Our top 10 move tie-in games

I’ve been a big fan of movie tie-in games ever since I can remember, with fond memories of Goldeneye 007 and The Warriors being some of my highlights. While it’s no secret most of them have been average, we thought we would track down and discuss some of the better games that have rivalled the success of the movies they’re based on.

It’s worth noting that many of these titles had different versions on alternate platforms, and we’ll be listing the specific platforms and versions for our choices. Let’s dive in.

10. The Matrix: The Path of Neo (PlayStation 2, Xbox, PC – 2005)

The Matrix movies were all the rage in the early 2000s, so it only felt right that something like this would follow up only a couple of years later after the trilogy had concluded. Sure, we had Enter the Matrix and The Matrix Online but they were original takes on the existing licensee, and failed to capture the magic of the movies.

But playing as Neo across the three films, as janky as it may have felt at times, hit way harder than it missed. Combining both hand-to-hand combat with weapon-based gameplay, players were flipping, whacking and cleaning house as they took on the likes of Agent Smith and played through some admittedly accurate recreations of iconic scenes.

9. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (PlayStation 2, Xbox, GameCube – 2002)

There are plenty of Harry Potter games that exist nowadays, and while Hogwarts Legacy might be the best game we’ve gotten that’s set in this world, we can appreciate how well this laid the groundwork for things to come.

While there were a few different versions on handheld consoles and PC for example, we felt that this particular version looks and plays the best, while holding up surprisingly well even by today’s standards. Going to classes, playing Quidditch and taking on the crazy Basilisk are still some of my favourite gaming moments.

8. Peter Jackson’s King Kong – The Official Game of the Movie (PlayStation 2, Xbox, GameCube – 2005)

As popular as the movie was upon its release, I don’t think anybody was expecting much from this movie tie-in game. Funnily enough, Peter Jackson’s King Kong: The Official Game of the Movie was ahead of its time.

With slick visuals and cinematic gameplay, it might not have been the deepest in terms of overall variety, but did such a great job at sucking you into this world, as you struggled for survival as Jack, and destroyed your enemies as Kong.

7. The Godfather: The Game (PlayStation 2, Xbox, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Nintendo Wii – 2006)

The Godfather is my favourite film of all time, but when this came out, it was my first foray into the criminal world of the Corleone family.

The game loosely follows the film as you observe its events from the perspective of a new character, but I enjoyed how it combined free-roaming elements with management systems that saw you extorting businesses to earn for the family, and strategically take out rival gangs and take over portions of New York City along the way.

6. James Bond 007: From Russia With Love (PlayStation 2, Xbox, GameCube, PlayStation Portable – 2005)

As a huge 007 fan growing up, From Russia With Love was never one of my favourite Bond films; but that was never going to stop me from begging my parents to pick this one up.

While Sean Connery returned to voice Bond (with middling results) the game did a great job at blending blockbuster action with various iconic segments from the film and beyond. While it’s not the best Bond game out there, it’s a movie-tie-in game that surprised me nonetheless.

5. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (PlayStation 2, Xbox, GameCube, PC – 2003)

Electronic Arts seems to be dominating this list so far, and we’re not done just yet.

The previous movie tie-in game based on The Two Towers was already fantastic, but based on its larger roster of playable characters and bolder, more epic battles and boss encounters, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King stands as one of the best hack-and-slash games of the era.

4. X-Men Origins: Wolverine (PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PC – 2009)

There were two versions of this game on two different generations of consoles, and we’re referring to the later PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions here.

For one, this is way more violent, featuring enemy dismemberment and a cool regenerating Wolverine that got pretty mangled as you took damage and healed on the fly. But with fantastic combat and a story that deviated beyond the film for the better, it’s one of the most underrated hack-and-slash games that I feel still needs more love.

3. The Warriors (PlayStation 2, Xbox, PlayStation Portable – 2005)

By today’s standards, it’s hard to imagine Rockstar juggling more than a couple of projects at any given time. But there was a time when it felt like Rockstar was pumping something different out every year.

Manhunt, Bully and even Table Tennis all surrounded The Warriors, a strange choice given the film had been released almost 30 years prior. While the game technically acts as a prequel that leads into the events of the movie, it’s still worth pointing out just how good it was and how well it actually plays today. Its hand-to-hand combat is brutal and visceral while expanding on the world and taking some of the best bits from its other franchises like Grand Theft Auto.

2. Spider-Man 2 (PlayStation 2, Xbox, GameCube – 2004)

It’s hard to believe that it’s been over 20 years since this film and game released, yet here we are. While it might not seem as impressive by today’s standards, I truly believe that this version of Spider-Man 2 laid the groundwork for the more modern iterations of the iconic web-head, bringing to life one of the largest open worlds we had seen at the time.

Even by today’s standards, swinging around New York City is an absolute blast, and we still wish we could deliver pizzas as Spider-Man in some of these newer titles too.

1. GoldenEye 007 (Nintendo 64 – 1997)

And here we are. GoldenEye 007 tops our list for a few reasons. It’s not only the best Bond game, but it also popularised split-screen multiplayer along with a dedicated campaign that recollected the film’s best moments.

While it wasn’t anything particularly new at the time, it simply perfected all that it was playing with and presented players with a movie tie-in that not only blew people away at the time but is still fun to play in 2025.

And that’s a wrap! We admittedly do miss the age of consent movie tie-ins but will continue to look back on these games as some of the best options to pick up and play with friends today.

Matthew Arcari

Matthew Arcari is the games and technology editor at The AU Review. You can find him on Twitter at @sirchunkee, or at the Dagobah System, chilling with Luke and Yoda.