Independence Day 2 misfires with game that lets users virtually destroy real buildings

By Katie Rife | June 23, 2016 | 9:08pm

Aux Features Film

Although initially met with excitement by nostalgic twentysomethings, the hype surrounding the upcoming Independence Day: Resurgence has fizzled faster than a sparkler in a half-empty can of Budweiser (sorry, half-empty can of America). First of all, the film is not being screened for critics—our own Ignatiy Vishnevetsky will have a review for you after he sees it Thursday night—which is always a bad sign. And The New York Post is appalled by an ill-advised interactive online game, ”Independence Day My Street,” that lets users virtually reduce the address of their choosing to post-apocalyptic rubble using a combination of Google maps and CGI.

And yes, before you ask, “1 World Trade Center” totally works. That’s the issue with the game, which is supposed to get viewers hyped to watch aliens blow stuff up but ends up becoming more of a domestic terrorism simulator than an alien invasion one. (Because they ask the hard questions, The New York Post reports that, while you can virtually re-destroy the World Trade Center, searches for “La Guardia Airport” and “Pulse Nightclub” don’t produce any results.) On the other hand, you can also virtually blow up The Onion’s offices, which some of you might find satisfying.