The John Wick franchise has always had heavy inspiration from video games, both in its high-octane action, worldbuilding, and unique perspectives. Given its inspiration, it's no wonder fans got so excited when the official Untitled John Wick game was announced earlier this year during the 2026 State of Play.
Unfortunately, we still know painfully little about the official gaming adaptation aside from the fact that it's supposedly a prequel to John Wick's story in the films. Even though we're still waiting to hear more about the project, a soon-to-be-released third-person shooter has just about everything we would want from a gaming spinoff from the series, with plenty of unique mechanics to help it stand apart from the rest.
Taking clear inspiration from the John Wick films and even classic third-person shooters like the Max Pain series, the upcoming release of Blackwood, which you can preview for yourself in this impressive gameplay clip posted to X by Voyagers Revenge, that already has us sold on its unique premise and stunning combat.
Following the story of a contract killer who spends his days running a DVD store and nights going on rampages against the criminal underground, Blackwood promises an ambitious blend of an in-depth, stylish combat system mixing ranged and hand-to-hand takedowns, all alongside unique mechanics where you have to actually run your store, purchase supplies, and manage your character.
While several of the management functions are entirely optional, the success of your store will earn you more resources that you can spend purchasing weapons and other gear on the black market that can be used during the combat segments of Blackwood.
The bread and butter for Blackwood is, of course, the actual combat itself, which offers seamless takedowns that flow between third-person shooter segments. If the gameplay similarities to John Wick's adrenaline-pumping action scenes weren't similar enough, one of the levels of Blackwood seems to take place in a structure similar to the Arc de Triomphe that John Wick finds himself at in the fourth film.
With fluid combat against suited assassins that looks like it could be pulled straight from any of the John Wick movies, the mix of contextual takedowns, an original story, and even slow-motion dives like in Max Payne all help to make Blackwood feel more like a heavy inspiration rather than a straightforward copy of the films.
Although Blackwood isn't releasing in early access on September 16, the biggest caveat to the upcoming indie game is that its releasing in three separate parts. While these additional story acts will be offered as completely free updates for owners of the game, it does mean you'll have to wait a full year to experience the full story, as the final chapter is planned for a September 2027 release.'
سەرچاوەی فەرمی بە زمانی ئینگلیزی: https://www.thegamer.com/blackwood-john-wick-spiritual-successor-game/
