New John Wick Game Looks Cool, But One Missing Feature Is A Huge Letdown

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The upcoming John Wick game, shown at PlayStation’s State of Play event, looks like a fast-paced, action-packed experience true to the films. It’s surprising it took over 12 years to create a game that directly translates the franchise’s iconic fighting style and gun battles, but it’s great news for fans. What’s particularly interesting is the studio behind the game – it wasn’t who many expected.

The final moments of the John Wick game’s reveal trailer show exactly what fans hope for in a John Wick game. While Saber Interactive is a capable developer with a good track record of adapting popular movie franchises—their upcoming Clive Barker’s Hellraiser: Revival looks promising, and they’re also working on the Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic remake—it’s a shame this John Wick game wasn’t given to Sloclap, the team behind Sifu, who could have easily delivered a hit.

John Wick Is Finally Getting The Game Fans Want

Okay, so the John Wick movies have been absolutely amazing – I’ve seen them all, from the first one to Ballerina. But honestly, it’s crazy that we haven’t gotten a really great John Wick video game yet! This franchise is perfect for gaming, and it feels like a huge missed opportunity. I’m hoping someone finally makes it happen!

As a huge John Wick fan, it’s crazy to me that it took this long to get a proper single-player action game! We’ve had VR stuff like John Wick Chronicles and the strategy game John Wick Hex, plus a ton of skins and nods to the movies in games like Fortnite and Payday 2. But a full-blown, AAA action game? It just never happened… until now. Thankfully, Saber Interactive and Lionsgate finally delivered!

Beyond the story, each John Wick film is really a series of incredible action scenes. Saber’s John Wick game could capture that same excitement. It’s almost like playing a movie, but even better because the game tells a brand new story within the John Wick world, expanding on everything we’ve seen in the four films with Keanu Reeves.

The trailer didn’t reveal any plot details, which is probably what most players expected and wanted from the game. People going to see a John Wick movie aren’t necessarily looking for a complex story – they want action. And if a fifth John Wick film ever happens, fans would likely accept any reason the filmmakers give for bringing the character back to life.

It Looks Like Sifu, But Isn’t Made By Sloclap

The biggest letdown with the upcoming John Wick game is that Sloclap, the team behind the excellent Sifu, isn’t developing it. Sifu was a standout action game in 2022, praised for its complex and well-designed hand-to-hand combat and its unique aging mechanic when the player dies.

The action in Sifu clearly takes inspiration from films like Park Chan-wook’s Oldboy and the Daredevil series on Netflix. The game’s Club level, in particular, feels very similar to John Wick, but focuses on martial arts combat instead of guns and protective gear.

It’s hilarious, but fans have been modding Sifu to basically be a John Wick game – even putting Keanu Reeves’ face on the main character and letting him fight off tons of enemies! Honestly, Sloclap, the studio behind Sifu, seemed like the perfect choice to make an official John Wick game – it felt like a sure thing!

It might be surprising to learn that Saber is developing the new John Wick game. While Saber is capable of making good games, Sloclap seemed perfectly suited to create a John Wick game, making it unexpected not to see them credited in the trailer.

Sloclap released Rematch last year, and they might revisit action games again someday. While a new game like Sifu would be great, many fans were hoping to see their unique spin on John Wick, which unfortunately didn’t happen.

Saber’s John Wick Will Have High Expectations

Players will inevitably compare the combat in Saber’s John Wick game to Sifu. The hand-to-hand fighting and use of the environment are strikingly similar, including clever parrying and limited items you can throw at enemies.

It would have made perfect sense for Sloclap, the team behind the action game Sifu, to create a John Wick game, and fans likely would have loved it. It would have been exciting to see how their unique combat style could incorporate guns. While gunfights should be a key part of any John Wick game, early gameplay footage suggests the game will also feature impactful and visually impressive finishing moves.

If shooting isn’t central to Saber’s John Wick game, it will be particularly disappointing that Sloclap isn’t developing it. Sloclap excels at the kind of intense, close-range combat – with dodging and counterattacks – that defined Sifu. Now, Saber needs to demonstrate it can create a John Wick game that’s as exciting and enjoyable as the one Sloclap could have made.

It’s fantastic that we’re finally getting a high-quality, cinematic John Wick game. While the timing isn’t perfect – with the John Wick movie series currently on hold and no fifth film with Keanu Reeves planned yet – it’s still a welcome development.

This game might be coming out at just the right moment, given the lack of new John Wick content in theaters. It remains to be seen if audiences are ready for a John Wick game and whether Saber Interactive can deliver a quality experience comparable to what Sloclap might have created.

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2026-02-22 21:15