“Yeah… I’m thinking I’m back.“
John Wick fans like me have been waiting a long time for a real AAA game based on the popular action film series. I was so excited when Lionsgate and Saber Interactice confirmed the project last month.
At this point, almost all questions were still unanswered. Together with a first trailer at the State of Play we now have first answers received that made me breathe a sigh of relief.
The first John Wick trailer blew me away at State of Play
When it was announced in mid-January that John Wick was finally getting the AAA game he deserved, I already wrote about my dream game in an article. The first solid information about the still nameless John Wick game now makes it clear that it doesn’t cover all of my wishes, but it does cover most of them and, above all, the crucial ones.
After all, there are several ways to develop a good game. And what was presented to us at State of Play now makes me optimistic about the future.
2:15
John Wick is back in action! The first trailer for the AAA game is a feast for fans of the movies
The first reason for my euphoria, which rarely comes through for me, is the harmonious vibe. Not only does the first render trailer show real gun-fu action fireworks in the best Wick style, the little gameplay that followed also maintained this level. Even the soundtrack was right. It immediately felt like I was watching a new Wick movie, only with game graphics.
The little skeptic in me also wonders what was real gameplay and what was scripted, but from my gut feeling the first material delivered what I as a fan wanted: fluid, choreographed combat action, cinematic staging with long tracking shots and a neo-noir atmosphere.
There’s also John Wick himself. Because, how could it be otherwise: Keanu Reeves is back! In my hypothetical Wick game, I had alternatively argued for a new protagonist who follows in Wick’s footsteps, but ultimately I was happy that Keanu Reeves was returning as John Wick. He IS the brand. Without him, the project would be at a clear disadvantage and, to be honest, I would be sad if I wouldn’t be able to beat up troublemakers with him.
Alone, when towards the end of the trailer he just said the already meme-worthy thing with his rough voice “Yeah” I cheered loudly.
I don’t just want to base my enthusiasm on feelings, but also on other facts: So I’m relieved now that it’s confirmed that director Chad Stahelski is working on the game with Saber, Lionsgate and Reeves. If anyone knows what John Wick is all about, it’s him, as he coined the Baba Yaga style. So I’m confident that he will steer the vision for the game and the DNA of the franchise in the right direction.
What I’m also happy about is the third-person perspective. This seems to be the logical choice for this game and is therefore not the biggest surprise, but nothing stands in the way of Sifu-like gameplay.
Sifu has a really satisfying and authentic melee combat system that also lets us engage with the environment (like the frying pan in the John Wick trailer). It remains to be seen how well Saber Interactive will combine this with gunplay, but the most important gameplay cornerstones are already in place.
The first gameplay reminded Annika of the fighting game Sifu.
If anything is still uncertain, it’s the story
The only big question mark still hanging over the story for me. John Wick will be a single-player game, but we don’t yet know how linear it will be and how it will determine the pace of the story.
What is clear, however, is that we can expect an original story that deals with an important time in John Wick’s life and includes well-known and new characters. It is doubtful whether this is the “Impossible Task”, since John’s impossible mission to exit the assassin industry is already to be told in a new animated film.
This, as well as his appearance in the trailer, suggests that we are seeing a younger, if not inexperienced, John, which makes the gameplay progression at least a little easier to implement. But since the story obviously doesn’t revolve around his dramatic exit, this possible emotional anchor is eliminated.
Despite these small insecurities, the first trailer captivated me so much that I wanted to run to martial arts training as soon as I saw it live at State of Play. Since that’s not exactly the most sensible idea shortly before midnight, I’ll now do a complete rewatch of the films and wait and see what fine things Saber Interactive and Co. have in store for the PS5, Xbox Series X/S and the PC.
What do you think of the first trailer? Feel free to write me your thoughts about the game in the comments!
date: 2026-02-14 22:21:00
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