5 Licensed Games That Were Way Better Than They Had Any Right to Be

Until relatively recently, licensed video games have mostly had a negative stigma, and for good reason. The vast majority of licensed games were nothing more than quick cash grabs, trying to convince fans of an IP to pick a subpar game. Thankfully, some developers have treated licenses with the respect they deserve, turning out surprisingly great games that went far beyond the scope of what players expected at the time. This was far from the days of Marvel’s Spider-Man and Batman: Arkham Asylum, but a few teams broke the mold to make something worth buying.

Here are five licensed games that are much better than you would have ever expected at the time.

5) Spider-Man 2

This is not Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 from Insomniac. That game is exceptional, but I’m talking about the 2004 adaptation of the Tobey Maguire film. This version of Spider-Man 2 was developed by Treyarch, who many know as one of the studios behind modern Call of Duty.

Treyarch’s first stab at adapting Spider-Man was solid, but the second game was a revelation, thanks in large part to the web-swinging. Getting around Manhattan’s open world was pure joy, and the mechanic still holds up despite Insomniac’s improvements. Sure, a few of the side quests get a little repetitive, but Grand Theft Auto: Spider-Man was a blast in 2004.

4) X-Men Origins: Wolverine

Unlike Spider-Man 2, X-Men Origins: Wolverine was an awful movie that was rightly roasted by critics. Its bombing at the box office meant we never got to see the in-development Magneto spin-off, but we did get a solid video game out of the ordeal.

One of the reasons X-Men Origins works so well as a game is that Raven Software (another Call of Duty studio) was allowed to release an M-rated version. That means you’ll see copious amounts of blood and guts as you slice and dice your way through enemies, if you’re on the right platform.

Plus, we got to see a truly stunning display of Wolverine’s healing factor. Seeing a man go from his ribs sticking out of flesh to a healthy body in real time was jaw-dropping, and a must-have feature for Insomniac’s upcoming Marvel’s Wolverine.

3) GoldenEye 007

It’s not too surprising that the James Bond license would make for a good first-person shooter. After all, there had been a few well-received action games in the ’80s, and the FPS genre was really starting to gain popularity in the ’90s.

No, what’s surprising is that GoldenEye 007 came from Rare. The developer was a powerhouse on Nintendo consoles, but mostly in the platforming genre. By the time GoldenEye launched in 1997, most players knew Rare from the Donkey Kong Country series.

On top of that, GoldenEye was, in many ways, the first real breakout FPS on consoles. Previously, the genre had been heavily tied to the PC market, so Rare’s beloved shooter was many players’ first brush with the genre. Thankfully, Rare knocked it out of the park, proving that the studio could handle just about anything.

2) The Warriors

Picture this: You’re Rockstar Games, one of the biggest developers on the planet, and you just released a landmark game called Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas in 2004. Journalists and fans are lining up at your door begging to know what’s next. Another massive hit in your best-selling series? No, you say, we’re doing an adaptation of the 1979 cult classic film The Warriors.

That’s not exactly how it happened (Rockstar has multiple studios), but that’s how it felt when The Warriors popped up on the cover of Game Informer. A game based on a movie many fans had never heard of didn’t exactly seem like it was going to be a hit.

And truthfully, it wasn’t a huge commercial success for Rockstar. The Warriors did great critically, with reviewers praising the game’s unique style and finger-snapping music. The players just didn’t show up, which is a shame because The Warriors is one of the best examples of fan service in gaming, and it would’ve been fun to see Rockstar’s proposed sequel.

1) The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay

Let me be clear when I say that you won’t find a bigger fan of Pitch Black and The Chronicles of Riddick than me. I adore those films and was in the theater on opening night for the release of Riddick. I will be doing the same when Riddick: Furya finally launches. That all being said, outside of Pitch Black, the movies aren’t good.

What is good is Escape from Butcher Bay. The action-adventure game from Starbreeze is a prequel to Pitch Black, putting players into the shoes of Richard B. Riddick as he breaks free from the prison that bounty hunter William J. Johns sent him to. It is a masterful mix between stealth gameplay and first-person shooters like Far Cry. The latter isn’t quite as good as the former, but it’s more than competent.

Visually, Butcher Bay is appropriately moody, capturing the grime you’d expect from a maximum security prison in the far-flung future. And because Riddick’s actor, Vin Diesel, was so heavily involved in production, the main character looked incredible for the time. Simply put, Butcher Bay might be the best Riddick has ever been.

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