Become a Helldiver, an elite soldier trained to protect Super Earth and hold together the “controlled democracy” that occupies the future. Grab three expendable friends to help join the fight against either the robots who refuse to give up their territory, or the overgrown bugs keeping Super Earth from retrieving oil. Players can join the fight for “managed democracy” on Playstation 5 and PC.
Helldivers 2 offers players the chance to become the classic 80’s action hero (but without the morals), with the brutality of the satirical film “Starship Troopers” as an inspiration for the game’s story. With propaganda at every corner of the game—from the intro to the reviews of the cosmetics—the player’s character is convinced to fight in the war. The game wears its influence on its sleeves, as the on-the-nose commentary based on “Starship Troopers” is used for great comedic effect.
The player is given the choice to fight between two factions. The first are the Terminids, which are large bugs, displaying the clearest influence from “Starship Troopers” as the film has similar insects as the main threat against the army. Helldivers 2 has the player act as a villain as they destroy the bugs’ planets in an effort to obtain oil for Super Earth. There are 15 enemy types, each requiring different strategies for fighting. Some require multiple players to get an angle on the enemies’ weak spots, while others come in hordes, resulting in players having to group together again to survive the onslaught.
The other faction players can face is the Automatons, robots which have separated themselves from Super Earth. The player’s job is to claim territory for Super Earth and wipe out the Automatons. The second enemy faction has 11 different variations, though many of them have the same strategy of one teammate attacking the back of the enemy, while others distract. The most notable difference between the factions is that the Automatons have guns. Defending against the robot threat requires players to dive behind rocks or use any other piece of the environment as cover against enemy fire, unlike the bugs, where the soldiers must try to find higher ground. A variety of tactics against the distinct factions alleviates the possible repetitive gameplay against the enemies.
Another unique tool to Helldivers 2 are the stratagrams, which are orbital drops that can send turrets, bombs and special weapons almost immediately. Every player comes with stratagrams by default, like dropping a friend back into the battleground, which fits the theme of how expendable these soldiers are. Despite lobbies only having four players, the stratagrams help fulfill the fantasy of being a part of a massive army. While there’s a lack of mission variety, the different stratagrams help alleviate the repetition.
The development studio, Arrowhead, deserves high praise for delivering such a massive experience with a team with only about 100 employees, compared to other open-world action game studios like Ubisoft Montreal, which has around 4,000 employees. With that being said, there are issues that should be patched out in the future. Players being unable to change weapon or armor loadouts when dead is baffling considering players are supposed to be playing as a new soldier each time a Helldiver spawns. This can cause frustration when there’s no weapon range to test guns, leading to them being battle tested. If a player does not like the weapon, there’s no way for players to swap primary weapons unless they steal one off their friends’ corpses.
While Helldivers 2 is not built around mobility, the climbing mechanic is laughable as players are given a button dedicated to ascend rocky terrain, yet it’s so inconsistent that soldiers are better off using explosives to propel them upwards, despite the damage it does to the player. However, the dive mechanic is extremely satisfying and sometimes hilarious. Being able to dive off a cliff and take out enemies while in the air feels straight out of the 80’s action films Helldivers 2 pays homage to. In fact, players can fire their weapon during most mobile actions, resulting in a constantly action packed gameplay loop that gives brief moments for players to recollect themselves.
Due to the online service of the game, there are likely to be more mission types, enemy types, weapons and stratagrams; however, in the game’s current state, the variety right now leaves something to be desired for players looking for something more story or characters. Yet the people who care more about gameplay than the motivation behind said gameplay will have a great time with the game.
Helldivers 2 delivers on a constant barrage of excitement and explosions. Although those who seek a game with depth might want to wait for a sale, anyone looking to play a game with friends will have a great time with this. The game’s crossplay function, allowing people who play on Playstation 5 and PC to play together, gives the potential for the game to become more than a fad. I would recommend this game to anyone looking for a dumb but extraordinarily fun shooter.
