As gamers, we all like to imagine at one point or another what the characters and events in our favourite games would be like in the shape of a live-action production, whether it be the Halo movie that Peter Jackson was going to direct before it died on its arse, or the strong possibility of a Mass Effect movie, which by all means could still flop around on the floor like a dying fish out of water – because isn’t that precisely what almost all big-budget video game movies are? Fortunately, there are always individuals who are willing to make unlicensed, short indie films based on the games we know and love, entirely for fun and not for the sake of making millions. Outside Aperture is a great example, and entirely worthy of your time.
Some more great attempts at live action gaming stories are MINECRAFT: The Last Minecart, which is bloody funny and looks great – and not to mention Escape From City 17 another absolutely fantastic rendition of the Half-Life universe, with admittedly uninteresting acting, but fantastic visuals and production values.
I hope we always see more fan-made efforts like this, because they don’t need an enormous budget or A-list actors to be great; just a bunch of fans with a great idea and some free time.