As a part of its tenth anniversary celebration, THQ Nordic treated gamers with a showcase of what's to come for the publisher. There were a wide range of announcements for fans of nearly every game genre, and one of the standout reveals was Destroy All Humans! 2: Reprobed. Developed by Black Forest Games, Destroy All Humans! 2: Reprobed follows in the footsteps of the Destroy All Humans! remake from last year. From enhanced visuals to expanded gameplay, it looks like THQ Nordic is committed to bringing back the classic franchise.
Keeping with the spirit of Destroy All Humans!, the reveal trailer for Reprobed served as the perfect showcase of what to expect from the game. While the series may seem like any other third-person action franchise with an alien-themed coat of paint, Destroy All Humans! has always been much more than that. The franchise has focused on satirical writing that pokes fun at, and often critiques, the culture of America and other countries in the 50s and 60s. The cinematic trailer for Destroy All Humans! 2: Reprobed continues that tradition in grand fashion, with some aptly chosen music and visuals.
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How Destroy All Humans! Uses Satire
It isn't often that a video game is as overtly tongue in cheek as Destroy All Humans!. The series relies heavily on the culture of the world during the Cold War, presenting itself in a way that is just over the top enough to be considered a satire. The themes of McCarthyism and alien film tropes pervade the entire franchise, and Reprobed's reveal extends that to almost every corner of the world. The U.K., former U.S.S.R., and Japan are all subject to exaggerated depictions, all of them showing how Destroy All Humans! uses its self-awareness to provide an experience that is rarely seen in the industry anymore.
Explaining The Music Of Destroy All Humans! 2: Reprobed's Reveal Trailer
For fans of Destroy All Humans!, and those that watched trailers for last year's remake, the music in Reprobed's trailer might seem very familiar. Just as the first remake's reveal trailer used the song "Ich Will" from German rock band Rammstein, Reprobed goes on to use Rammstein's "Amerika." While the pounding drums and raucous guitars of the song are enough to give Reprobed a larger than life tone right out the gate, the meaning behind this Rammstein track fits prefectly with the game's satirical themes.
Just as Destroy All Humans! has never been afraid of making a statement with its satirical writing, Rammstein has always had similar proclivities. The band regularly critiques the past and present dealings of countries all around the world, and the United States is Rammstein's subject in "Amerika". In simplest terms, the song discusses and critiques the global influence of the U.S. when it comes to pop culture, political, and military force. When paired with the Destroy All Humans! trope of militaries shooting first and asking questions later, along with the franchise's comedic stereotyping of American culture, there really isn't a better musical choice for the Reprobed reveal.
While Destroy All Humans! 2: Reprobed simply looks like good fun, its reveal makes it clear that this game has layers. One of the goals of Destroy All Humans! has always been to take a hard look at one of the most paranoid periods of the last century, while also connecting it to today's world. It may all take place between the explosive destruction of Crypto's weapons, but the reveal of Destroy All Humans! 2: Reprobed shows that the franchise won't be toning down its satirical themes any time soon.
Destroy All Humans! 2: Reprobed is currently in development for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.