Congratulations. The Ministry of Recreation and Entertainment has selected you for the screening of the newest film to come from Arstotzka’s unparalleled film industry. Attendance is mandatory. Details have been provided below. Glory to Arstotzka.
Papers, Please is a 2013 document thriller game that became my favourite title of that year – and one of my favourites, period. I put it amongst the great Cold War games, it’s that bloody good. Taking place in the fictional Communist country of Arstotzka (with heavy influence drawn from the former Eastern Soviet “republics”), the game had to take the role of a border inspector as an uneasy peace reigns between your nation and neighbouring Kolechia. It’s far better than it sounds, believe me.
Five years later, independent Russian filmmaker Nikita Ordynskiy has released the fruit of their cinematic loins. It’s completely independent, save for the game’s developer Lucas Pope acting as consult to the film’s production. The film itself? It’s fantastic. The look and feel of the game is preserved with the utmost care, down the most minute details. It helps that Russian actor Igor Savochkin gives a superb performance as the game’s unnamed protagonist. The film manages to pull off in ten minutes what Hollywood never could in decades: A video game adaptation that’s both faithful to the source material and great in its own right.
You can check it out below, or steam it through Steam. Either way, the film is completely free.
Arana blames her stunted social skills and her general uselessness on a lifetime of video games. Between her ears is a comprehensive Team Fortress 2 encyclopedia. Her brain remains at large.
