Episode 91: The best unofficial adaptation of a movie or TV show

The Best Games Ever Podcast

It’s clear from Helldivers 2’s marketing that the game is directly inspired by Blair-era Dutch arthouse anti-war movie Starship Troopers. It’s also clear from playing it that Warhammer 40,000 and the future war bits of Terminator have made their mark on the project, and with its sprawling, player led, strictly PVE campaign engendering a keen sense of community among players, it’s rather like a wholesome war-themed social club for 90s teenagers. As a Nearly 40 it feels laser-targeted at my exact levels of pop culture cutoff, shooting skill, and associated decrepitness.

It takes a lot of willpower after a play session to not immediately open Netscape Navigator and e-commerce that poster of the grey alien that says “take me to your dealer” and also one of Gillian Anderson doing a pout. But my wife wouldn’t let me put them up anywhere, so it would be a waste of £18.98 plus shipping. I would advise current teenagers to never grow up and move out: that freedom is an illusion. Stay at home where it’s cheaper and nobody bats an eyelid if you cover your bedroom walls with folk off the telly in sultry poses. What the actual fuck was I talking about.

Oh, yeah, podcast. So which other games are Secret and/or Unofficial Adaptations of films or TV shows? And of them, which are the best? In order to find out what our expert panel thinks, you should watch or listen to this week’s Best Games Ever podcast. Methods for doing so are handily listed below, so you don’t have any excuses.

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