Which band’s “Californication” video turns players into characters in a fictional video game?

Red Hot Chili Peppers’ “Californication” music video turns the band members into characters in a fictional video game.

The clip follows an animated game avatar through a dangerous virtual landscape while the band members appear as playable characters. The game format lets the video move between digital action and footage of the musicians performing the song.

Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris directed the video, with animation and visual effects used to create its early-2000s game aesthetic. The concept matched the song’s concerns about artificial entertainment, media culture, and the darker side of California imagery.

The song appeared on the band’s 1999 album Californication. Although the video resembles a game trailer, it was an original music-video narrative rather than an adaptation of a released commercial game.