Summary
Considering that the originalConstantinemovie released almost 20 years ago, video game companies had an excuse for why there was never a follow up involving a video game. They also get a pass because in 2005, it might have been able to pull together the look, feel an elements need for a really good game built on the universe, while the graphic novels have always had cult following but never totally got into the mainstream.
However,theHellblazercomicshave only gained popularity over the years thanks in no small part to the Constantine character appearing throughout the CW’s Arrowverse. The franchise got a big boost in the last few years though whenKeanu Reevesconfirmed that Constantine 2 is officially in the works, even if there’s no launch date for the flick yet. With the momentum that is only going to build from the two-decades-long anticipation, now is the absolute perfect time to start working on aConstantinevideo game.
Constantine could offer new kind of superhero game
There are a couple of different ways a video game centered aroundConstantinecould go but themodern superhero video gamesseem to lay out at least one way this could go. Gamers could be enticed to take on the role of the modern wizard, trenchcoat and all as he battles his way through a major American city. A layout like Los Angeles surprisingly hasn’t been done al that often in video games, even as the graphical quality has increased exponentially since the firstConstantinemovie hit theaters.
The plot could be a rather simple one, though there are several different directions it could go.
The plot could be a rather simple one, though there are several different directions it could go. A Constantine video game could work as a straight up action title like Spider-Man or Miles Morales where the character made most famous by Keanu Reeves (who could even voice it as he’sgot experience in video games), tries to clear areas that are infested with demons. A storyline that’s not unlike the first movie in his main goal being helping families who are dealing with demonic possession could be the basis.
AssumingConstantine 2will have some aspectsof the first movie, meaning there’s a mystery for the character to solve, this could be incorporated into the game as well. Searching various areas for clues could be incorporated as well. And there could even be mechanics that have to be done just right in order to free people from the demons that have infested them and their loved ones.Spider-Man 2and the infestation of people by the Venom symbiote demonstrate just how simple it would be to incorporate those mechanics into the action.
The Witcher 3 but a modern setting
Considering that the two storylines have more than a few things in common, one game that would be a greatmodel for aConstantinegamecould beThe Witcher 3. While John Constantine isn’t a kind of mutated monster hunter, he is essentially a wizard who is uniquely qualified to fight a certain kind of monsters that no one else can face off against. He brews up potions and spells and magical objects in order to do battle with hell’s minions.
Geralt of Rivia couldinform the mechanicsboth for how players of a newConstantinegame would work. It could also be a model for how to engage in combat. Though there would need to be some tweaking because Geralt is a warrior that’s been trained in sword play and tends to use his powers to stagger opponents then go for the kill with his blades. John Constantine is more of someone who would need to use magic and spells and potions to take down the bad guys.
Some kind of hybrid betweenThe Witcher 3andDiablo 4could really workto make the game interesting. Include a kind of skill tree where John gets more powerful with each step up the ladder and where the player can decide in what areas the character gets more powerful. Of course, Constantine could also have weapons such as his famous shotgun takes out demons in big chunks. It feels like there are a lot of openings for this kind game to be very, very fun.
A Constantine Game Could Break The Movie Adaptation Curse
It’s long felt as though any game based on a movie has carried a kind of stigma attached to it. Though this wouldn’t have to be a “movie game” so much as it would take a character from these movies and put it into a video game. However, considering that there could be fans of the movies more than the graphic novels, it would make sense to incorporate characters that aremore recognizable from the films.
Video game companies have managed to have more success when it comes to superheroes, though it can still be hit and miss. One reason why some of these games,likeKill the Justice League,have failed is because they’re all too similar, a movie based on theConstantinefilms can really rejuvenate the genre in a way that putting another traditional superhero in a game falls short.
