They Finally Made The Perfect Starship Troopers Video Game (But It's Not An Adaptation)
01-03-2024
You've likely heard the name Helldivers 2 a lot in the last few weeks if you are at all interested in the world of video games. Arrowhead Game Studios' new game, Helldivers 2, has taken over the gaming world. And for good reason. I cannot recall when a cooperative multiplayer shooter was this addictive and fun. Fans of games have a lot to be happy about.
But so do movie fans. While "Helldivers 2", set in an entirely new universe, is technically its very own franchise, the film owes its existence to the 1997 science-fiction satire, "Starship Troopers," directed by Paul Verhoeven. With a wink, the creators of "Helldivers 2", a video game based on the just-about perfect movie that tells of the battle between fascists in the far future and alien bugs, set on distant planets. The same setup is used in "Helldivers 2", but there are more similarities than just cosmetics.
Like "Starship Troopers", an adventure film full of violent violence, giant action, and superb staging that is also a brutal attack on right-wing ideologies, "Helldivers 2", is a thrilling adventure game with violent violence, giant action, and superb staging that is also a harsh attack on right-wing ideologies. Both are, most importantly hilarious. Constantly. Continuously. And in many surprising ways.
Helldivers 2: the only action game with a truly humorous tone
The video game "Helldivers 2", is an amazing experience. It's a great way to spend your time. You can customize the uniform and weapons you use, so you get the exact gameplay you desire. It's fun to play with strangers but it is best played with three friends and headsets. This allows you to take on each mission as a squad. Watch in real-time as you watch your carefully planned strategies crumble into screaming and running and the calls for large bombs which misfire, killing your friends instead of your enemies. It's awesome.
The "strategies collapsing" aspect is what has me hooked. The game is funny, clever and hilarious (I love the bombastic proclamation that plays between missions in the hub of the spaceship), but the majority of comedy comes from the gameplay. Your allies are accidentally hit by an airstrike. After making a lot of noise about your new launcher, you accidentally blow yourself up with it. After a confident march, you find yourself surrounded by hundreds enemies and screaming in panic. The characters can be funny, but it is a different thing when a game has a hilarious gameplay that keeps you laughing because of your misguided plans.
It's not just cosmetic, but the "DNA" of "Helldivers 2", which ties it to "Starship Troopers". Verhoeven plays his satire straight-faced, and the actors treat the material as if it weren't the goofiest, most absurd thing in the universe. It's possible that some viewers will not get the joke. The same is true for "Helldivers 2". It's possible to play the game as a straight-forward shooter and maximize your character building and create a meta. But you should embrace the humor that lies beneath each encounter and lean in. It's a great way to mock fascism by putting you in a meat grinder.
Listen to me discuss "Helldivers 2" and other subjects on a recent episode /Film Daily podcast.