Video Game-Starved Titanfall Fans Call Netflix Sci-Fi Film Atlas a 'Titanfall Movie at Home'

ign.com:

Netflix has released a trailer for its upcoming Jennifer Lopez starring sci-fi film Atlas and fans of the Titanfall video game franchise are noticing a lot of similarities between the two.

The two minute trailer shows off Lopez's Atlas Shepard fleeing from certain death in a giant mech akin to those seen in Titanfall, or more specifically its sequel, which was the first to feature a campaign. While this concept wasn't necessarily new at the time of Titanfall 2's release either, fans have spotted "pretty glaring" callouts to the game.

Reddit user dravacotron pointed these out. A line in the trailer for the Netflix film sees the mech Smith tell pilot Atlas that "my primary protocol is to keep you alive". Titanfall 2's scene where the pilot properly meets the mech has the line: "Protocol 3: Protect the pilot."

Another of the more iconic scenes from Titanfall 2 sees mech BT tell pilot Jack Cooper to trust it before hurling him across an enormous gap, and the Atlas trailer showcases a similar line: "This won't work if you don't trust me."

The film is otherwise about a growing bond between mech and pilot who are both thrust into unexpected territory on a dangerous alien world, which is the general plot of Titanfall 2 as well.

"I'm roughly 70% sure this was a rejected Titanfall script," said LapsedVerneGagKnee. "It literally looks like a parody. How did they even manage that?," asked sunboy4224. Agiantgrunt referenced the famous meme: "Mom can we have Titanfall movie. We have Titanfall movie at home."

Titanfall fans have been desperate for another entry in the practically dormant franchise ever since Titanfall 2 released in 2016. Popular battle royale Apex Legends is set in the same universe but doesn't feature nearly as much of the story and lore the second game is remembered so fondly for.

In our 9/10 review, IGN said: "A long-awaited single-player campaign puts Titanfall 2's feelgood mobility onto a sprawling platforming playground."

Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelance reporter.