John Wick 4 is in cinemas, fans and press are hailing the action film as one of the best in the series. And in a special scene, shooter fans in particular have to blink. It shows protagonist John Wick fighting his way through rooms full of evil gangsters from a top-down perspective.
Hotline Miami immediately comes to mind with its violent shooting. As it turns out, director Chad Stahelski was actually inspired by a game for the scene, but it wasn’t Hotline Miami. The game is called The Hong Kong Massacre and it flies completely under the radar. At least for now.
You can read what film critics think of John Wick 4 here:
How The Hong Kong Massacre affects John Wick 4
The scene we’re talking about in John Wick 4 begins with a stairwell and a classic camera angle. After John Wick sends a few early gangsters flying to nirvana with flying sparks, the camera slowly pans upwards, creating a bird’s-eye view reminiscent of Hotline Miami or other twin stick shooters like Ruiner.
The protagonist then shoots himself across the rooms in a flurry of flashbulbs. Obstacles such as ceilings are not shown, giving the viewer a full view of the scene.
We now bring you a gameplay trailer of The Hong Kong Massacre that looks pretty much the same, albeit a touch more acrobatic:
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The Hong Kong Massacre: Gameplay trailer to inspire John Wick 4
Director Chad Stahelski expressed opposite Slash Filmlike him the almost unknown Steamgame (maximum value: 263 concurrent active players) inspired by the action scene:
I had seen this video game – I think it was called Hong Kong Massacre – and they used this overhead shot. We had done so much with great muzzle flash that it just clicked. Nobody takes top shots because you’re looking down and it’s not very interesting. We never liked that in terms of lighting or choreography because it gets boring quickly.
Still, the director decided to give it a try. According to Stahelski, a way to create a similar aesthetic to the game was found by the team concentrating on a few visual effects, including the muzzle flash, which in the film erupts like incendiary ammunition.
Have you seen John Wick 4 yet? What do you think of the top-down scene? And should films look towards video games more often for fresh ideas? Write your opinion in the comments!