Helldivers 2's Mega City 1 is Singapore, and here's why that makes perfect sense
Singapore doesn't have Managed Democracy, though it's futuristic, it's orderly, and yes it's hot but at least we don't have Fire Tornados.
Unless you're not a gamer or have been living under a rock, you'll know that one of the latest games to hit the market with a splash worthy of an AAA (but not AAAA) title is none other than Helldivers 2.
The game is a co-op, PvE third-person shooter that lets you play out your Starship Troopers fantasies, but without the co-ed showers. Instead, you call down artillery fire, direct bombing runs, and blow open giant bugs and heavily-armoured death robots, all the while trying to avoid friendly (or unfriendly) fire from your teammates.
And if you've ever wondered what the Helldivers are fighting for, apart from ruining the gamemaster Joel's best-laid plans, well, here it is. Arrowhead Game Studios' CEO John Pilestedt recently posted on Discord a map of Super Earth, the planet that the Helldivers are defending from the enemies of managed democracy.
And on that map, Mega City 1 is where Singapore is in real life (though some might argue that it's Johor Bahru instead, or even...Batam).
While those of us living in Singapore are fortunate enough to not have to battle giant bugs and killer robots (yet, anyway), we have managed to eliminate true enemies of society such as chewing gum. And yes, Singapore is a (non-managed) democracy, even if the country has had the same ruling party since its independence in 1965.
We're also advanced enough that we can drive through the Singapore land checkpoints with just a simple QR code (what happens when we reach the Malaysian side is another story, but hey, the future is here). If media reports on this tech are to be believed, it's probably less complicated than calling in a stratagem (which are basically Dance Dance Revolution moves you have to pull off while being chased by giant insects)!
One thing that's just a bit different though, is that while joining the Helldiver programme in Helldivers 2 is completely voluntary, Singaporean men are conscripted (into the either the armed forces or the Home Team of police or civil defence force, not as Helldivers). Meanwhile, women can volunteer to join the — you guessed it — Volunteer Corps, though like the men, they don't have to kill giant bugs and killer robots, yet.
In fact, Singapore is pretty peaceful, to be honest. If anything, Singapore might be the perfect template for when a Super Earth ever comes into being.
It wasn't that longer ago that Taylor Swift's boyfriend Travis Kelce was talking about how futuristic the country looked and how even the lighting was impressive. And sure, he did say it was hot, but as long as we're not having Fire Tornados, we should be good.
Where are the other Mega Cities on Super Earth?
Of course, Super Earth is entirely fictional, but the map remarkably resembles the real Earth — minus the wastelands that have been nuked.
Besides Singapore aka Mega City 1, there are six other Mega Cities in the Helldivers universe.
Mega City 2 is in Shanghai, which features the Great Wall of Democracy as a landmark, and Stockholm is Mega City 3 aka Prosperity City, where Arrowhead Game Studios is based in real life.
Meanwhile Brussels is where Mega City 4 is located, and Jerusalem is where Mega City 5 is. Mega City 6 and 7 are Buenos Aires and New York City.
Areas that have been destroyed in Super Earth and are now wastelands include Russia, some areas of Eastern Europe (including Ukraine), the top half of Greenland, parts of Canada, and the UK. I guess Brexit didn't end well.
Anyway, if you're done procrastinating reading up about Super Earth's Mega Cities and Singapore, it's time to head back into Helldivers 2 to spread managed democracy! Still thinking whether to get this pretty fun co-op game? Then be sure to read our review here.
Aloysius Low is an ex-CNET editor with more than 15 years of experience. He's really into cats and is currently reviewing products at canbuyornot.com.
