John Wick: Chapter 4 is currently in theaters, and it impresses with its bombastic action, emotional story, and clever world-building. Watching the film gets you in the mood for more action-heavy experiences, so what better way to get that fix than by checking out some video games?
It certainly helps that a lot of video games feel a lot like, or are even directly tied to, the John Wick films. So, if you just got out of the theater after seeing John Wick: Chapter 4 and are wondering what games you should play before seeing it again, we recommend checking out any of these seven titles.
John Wick Hex
Obviously, John Wick fans shouldn’t miss out on the series’ only PC and console game: John Wick Hex. It’s probably quite different than you’d expect, though. Instead of being a real-time action game, it’s a tactics game where players methodically move John across a hex-based map and choose his actions on a timeline. While this might not seem like a good fit for such an action-heavy series, the timeline-based structure actually gets you to think like John Wick as you learn to make the most effective combat choices in the shortest amount of time in order to be successful. If this unique twist on the series sounds interesting to you, John Wick Hex is available now for PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch.
The Hong Kong Massacre
One of John Wick: Chapter 4’s most iconic set pieces is a shootout in an abandoned building that was filmed from overhead. The camera perspective and brutal blows from John Wick’s shotgun with Dragon’s Breath ammunition felt straight out of a video game, and that’s because it was. John Wick: Chapter 4 director Chad Stahelski told SlashFilm that this scene was directly inspired by a game called The Hong Kong Massacre. Developed by Vreski and published by Untold Tales, The Hong Kong Massacre is a classic revenge story players experience as a top-down action game with fiery ammunition and an aesthetic clearly mimicked by that great John Wick: Chapter 4 scene. If you want to recreate that moment in the game, you’ll want to play The Hong Kong Massacre on PC, PS4, or Nintendo Switch.
Hotline Miami
While John Wick: Chapter 4 pulls aspects from The Hong Kong Massacre, that game is clearly inspired by Hotline Miami, another top-down action game with visceral combat. Hotline Miami is an even better game thanks to its ’80s aesthetic and trippy story about a man forced by mysterious masked people to brutally murder the Russian mafia. It’s a difficult, but immensely satisfying to play game, and its aesthetic and story will stick with you long after you beat the game. Hotline Miami is available now for PC, PS Vita, PS3, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and Android. This game also has an awesome sequel, if the other titles on this list aren’t enough for you.
Sifu
Few games make hand-to-hand combat feel as involved and impactful as Sifu. Yet another revenge tale, the unique hook of this game is that the player character ages every time they die, gaining more power, but having less health in the process. Sifu’s intense fights feel like they are straight out of an action movie like a John Wick movie, and accessibility options added post-launch ensure that anyone can tailor this experience to their liking. Also, this game plays out in third-person, so it’s the closest to the John Wick films in terms of feeling and perspective. Sifu is available now for PC, PS4, PS5, and Nintendo Switch, and it is slated to be released on Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S soon.
Hitman: World of Assassination
If John Wick’s mysterious history as a skilled hitman and assassin intrigues you, then you’ll want to check out IO Interactive’s Hitman: World of Assassination. As the title suggests, you play as an elite hitman and try to find the best way to take out targets across beautiful levels. Hitman’s main character, Agent 47, is iconic in his own right, and these games have even received multiple film adaptations. None of those were very good, though, so the Hitman games still manage to pair well with the John Wick films. World of Assassination actually combines all of the content from three different games and features an endless Freelancer mode, so you’ll have a ton of content to sink your teeth into if you decide to pick the game up on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, or Xbox Series X/S.
Superhot
Superhot plays out in slow-motion, as time only moves when you do. To succeed, you have to smartly dodge and deflect bullets, attack enemies, and navigate through levels without getting hit once. While slowly and methodically moving through levels is far from the pace of John Wick: Chapter 4’s action, watching what you did play out in real time after a level is completed is much closer to that energy. Superhot is available now for PC, PS4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch. If you want to get more out of this unique gameplay gimmick, you can try Superhot VR on Oculus Rift, PlayStation VR, and HTC Vive, as well as the standalone roguelike expansion Superhot: Mind Control Delete.
Ghost of Tsushima
When it comes to content and gameplay, Ghost of Tsushima isn’t that similar to the John Wick films. But those who plan on watching whatever John Wick: Chapter 4 director Chad Stahelski does next will want to play this open-world samurai action game from Sony studio Sucker Punch Productions. Stahelski is currently set to direct a film based on Ghost of Tsushima and told the Post Credit Podcast that the project is gaining more traction thanks to the success of The Last of Us TV show. Ghost of Tsushima is a very enjoyable stealth-action game in its own right, so it’s worth playing, as it will allow you to see how Stahelski may combine Ghost of Tsushima’s story and action with his John Wick sensibilities whenever that adaptation comes to fruition.
