Companion media

[JaySevenZero]

For the longest time whenever I'm playing a particular game I'll also watch movies and TV shows that feel similar in their theme or settings, no idea why I like doing this other than I like keeping my head in that "space" if you will. Sometimes this is easy, such as watching the Mad Max films while playing Avalanches' Mad Max, and the Batman films while playing the Rocksteady Batman games, etc.

Other times this has lead me to discover an excellent film or series that I may not have caught otherwise, such as watching Black Sails on Amazon whilst playing Assassin's Creed: Black Flag. There have been occasions, however, that I have a hard time finding anything that feels even remotely similar such as when playing Horizon Zero Dawn.

Currently, I'm playing The Division 2 and the only two films that came to mind are Soderberg's Contagion and the 2017 film Bushwick.

Anyway, the point of this post was to ask if anyone has any suggestions for companion films or series for the likes of The Division 2 or even Horizon Zero Dawn and of course since I'll be playing the hell out of it in a little over a week, Death Stranding too?

[Chopper]

I've only played Division 1, and these are a bit of a stretch, with the emphasis on NYC and desolate urban guerilla-type stuff rather than much to do with DC or contagion, but...

The Warriors
Fort Apache The Bronx
Death Wish (The Bronson one)

Tenuous:
No Escape (1994)

For the outbreak side, the obvious ones seem to be:

Pandemic
Outbreak (but both set in California, I think, which might be a deal breaker)


On no account go for Escape from New York. I saw it a few years ago and it has not aged well.

[Alex79]

Can't help with your question, Jay, but yeah I do this too. I spent most of my Red Dead Redemption 2 playthrough watching Sergio Leone films and listening to Mexican rock. Same when playing Assassins Creed games, I'll really do so much reading around the subject of the games.

[JaySevenZero]

Yeah, I've been doing this now for at least since 2010, certainly when I played the first Red Dead Redemption. In fact, I dug out a whole bunch of Westerns recently because I was gonna go back to Red Dead II but then The Division 2 came along instead!

[Caligulas Horse]

It sounds like you want something a bit closer to the game and I'm sure you've seen it but for near-future dystopia I'd go for Children of Men.

For something a bit more obscure I've been meaning to watch No Blade of Grass (1970). I don't really know if it's worth a watch to be honest but I enjoyed the book that it's based on.

[Caligulas Horse]

Can't help with your question, Jay, but yeah I do this too. I spent most of my Red Dead Redemption 2 playthrough watching Sergio Leone films and listening to Mexican rock.

I remember after the last time I watched Unforgiven I had a real itch to play some Red Dead Redemption and clear out a bar or two. Unfortunately, after I downloaded it, I realised my save was actually on my previous 360 and I would need to do a bunch of ranching missions first... it was pretty deflating.

[Stanshall]

Not quite the same thing but I love listening to the Skyrim/Oblivion/Witcher 3 OSTs while I read Berserk/Kingdom/Claymore. Really adds a lot to the atmosphere.

[duskvstweak]

I almost picked up Atlas Shrugged while playing Bioshock. Then I picked it up and thought better of it.

[JaySevenZero]

I remember after the last time I watched Unforgiven

My favourite film of all time.

Have you seen the 2013 Japanese remake?

Sticks very close to the Eastwood version and given that some of the most famous Westerns are remakes of Japanese films I thought this was an interesting reversal.

[Caligulas Horse]

I remember after the last time I watched Unforgiven

My favourite film of all time.

Have you seen the 2013 Japanese remake?

Sticks very close to the Eastwood version and given that some of the most famous Westerns are remakes of Japanese films I thought this was an interesting reversal.

Unforgiven is one of my favourites as well, Gene Hackman was an incredible actor.

I had no idea there was a Japanese remake though, as you say that's a cool reversal and I'll definitely give it a watch sometime soon. I've actually just gone through quite a few of the Kurosawa samurai classics so it'll fit in nicely.

[Alex79]

Horizon Zero Dawn

Kill Command seems about the closest, someone on Reddit described it as a potential prequel, even. Seems to have reviewed reasonably well too, and looks like it's on Netflix.

https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/kill_command

EDIT: Ok, its not on Netflix any more. I'm sure that won't stop a man of your resources.

[JaySevenZero]

Kill Command seems about the closest, someone on Reddit described it as a potential prequel, even. Seems to have reviewed reasonably well too, and looks like it's on Netflix.

Yeah, I've already watched this a while back.

[Jon Cheetham]

I was listening to Alestorm songs like "Quest for Ships" while sailing around causing trouble in Assassin's Creed Odyssey.

I haven't seen any films that recall Horizon Zero Dawn for me, but I fell for the soundtrack of Blade Runner 2049 really hard and somehow it was perfect as an accompaniment to creeping through the desert areas of the Carja lands at night.

[Flabyo]

I can’t think of any movies that really dial into the post-post-apocalypse vibe that Horizon goes for.

(By which I mean its post apocalypse, but so far after it that nature has reclaimed most everything again)

‘A Quiet Earth’ has some of the vibe, but isn’t really the same thing. I guess that’s one of the things I like about Horizon, it’s narrative is quite fresh.

[JaySevenZero]

I guess that’s one of the things I like about Horizon, it’s narrative is quite fresh.

Yeah, I agree and I think that's why I had a hard time finding stuff to go with it.

[JaySevenZero]

For something a bit more obscure I've been meaning to watch No Blade of Grass (1970). I don't really know if it's worth a watch to be honest but I enjoyed the book that it's based on.

This intrigues me and since I've never seen it I might have to check it out.

In regards to The Division 2, I came across a film called Collapse which also looks promising.