Back in the 90s and 2000s, “licensed game” was shorthand for “cheap junk made to get money from suckers,” with only a few standout exceptions like Goldeneye. But that’s changed: now there are plenty of great games built on the backs of successful movies, TV shows, and comics.
These games are obviously great for fans, who’ve either had to suffer through mediocre-at-best titles from the NES through PS2 eras or just go without. But they also make excellent gifts, since it’s hard to know what a gamer will like. If you know someone’s a fan of an established franchise, odds are great that they’ll get some enjoyment playing through them on a console or PC.
This isn’t an exhaustive list of the best licensed games ever—hit-and-miss as they tend to be, that would be way too long. These are the best available on the current and previous generations of consoles (Xbox 360/PS3/Wii U and Xbox One/PS4/Switch). If you know someone who’s a fan of any of the following shows or movies, you should be able to find a physical or digital copy of these games with ease.
Note: some of the trailer videos below are very definitely Not Safe For Work.
Spider-Man (PS4)
Despite no less than three different movie franchises featuring Spider-Man in the last decade, all made with at least some input from Sony, this game isn’t based on any of them. It tells its own story, though a lot of familiar faces show up, and doesn’t get bogged down with continuity.
While the PS4-exclusive Spider-Man is a pretty decent open-world action game, what it really nails is the travel mechanics: fluid, physical web-swinging through Manhattan skyscrapers has never been so much fun. This game strikes an excellent balance between giving you just enough control to make you feel like a superhero, and guiding you just enough to keep you from breaking the fantasy. It’s the first worthwhile Spider-Man game since the original PlayStation version way back in 2000.
Batman: Arkham City (Xbox 360, Xbox One, PS3, PS4, Wii U, PC)
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Source: How-To Geek
