During the recent PlayStation State of Play, Saber Interactive unveiled a first look at its in-development John Wick video game adaptation, which will focus on the iconic assassin’s career, prior to his wife-inspired exit from this more dangerous life.
Per the studio, the title is still some ways off, and it’s not quite ready to reveal more yet. But the teaser trailer and new images have sparked plenty of excitement, regardless.
John Wick prequel game in development – quick links
What to know about Saber Interactive’s John Wick game
As revealed during State of Play, the upcoming John Wick game is an action-adventure which stars Keanu Reeves, who returns to voice (and presumably mo-cap) Wick. He appears younger in the first footage, which makes sense, given the game’s events will chart a particular time period prior to the first film.
In a post to the PlayStation Blog, Jesus Iglesias, Game Director at Saber Interactive said: ‘It is an original gameplay narrative that addresses a significant time in Wick’s life, featuring well-known and iconic characters, as well as compelling new characters specifically created for this production.’
It’s worth noting ‘John Wick‘ isn’t the actual name of this game. This is just a placeholder, and we’ll get a formal game announcement as the title progresses in development.
Iglesias shared that developers are currently working alongside John Wick director Chad Stahelski, Keanu Reeves, and Lionsgate, with a view to make this game as authentic to the franchise as possible.
Saber Interactive aims to contribute to the ‘expansive and rich lore of the franchise’ with this entry, and as Iglesias says, the development team are all ‘huge’ fans looking to do justice to ‘one of the most captivating and successful action franchises.’
This John Wick game will incorporate visual and music touchpoints from the franchise
In an effort to be as authentic as possible, Saber Interactive has closely analysed the John Wick films, with a view to replicate their DNA, down to visual and audio touches, some of which can be seen and heard in the first trailer for the game.
‘There are signature elements from the John Wick movies that are also present in the game, incorporated to enhance the overall interactive experience,’ Iglesias said. ‘Things like the unique use of camerawork; the notable bold and cinematic environments; and of course, the extremely distinctive gun-fu action and intense driving experiences.’
‘Our goal is to create a wholly immersive experience unlike any other in video games. Something that blurs the line between movies and video games, making it something truly special. We are creating new, high-stakes, fully interactive mechanics that make players feel like they are in a John Wick movie, by playing the role of the Baba Yaga himself.’
In an effort to achieve these goals, Saber Interactive is also developing a new style of fighting gameplay that ‘mimics the movie experience.’
‘Although difficult to summarise everything we are doing to make this John Wick game a truly exceptional experience, we hope you can envision more of it with this message that we are glad to share with you,’ Iglesias said.
Notably, Saber Interactive currently has a number of other major video games in the works, including adaptations of Toxic Commando, Hellraiser, Jurassic Park, and Star Wars. While the John Wick game is in active development, it’s best to stay patient for more news.
