, as well as some additional tasks – among other nods to the universe.
The Continental is such an iconic location within John Wick lore that a prologue series, starring Mel Gibson, will soon air.
6. A dog
The starting point of John Wick is the death of a dog. You need at least one in the video game. It could even be side content, built around activities to take care of it.