The film and video game worlds are hardly related, and yet are consistently inspired by one another, with ideas, themes, imagery and even characters and franchises finding themselves interwoven between the two mediums. Those last couple things are among the most popular integration. In fact, we can spend an entire podcast hour (and then some!) talking about ALL of the movie tie-in video games that have made their way from the big screen, to the gaming screen. Some earn high marks and a place alongside the respective film franchise, while others have faded in obscurity…with good reason.
Since the dawn of online, next generation gaming following the launch of Plastation 3 and Xbox 360, Downloadable Content became increasingly more popular as supplemental income for the games publishers, and as an extra thank you and occasional fan service and cameos to those players who stick with the game. When done right, its a win-win, and as a result many of our favorite horror movie villains have been making cameos as DLC characters or earning their own game. We’ve seen the likes of Freddy Krueger (A Nightmare on Elm Street) and The Predator (Predator) fight it out in the Mortal Kombat series, and Jason Voorhees (Friday the 13th) score his new standalone video game in 2017. And these don’t even include the many familiar faces in the Dead by Daylight roster, like Michael Myers (Halloween), Leatherface (Texas Chainsaw Massacre) and Freddy Krueger. These cameos are much more traditional to the effects of their horror franchise, than being included in a set of fisticuffs.
With the recent addition of “The Saw Chapter” to the Dead by Daylight lineup, we couldn’t help but think about which horror movie villains we’d love to see appear in the gaming world next. And they’re all better than a lazy idea like Slenderman. Here are seven of our favorites:
GHOSTFACE (SCREAM)
Ghostface is no stranger to the world of video games. You might not be aware of this, but the masked phone-killer made a quick underrated appearance in a mobile app game that tied to the launch of Scream 4. That was back in 2011 – the app has since been removed, and so has the memory of the killer’s appearance. (I had the mobile app, and it was pretty good for what it was.) We are LONG overdue for an official introduction of the killer to the video game world.
This killer would be amazing in a TellTale Games style series, where your actions as the Final Girl and the other victims would determine the progress of the story and who would survive the slasher flick. Plus, Scream originally was a trilogy, so that style would work well in a longer story structure and the horror movie rules established in the film series. We basically wrote this series format. (*nudge nudge* TellTale *wink wink*)
ELIZABETH BATHORY (STAY ALIVE)
First things first: Elizabeth Bathory is a real person. Seriously! Google her. She has a long bloodied history. The “Elizabeth Bathory” mentioned here is the villain from the little-known horror flick, Stay Alive. The premise of that movie had players being killed by Elizabeth in real life if they died in the video game. Every time I’ve watched Stay Alive, I’m still surprised that no one ever made the game in the movie into an actual video game for mass consumption. The concept was interesting (exploring a plantation and fight demon girls while solving a mystery) and it looked terrifying. Though, the graphical fidelity would be better suited for a more improved character design for modern consoles and PC today.
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SAMARA (THE RING)
The Ring, at the very least, is a very creepy movie, and while the recent reboot didn’t have the same effect as the original, you can’t deny that Samara is an effective, dangerous villain. The one thing that might hold Samara back in the video game world is the restriction established in the horror series (i.e. Samara only appears to kill when someone passes the 7-day deadline). For her to work as a villain, she would need to be a character in Dead by Daylight, or as a menacing force in some type of VR experience where your character starts to go paranoid from the curse. I’m leaning more to the former – just think about finding that creepy well and map in a Dead by Daylight map! Her power could be to climb out of TVs or wells around the map.
THE CANDYMAN (CANDYMAN)
Candyman is a cult classic. If you’re familiar with the horror genre, you’ve probably watched this movie or heard about the legend overall. (I may love the genre, but I will NEVER say the name or Bloody Mary in front of a mirror.) The Candyman, or some altered form of him, needs to be included in a game like Dead by Daylight. He has the eerie hook, the power of bees, and the ability to appear from mirrored surfaces. It’d make for some fun, diverse gameplay the survival horror genre hasn’t really quite touched yet. His inclusion into the story and motif of Daylight would be an easy fit into that world.
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PENNYWISE THE CLOWN (IT)
Creepy clown + timely hit movie + iconic locations = missed opportunity. It’s all in the math. Why isn’t there a video game to capitalize on this? You can’t deny that clowns can be a bit scary… okay very scary, but there is a reason there’s a genuine fear about them. Pennywise would fit well into the video game world, whether as its own Until Dawn-style video game or as a character in Dead by Daylight (just think about the carnival themed locations). I would even settle for him to be a playable fighting character in Mortal Kombat. there could even be an incentive to keep playing to unlock, maybe, a classic Tim Curry costume? Come on, Pennywise is long overdue.
THE CREEPER (JEEPERS CREEPERS)
Potentially the least personable and entertaining villain on this list, The Creeper is here because he’s dangerous and is already basically a video game-ready villain. Throw him into a setting like Dead by Daylight, or even his own standalone game similar to Friday the 13th or Until Dawn, and you have a monster with weapons and wings who’s main purpose is to kill you. He has everything you need right there.
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THE HOOK MAN/FISHERMAN (I KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER)
The Hook Man (or Fisherman, depending on how you define him) falls under the same lines of Ghostface from Scream. His origin from I Know What You Did Last Summer has enough story premise from the first movie that you could create a “choose your own destiny” type of video game with him. Though, the idea of The Hook Man is based on the original urban legend of two kids sitting in a parked card, so a variation of him could work in any setting or style. This killer is basically the adaptable template that could work wherever and whenever.
These villains have all left their mark in the movie landscape, and these are just the tip of the iceberg of who could be other potential additions. Is there a villain you desperately want to join the gaming world? Let us know in the comments below.
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