The Licensed Stigma

By Ryan Treit

I'll be the first to admit that I've held nearly all "licensed" games under a high degree of suspicion and scrutiny. For years and years, the term "licensed" was nearly synonymous with "utter crap."

The reasons weren't all that complicated either. Buying a license costs a pretty penny, and one penny spent on a license meant one penny less to spend on the game's development. The math just didn't add up to a quality game experience.

How and why this rule of thumb is becoming less and less accurate escapes me, but I can at least be glad that the axiom no longer applies.

A licensed game done right.

I no longer stare with dread at a copy of licensed game as it sits on my desk, begging to be played and written about. In fact, I can heartily say that some of the best games, some of my favorites, are now routinely based on popular licenses.

As a matter of fact, there are enough of these titles on the Xbox that I can actually pick and choose a "best of" list to grace you with. And, so, without further delay, let me offer you my top choices for licensed games for our beloved Xbox.

Bald, Mean, and Fast and Furious
I do not receive the news that an actor is putting his weight and influence behind a game with much joy. They're not game designers after all, and they're involvement—unless crucial to the nature of the game (e.g. a basketball player giving advice on the authenticity of the game)—doesn't usually reap any gameplay benefit.

That said, the next time Vin Diesel pipes up and says he's supporting a certain game, I'll be listening. With the release of The Chronicles of Riddick™: Escape from Butcher Bay, I'm actually beginning to think that he's better at shepherding a game to market than a movie. Escape from Butcher Bay is the most surprisingly great game I've seen in years. Its combination of state-of-the-art graphics; its well-written and very well-acted story; and its mechanics for stealth, shooting, and melee combat (all from the first-person perspective) were spot on.

I don't recommend this just as a great Riddick game (though it is that). I recommend it because it's a great game. Period.

That can't feel good.

Tom Clancy's …
I don't remember the last time a game bearing Mr. Clancy's name was not heralded by critics and fans alike. There are too many to name just one, but you simply can't go wrong with the Ghost Recon™, Rainbow Six® 3, or Splinter Cell® games.

Despite the disparate experiences and gameplay that all of these games offer, a big part of their appeal is that they're all grounded in the realistic military-thriller genre that Clancy is famous for. I recommend them all, it's that simple.

The Force Is Strong with Many
Much like the Clancy games, I won't be recommending just one title in this category. The Xbox has seen a glut of great Star Wars titles in the last year or so, and they all offer a unique and wonderful take on the license.

If you want to fill the roll of a Jedi and embark on an epic tale, you can do no better than Star Wars® Knights of the Old Republic® II: The Sith Lords™ and its processor, Star Wars®: Knights of the Old Republic™. If you want a first-person perspective and an up-close look at the Clone Wars, you'll get all that you want and more with Star Wars Republic Commando™. If online multiplayer madness is your thing, the enormous battles available in Star Wars Battlefront™ offer an experience unlike any other XboxLive-enabled game.

It's up to you to pick and choose, but you can hardly go wrong.

Sam is in a tough spot.

Just Plain Punishing
Frank Castle, a.k.a. "The Punisher," has long been a favorite of the hardcore comic crowd, and with his latest videogame incarnation, his brutal nature has been done justice.

The Punisher® is heavy on character (the story was created by Garth Ennis) as well as great action gameplay. It even boasts Punisher-specific game mechanics with the use of special interrogations and Punishment zones. If you're a Max Payne fan or even just a lover of third-person shooters, The Punisher has you covered.

The aforementioned titles may constitute the best of the best, where licensed games are concerned, but they by no means offer a whole account. The point is that we can no longer disdain that which is licensed and know fully that we aren't passing on anything worthwhile. Licensed titles have just as good a chance as any other game at being good, if not great these days. You'd do well to keep that in mind when you're choosing your next title.

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