Find all previous editions of the PCG Q&A here. Some highlights:
- What's a cheap game that's way better than its price led you to expect?
- What was the last game story you really cared about?
- What game do you want a 'Classic' version of?
Some people have said that having a celebrity appear in a videogame is jarring. Watching movies must be hell for those people. We're all pretty stoked by the idea of Keanu Reeves being in Cyberpunk 2077, where he'll be playing one of the tabletop RPG's iconic characters, rockerboy Johnny Silverhand. But why stop there? Let's put him in some other games.
Our weekend question is this: What other game would be improved by adding Keanu Reeves? Here are our team's answers, let us know yours in the comments below.
Andy Kelly: Euro Truck Simulator 2
I wanna look over to the passenger seat and see Keanu sitting there, ideally wearing a mesh trucker cap. And when I do something cool, like expertly navigating a wide load down a narrow country lane or nimbly overtaking a caravan, I want him to turn to me and say "Woah." Otherwise he just sits there quietly, maybe giving me the occasional nugget of encouragement when my fuel's running low or the deadline for a delivery is fast approaching. Euro Truck Simulator 2 is one of my all-time favourite PC games, but sharing a cab with Keanu would take it to the next level.
Malindy Hetfeld: Sekiro
Our boy Keanu was in a pretty terrible film called 47 Ronin, but the art direction was fantastic—I would take a Sekiro DLC in which I take control of Keanu to fight more ghost samurai and snake ladies. Alternatively, because Sekiro already is all of that and more, I'd take him as my tag team partner, like in the battle against Juzou the Drunkard. Instead of just using him as cannon fodder I'd make full use of Keanu's movie fighting skills in a battle that has From Software difficulty and Kingdom Hearts 3 controls so that we could have lots of crazy partner attacks.
Jarred Walton: Neuromancer
One of the formative books and games of my youth was William Gibson's Neuromancer. I actually played the C-64 game before discovering the book, which was probably for the best. But I loved the original game way back in the day, and we need a proper modern take on the game and cyberspace world of Gibson's book. Sure, that's probably what Cyberpunk 2077 is on some level, but I want more games set in a dystopian future where cowboy hackers wreak havoc and all my computer hardware skills could be put to other uses. Maybe Keanu could just reprise his role from Johnny Mnemonic, or we could get Burning Chrome or any number of other excellent alternatives.
Bo Moore: Enter the Matrix
The answer to this question is simple. Enter the Matrix. I never played this adaption of the Matrix movies, but from what I understand the chief criticism was that you never actually play as Keanu—err, Neo. He might be in the game somewhere, but you can only actually play as peripheral Matrix characters like Niobe, Seraph, and all the other sequel characters whose names you forgot. Either way, the game would be vastly improved by adding Keanu. In fact, a few years later they did just that with The Matrix: Path of Neo, which according to the Matrix wiki, "used many features from Enter the Matrix, but allowed the player to play the character of Neo throughout his adventures in the film series. This game was more well-received and has been given generally favorable reviews." Clearly Keanu made the difference.
Wes Fenlon: Thomas was Alone
I was all set to jokingly answer Dragon Ball FighterZ, but there are somehow no good Photoshops out there of Keanu Reeves as a super saiyan. That seems grossly irresponsible of the internet and I'm really disappointed I now have to think of a serious answer. What I came up with is Thomas Was Alone, but really that's a stand-in for virtually any game with a heavy emphasis on narration. Keanu has a nice voice, usually very calm, and I just like the idea of him describing what's happening on screen as I play. Keanu Reeves in Bastion or Transistor? Great. Keanu Reeves standing in for the charming British man in Thomas Was Alone? Also great! There's the added bonus there of developer Mike Bithell now making the John Wick game. I know a Keanu voice pack isn't going to happen, but I mean, it's not impossible.
Chris Livingston: The Sims 4
I know he's been Neo and John Wick and soon he'll be Johnny Silverhand, but I still think one of Keanu Reeves' best (and most-convincing) roles was as the doofus teenager from Parenthood who knocked up Martha Plimpton and reassured Joaquin Phoenix that it's okay to masturbate. Wouldn't you want Keanu Reeves as the dim but wise Tod wandering around your Sims neighborhood, raiding your fridge, watching your TV, impregnating your daughter, and being a role model for your son? I would.
Jody Macgregor: Johnny Mnemonic—The Interactive Action Movie
This was a 1995 FMV game with all the hallmarks of the genre. It had the bad acting, the rough controls, the weird editing, the men in suits that were too big and the women in pants that were too small. I know the movie's not regarded real well but when I was 16 I thought it ruled and I refuse to revisit it just in case I was wrong. The game didn't feature any of the movie's cast, but could only have been improved by the addition of Keanu Reeves and maybe Takeshi Kitano as well.
