Have you noticed a rise in conversation about the movie "Starship Troopers" on social media lately? If you were wondering why that suddenly started happening, it's because of a completely unrelated reason that you might not have guessed. 

Well, to say it's completely "unrelated" would be off the mark. 

"Starship Troopers" is a movie loosely based on a book of the same name. The film depicts a future where the government is in charge of damn near everything and the military is everything. Humanity is fighting against an alien race of giant bugs that are supposedly threatening the Earth. The film is campy at times and hilariously bad at others, yet while it was considered a flop at the time of its release, it's become something of a cult classic that is only increasing in popularity as time goes on.

Which brings us to why people are talking about it. 

Recently, a video game called "Helldivers 2" was released that borrows heavily from "Starship Troopers." It's a game that puts you into the boots of a human soldier from "Super Earth." Like the movie, the government in control of this Super Earth is an all-encompassing, all-controlling entity that uses over-the-top patriotic propaganda to manipulate the people into serving its purposes including its military. 

Here's the thing. The game is so fun and has had such an impact on the gaming community that talks about the movie it's inspired by bled over into other parts of our society, including political influencers and talking heads. In fact, the game became so popular and so fast that the servers that were built to allow people to play it were overwhelmed, causing many people to wait hours to be able to play the game. 

After hearing so much about it, I picked up the game to see what all the hype was about and I can say that I get it. 

This game is a blast. 

In "Helldivers 2" you play as a specialized military unit called a "Helldiver," a soldier that drops into enemy territory through a drop pod fired from a spaceship in low orbit. Once you hit the ground, you're tasked with accomplishing specific objectives including collecting soil samples, destroying bases, or eliminating high-value targets. 

Standing in your way are (so far) two alien species that are at war with humanity. There's the Terminids, a race of bug-like creatures that firmly resemble the bugs from "Starship Troopers," and the Automatons, a race of robot-like creatures that seem right out of the Terminator franchise. 

The game takes on the same campy, satirical look of an over-patriotic society, including ridiculous over-acted propaganda. When you first boot up the game, you're greeted with this PSA video from the Super Earth government, urging you to join the Helldivers. 

Right off the bat, you notice that the control the government has on the people is absolute. It talks a lot about freedom and Democracy, but by now you're more than aware that this is all window dressing. Still, you'll notice your Helldivers voice lines during combat shouting over-the-top things like "For Democracy!" and "How about a cup of liber-tea!"

But even if it didn't have any of these story elements, the game would still be worlds apart in quality than other games would. 

As a Helldiver, you drop onto planets from your drop pod in epic fashion, complete with epic music. Once you land, the mission begins and what results are some equally epic moments, including glorious last stands, calling in bombing runs, lasers fired from space, and lots and lots of flying bullets. 

Despite the lighthearted nature of the story, the gameplay can be very intense with you and your friends getting into harrowing moments, including facing down overwhelming odds, close escapes, and some of the best teamwork in a combat video game. 

In fact, teamwork is a huge part of the game and not just between you and your friends. The world of Helldivers involves a lot of planets and systems to visit. Every mission completed increases Super Earth's hold on that system, which means your squad as well as every other player playing the game, contribute to victory. 

Victory is not assured, however. It's not uncommon for Super Earth forces to lose ground due to failed missions, making this feel like a legitimate large-scale war.

If you're looking for a fun game to play with friends, this is the game for you. It's a game that invites you to a playground of explosions, guns, and aliens to have a hilariously good time.