Episode 548: Vampire Crawlers, Video Game Movie News

In Episode 548 of Filthy Casuals, Tommy Dassalo and Ben Vernel dive into a whirlwind of video game adaptation news and personal anecdotes. They kick off with a candid review of the Super Mario Galaxy movie, reflecting on their experience watching it with Tommy’s six-year-old nephew Neff. While acknowledging the film’s lack of narrative depth and heavy reliance on visual spectacle, they praise its ability to delight its intended young audience and spark joy in a child’s imagination. The hosts also discuss the upcoming Elden Ring movie, directed by Alex Garland, expressing cautious optimism due to Garland’s personal pitch and creative pedigree. They then turn to the Call of Duty and Battlefield films, both set for 2028, critiquing their directors’ dismissive attitudes toward gamers and questioning the artistic value of adapting such literal, gameplay-driven experiences into cinema. The episode shifts to gameplay highlights, with both hosts enthusiastically reviewing Vampire Crawlers, a spinoff of Vampire Survivors that blends deck-building mechanics with 3D dungeon crawling. They praise its polished retro aesthetic, strategic depth, and nostalgic yet fresh feel. They also share their ongoing enjoyment of Tomodachi Life, where they’ve created a whimsical digital world for their household, and briefly touch on Pragmata, a visually striking, Death Stranding-inspired action game with satisfying combat and inventive environments. The episode closes with a playful nod to the Gooigi challenge, a running joke about the obscure Luigi’s Mansion 3 character.