Helldivers 2 is the most fun I've had with a game this year. Granted, not many of them popped up aside from a handful, but Helldivers 2 is a unique experience. It's a Live Service game that has no business being this well crafted. I've played almost 20 hours in just three days since launch, and I still can't get enough of it. The best part is that it's about to get a heck of a lot better soon.
Helldivers 2 managed to surpass 2018's God of War on Steam as PlayStation's most played PC port in history. Arrowhead Game Studios delivered the first Helldivers on PS3 back in 2015. It wasn't a raging success, but the formula for a great game was already well-established. Back then, the concept of a "live service" game was unheard of among the gamer ranks. That all changed when Fortnite hit in 2017.
The sequel takes the initial vision to an entirely different level. You play as a brainwashed Starship Trooper-like soldier that spreads "freedom" and "democracy" among bug and cyborg-infested planets on behalf of Super Earth's Ministry of Truth.
Your base of operations is a giant spaceship, which you can upgrade using unique resources collected from your "liberation" campaigns. These upgrades help make your stratagems more efficient. What are stratagems? Well, think of them as an entire "menu" of air strikes you can call from the heavens above to rain down righteous fire, sometimes gas too, upon your democracy-hating enemies. The more you play and upgrade, the better your gear; thus, the more you enjoy the experience. It's an incredibly addictive (in a good way) cycle.
It's not a single-player game by any means, so don't buy it if you're planning to lonely wolf it. It's designed with co-op in mind, and it shines best when you communicate with the other three players from your team and wreak havoc on your enemies. Friendly fire is always on, so when you inevitably but accidentally erase your team from the face of the planet, it's nothing short of hilarious and memorable.
Photo: Arrowhead Game Studios
The way the game stays fresh was surprising to me. It has nine difficulties, and before you embark on a mission, you choose whichever best fits your playstyle and skill. The enemy design doesn't change much, but their type and behavior do. While you're still stuck with only two factions, bugs and robots, when you choose higher difficulty levels, new enemies will spawn, along with increasing numbers.
At one point, I was running away from an entire army of bugs that relentlessly chased me across the map. These gameplay systems are so fine-tuned that they kept me from getting bored even after 20 hours of gameplay in three days' worth.
While there aren't any vehicles aside from your main base of operations, the developers hint at future ones. We were even given a glimpse of a mech in a trailer. It's called the EXO-44 Walker Exosuit, and Arrowhead said it should be coming soon after launch.
The mech looks badass and ready to kick some bug butt with its heavy three-barrel minigun and multi-rocket launcher. The good news is that more mechs could find their way to Helldivers 2. The first game featured three of these bad boys. Aside from the EXO-44, there's also the EXO-48 'Obsidian' Exosuit and EXO-51 'Lumberer' Exosuit.
Photo: Arrowhead Game Studios
The maps aren't huge, but transport vehicles are sadly also missing from missions, much like in Starfield. Only here, you don't get a jetpack, but a jump pack that needs to recharge for a long time after one use. It's more of a distance-yourself-from-the-enemy type of gear.
I'd love for the game to feature some ATVs or a transport vehicle like in the first Helldivers, which had the M5 APC (Armored Personnel Carrier), M5-32 HAV (Heavy Assault Vehicle), MC-109 'Hammer' Motorcycle, and TD-110 'Bastion' Tank Destroyer.
Now, the problem with these vehicles is that most of them were part of paid DLC (downloadable content), which would put a cramp in the game's style if it turns out they'll apply the same strategy here. The safest route would be to bring them as free updates and make a bunch of paid skins for those who wish to pimp their rides. Pay-to-Glow, not Pay-to-Win, is the way.
You'll find Helldivers 2 only on PC and PlayStation 5 at $40. Now, before you buy, the game isn't perfect. Three days after launch, the matchmaking is still partly broken, so trying to find someone else to play with and getting hit with "Connection failed" 10-20 times in a row is very frustrating. There's no hurry to pony up for it right now.
The second issue I found was the resolution on PlayStation 5. Oh boy, is it blurry compared to what the PC can produce. Though the PS5's dip in resolution is understandable given that four players can carpet bomb the heck out of enemy bugs while also detonating a 500kg warhead on top to remodel the landscape.
The matchmaking issue should be fixed pretty soon, while I'm afraid there's little to be done with the game's 1080p-like resolution on PS5. That being said, it's still an amazing game that took me by surprise and I plan to keep on playing with no stop in sight.
Codrin just loves American classics, from the 1940s and ‘50s, all the way to the muscle cars of the '60s and '70s. In his perfect world, we'll still see Hudsons and Road Runners roaming the streets for years to come (even in EV form, if that's what it takes to keep the aesthetic alive). Full profile
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