The Prime series was good; can we please have a game now?


From Hitman to Call of Duty and Splinter Cell, Why Isn't There a Jack Reacher Game Yet?

SUMMARY

Jack Reacher is an IP that has been adapted into a movie and a TV series reboot.
The titular character, Reacher, is a character that has a lot of similarities to other video game characters of the same temperament and skillset.
There has been an 8-bit side-scroller game for Android devices released in line with the 2016 movie, but no AAA game.

Jack Reacher is an IP explored in the form of a movie released in 2012 in which the titular character was played by Hollywood’s action-genre supernova, Tom Cruise. The movie also had a sequel released in 2016, in which the actor was seen reprising the role.

The series was then rebooted in the form of an Amazon Prime-exclusive TV series titled “Reacher,” starring Alan Ritchson. Fans familiar with the series or the movie know that the character’s adventures are nothing short of adrenaline-inducing and thrilling.

While it is more than exciting to witness Reacher engaging in activities that make one’s heart pound, playing as the character in a video game would be even more enthralling.

Unfortunately, this vision hasn’t been executed by anyone yet.

Jack Reacher, Sam Fisher, and Agent 47 Are More Similar Than Different

Alan Ritchson as Reacher.

Alan Ritchson in Reacher.
Video games are the most immersive media available to the masses in the current scenario. There have been a lot of video games in the action-adventure and stealth genres that have had charismatic protagonists that have been remembered for decades.

One such example is the Splinter Cell series’ protagonist, Sam Fisher. The character is one of the most beloved protagonists in a stealth game. While the series has been put on the back burner by Ubisoft, and we are yet to see what becomes of the character after Splinter Cell: Blacklist, the series is missed by players.

Agent 47 is another such example from the famous Hitman series. If one looks at Reacher’s character in the TV series and the movies, there are various parallels between the three characters.

If anything, Reacher is almost cut from the same cloth as the other two characters being mentioned. All three of them are battle-hardened professionals who are second to none at what they do, even if they do, and only resort to lethal force when required.

The Jack Reacher Game That Flew Under the Radar and the IP’s Future in Gaming

A Jack Reacher video game was released for Android in 2016.

Jack Reacher video game was released for Android in 2016.
There has been a video game based on the Jack Reacher movie that came out in 2016. Unfortunately, it was not released for consoles or PCs but only for Android and was just used as promotional material. It was an 8-bit side-scroller and was far from the treatment the IP or the character deserves.

One cannot rule out the possibility of a game based on the IP, especially since the recent reboot has been relatively more successful than the movie, and there has been a video game in the past.

But movie and TV-series tie-in games have become less common with time; if anything, series and other media are now being adapted from mainline video games.

One can find several posts stating that gamers miss the adrenaline-pumping offering that the Hitman and Splinter Cell games entail, and there is no reason why a Reacher game, if executed right, won’t do the same.