Mission Impossible is one of the highest grossing sagas in the history of Hollywood and its next installment, Deadly Judgment, prepares to repeat the feat. With a plot that redefines the spy genre and jaw-dropping action sequences courtesy of Tom Cruise, some wonder if the franchise will get a video game adaptation.
Although the idea does not sound far-fetched, the truth is that a video game starring Tom Cruise is an impossible mission. For years, the actor has refused to lend his likeness for use in games and other consumer products. merchandising. That is why the film adaptations in which Cruise participates have chosen to introduce generic characters that do not have the slightest resemblance to the interpreter of Ethan Hunt.
The reasons why Tom Cruise establishes this clause in his films are a mystery. Some theorize that It has to do with Scientology.the church of which he has been an active member since the 1980s. The religion — straight out of a science fiction book — states that humans are immortal spirit beings, residing in a physical body.
Tom Cruise likely bought into the idea that he doesn’t own his body, since it’s just a vehicle for spirit. The actor He has been emphatic in all his contracts and states that your image may not be used in video games or action figures. The only way to put Tom Cruise in a game is through mod for GTA 5.
Mission Impossible and their video games
For years, film adaptations to video games (and vice versa) consisted of mediocre products that landed with the film. In case of Mission Impossible is interesting, since although it was released two years after the first film, the title of Nintendo 64 caught the attention of fans. Despite not having Tom Cruise or a story linked to the film, the game it was a commercial success by 1998 standards.
A second game landed on the Game Boy Color with the idea of taking advantage of the fever for mission impossible 2. With excellent graphics and the ability to connect the Game Boy Printer to print codes, the adaptation failed to take off. The game was so bad that its creators had no choice but to rush development to get on the box office.
Infogrames made one last try with Mission Impossible: Operation Surma in 2003. The game was located between the second and third film and made use of personalities like Ving Rhames or John Polson. Although Tom Cruise did not lend his likeness, the actor appears in the game’s credits for PS2 and Game Boy Advance with a special thanks.
Almost twenty years after its last adaptation to interactive media, Mission Impossible has become a media phenomenon that generates millions of dollars. Curiously, no video game has been able to capitalize on the action/espionage formula that the franchise proposes. Technology and advances in game design would allow Ethan Hunt’s sequences or stunts to be reproduced without problems.
A game of Mission Impossible for PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X | S could enjoy the same success that the NES version once had. The Konami title, based on the remake of the TV series, is considered one of the best adaptations of that time.