On October 21, Tom Cruise returns to the big screen in Jack Reacher: Never Go Back. Everyone standing in Reacher’s way is pretty much cruisin’ for a bruisin’, so what better way to get psyched for the movie than by punching a bunch of dudes in their sorry faces? Absolutely nothing, apparently. Enter Jack Reacher: Never Stop Punching—an 8-bit game playable on iOS, Android and via browser on the movie’s official website.
The objective of this “endless runner” is simple—just do as the title implies. Jack Reacher: Never Stop Punching may not have a plot to speak of, and technically you can just jump over enemies without hurting anyone, but this marketing shows a delightful ability to parody its own source material. The film’s synopsis, however, is a tad more intricate: “Jack Reacher must uncover the truth behind a major government conspiracy in order to clear his name. On the run as a fugitive from the law, Reacher uncovers a potential secret from his past that could change his life forever.”
But fear not, there will be a lot of punching, too.
All the fun of punching without bloodying your hands. Play Jack Reacher: Never Stop Punching https://t.co/rP7HO9P0Kc pic.twitter.com/WKWuH79RDl
— Jack Reacher (@JackReacher) September 20, 2016
Adapting a film to video game form is nothing new, although they’re not always critically-acclaimed. Paramount’s choice to market Jack Reacher with a Flash game of this nature is far less costly than a console title, and it creates buzz around its franchise, particularly within the attractive gamer demographic. This is actually the second time that Paramount created a Jack Reacher game, although the last one had more detailed graphics and offered prizes, including the jacket worn on screen by Tom Cruise.
Gatorade created a similar, although not endless, 8-bit game promotion for Snapchat in August featuring tennis pro, Serena Williams. The 22-level game, Match Point celebrates Williams’ career and all the wins that led her to the 2016 US Open and her 22 Grand Slam singles titles. Both Match Point and Jack Reacher: Never Stop Punching are easy to pick up and master, making them accessible to gamers and non-gamers alike.