- Jason Bourne Conspiracy was a tie-in to the Jason Bourne movies from High Moon Studios, known for developing Activision’s licensed Marvel games.
- Despite suffering from repetitive gameplay and subpar graphics, the adaptation delivered decent action sequences and takedowns.
- While tie-ins like Jason Bourne Conspiracy have declined since the 2000s, adaptations of popular film IPs have seen a resurgence in recent years.
Direct gaming adaptations of movies were common in the 2000s, and it’s no secret that the transition from film to gaming was rough. While the curse has been lifted now, some really bad abominations have been produced because publishers thought projects with small budgets and limited time were great ideas.
One prime example is Jason Bourne Conspiracy, a tie-in based on the Jason Bourne movies. While it wasn’t a direct adaptation of any of the films, the title borrowed elements from the books and some from the movies.
It was developed by High Moon Studios, the same company behind the weirdly fun and satirical Deadpool from 2013. In my opinion, the team did a great job despite a limited development timeline and budget.
However, the question still arises: Was the adaptation any good? How well did it fare against the movie? Does it even respect its source material?
Why it matters: For a massive franchise like Jason Bourne, an unknown adaptation is surprising. High Moon Studios was also behind the development, making the lack of awareness even more shocking.
Was Jason Bourne Conspiracy Any Good?
During the IP’s prime, Matt Damon was asked to play Jason Bourne in the gaming adaptation, but he declined, saying he didn’t like violence in gaming.
Speaking of violence, Jason Bourne Conspiracy has a lot of it, and on paper, it seems like a typical game that you would see actors playing in the background of a movie. To be honest, some of the gameplay seems ripped straight out of a tech demo.
Despite not featuring Matt Damon as Jason Bourne, the game was surprisingly decent. Jason Bourne Conspiracy’s gameplay falls somewhere between Splinter Cell’s stealth actions and Gears of War’s cover-based gunplay.
The action elements are genuinely well done. There is a lot of gunplay, which I wasn’t a huge fan of, but the hand-to-hand combat involving environmental takedowns was amazing.
The chapters eventually get repetitive, but the chasing sequence involving cars was pretty decent. Still, the cover mechanics could have used additional work, and the graphics were subpar for a 2008 release. You’d be forgiven for thinking it looked like something made for the PS2.
The adaptation could have been so much more if it featured other elements, like puzzle sequences and a cinematic touch. Instead, it blended in with every other Gears of War clone from that time.
As such, I understand why most ignored this adaptation. The story was all over the place, and the developer’s attempt to capture the movie experience worked against the gaming medium’s strengths.
I’m not a fan of the dark and gritty theme, which doesn’t suit the environments or graphics at all.
We Need More Film Adaptations
Gaming and cinematic universes have gained traction in recent years, and it’s only fitting that we get more adaptations like Jason Bourne: Conspiracy again. These are good ways of experiencing more stories from existing universes from a different perspective.
Licensed games slowly became irrelevant in the early 2000s, but things have been looking encouraging before.
Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora ties in with James Cameron’s universe and explores a never-before-seen side of Pandora. James Gunn’s DCU has also confirmed adaptations that will be relevant to the DCU canon.
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[Staff Writer]
Shaheer is currently pursuing a Business degree while also working as a part-time Content Writer. With his deep passion for both writing and video games, he has seamlessly transitioned into a role as a Journalist. Over the past two years, Shaheer has contributed as a freelancer to various websites and landed positions on acclaimed platforms like Gamerant. Currently, his role at Tech4gamers is as a Features Writer, but he also covers News occasionally. Shaheer’s favorite gaming franchises are Assassin’s Creed and the God of War series.
Get In Touch: shaheerzahid03@gmail.com
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