Sam Raimi’s Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is finally out in the wild, and while it’s getting less positive reviews than what longtime Marvel Studios fans have grown accustomed to, it’s still a solid reception for the director’s trippy take on the MCU. The movie adopted a distinctly Raimi tone, bringing out some of the horror weirdness that’s defined so much of the director’s catalog. Some might understandably feel it’s a much-needed shakeup to the typically safe Marvel formula, with horror fans surely finding something to love.
Video games are also a medium where developers can get noticeably inventive and bizarre with their worlds, and the action-adventure and survival-horror genres have certainly flexed those creative muscles. Recent years have seen delightfully strange gaming titles that, in some form or another, should strike similar tones that Multiverse of Madness does.
Control (2019)
Developer Remedy Entertainment has long since been a fan-favorite studio for its surprise hits like Alan Wake and the first two entries in the Max Payne series. 2019’s Control arguably falls in the former category, with it being the start of an original series that garnered such a strong critical reception that many cited it as one of the best games of the year.
Control revolves around Jesse Faden, the new director of the secret government agency called the Federal Bureau of Control, which is tasked with containing and studying inexplicable phenomena. Jesse goes in to neutralize a mysterious enemy that’s corrupted the fabric of reality, using her own supernatural powers to combat them. The conspiratorial and secretive premise combined with interdimensional sci-fi should offer a thrilling supernatural story for fans coming off Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.
Control is available on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, and PC.
The Evil Within 2 (2017)
While Tango Gameworks’ The Evil Within 2 is more firmly in the arena of survival-horror, the way its gameplay, visuals, and atmosphere mesh together should make for a bonafide Sam Raimi experience. Given the director’s ventures in the horror genre like Evil Dead and Drag me to Hell, The Evil Within 2 seems like an IP right up Raimi’s alley. The story put players in the role of detective Sebastian Castellanos, who dives into the failed psychological alternate reality of Union to rescue his daughter.
What makes The Evil Within 2 such a noteworthy game worth playing is how it uses trippy psychological horror to establish its tone in a way that feels as if Doctor Strange ventured into a realm of unabashed horror rather than dipping its toes into it. Likewise, its central villain is decidedly creepy and insane in a campy way, with camp being something Sam Raimi is known for infusing into his movies.
The Evil Within 2 is available now on PS4, XBO, and PC.
Life is Strange (2015)
It’s a much more down-to-earth entry, but Dontnod Entertainment’s Life is Strange uses some concepts in its story that should be somewhat reminiscent of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. This graphic-adventure game follows 18-year-old Max Caulfield, a photography student with the power to rewind time. As expected, this power comes at a cost since each change she makes causes a butterfly effect that can alter real-world events.
The scale is much more intimate, telling a supernatural and emotionally gut-wrenching coming-of-age story in the process. Given the cinematic genre of Life is Strange, the use of reality-altering powers as the vehicle driving the plot forward, and the consequences of said powers, this game should offer a richly immersive experience akin to the repercussions that set up Multiverse of Madness‘ conflict.
Life is Strange is available now on PS4, XBO, Switch, and PC — as well as part of the recent Remastered Collection.
Ghostwire: Tokyo (2022)
Tango Gameworks’ latest game Ghostwire: Tokyo should be a fun supernatural romp for Doctor Strange fans. It received a solid critical reception, if not anything too special, as the game’s world, premise, and combat were fun but partly repetitive. Nonetheless, the creative combat and imaginative story should keep players’ attention.
The game takes place during a mysterious mass disappearance of nearly all of Tokyo’s citizens and an influx of ghostly spirits, leaving a young man named Akito and his spirit companion KK to uncover the events’ secrets. Ghostwire: Tokyo will be good for those who don’t want to lean too heavily into horror, as the fun mix of magic and karate-based combat, stylish neon aesthetics, and campy premise provides a similar mix of supernatural horror and adventurousness.
Ghostwire: Tokyo is available on PS5 and PC.
Until Dawn (2015)
Another firm horror entry to the list, Supermassive Games’ Until Dawn was something of a sleeper hit for mixing the genre with the aforementioned graphic adventure style. While the premise and setting are something much more akin to a classic slasher-horror movie, the mystical elements behind the game’s threat feel similar to Doctor Strange and America Chavez being chased down by mysterious and beastly interdimensional threats.
Until Dawn has players in the role of eight young adults vacationing at a winter lodge as shadowy monsters begin hunting them down. The game’s branching narrative and butterfly effect-like gameplay mechanics make this another excitingly tense cinematic game.
Until Dawn is available now on PS4.
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