Helldivers 2 /IMPRESSIONS

Very few games explode onto the gaming scene like a grenade that someone dropped almost accidentally, causing far bigger blast than anyone could have ever anticipated. And even fewer of those are actually good — which brings me to Palworld…

…just kidding, of course. I don’t care about pale imitations of stuff that I’m not into in the first place, let alone some very uninspired pale imitations at that. No, I am talking about Helldivers 2, the newest — and biggest — game by Arrowhead Game Studios, previously best known for their chaotic action adventure Magicka, a little bit less for the original Helldivers, and sadly not at all for Showdown Effect, their overlooked gem that I enjoyed quite a bit (although, to my shame, I forgot it was developed by them, which just further illustrates my point, I guess).

So, if you are one of many who have yet to experience the majesty of Helldivers, you might ask yourself: “What’s all the fuss about?” And the answer is simple — Helldivers 2 is a great game first and foremost, and a rare breed of a live service game with a friendly approach to players. Which is to say that it will expand with different updates, without relying on the players’ fear of missing out and treadmill-like game design that’s constantly pushing players to play more, luring them with time-limited rewards.

And no, not even overloaded servers, queues to get into the game and an unstable (if not sometimes even non-functional) matchmaking managed to dampen my excitement for it, or ruin my experience.

The core gameplay loop of Helldivers 2 is is basically the same as in the original:

• you drop onto a planet with up to three other players and shoot everything that moves on your way to the mission objective… except maybe for your teammates (which is a constant risk due to friendly fire being always on);
• along the way, you will be using the so called Stratagems, which are basically different airdrop bonuses that will help you, be it with additional ammo and supplies, extra weapons and stationary turrets, or even artillery attacks and airstrikes that you can call in on designated locations;
• in the end, you will try to get to the extraction point alive and in one piece, before — hopefully — getting onto the Helldivers extraction ship.

And that’s it. Nothing more, nothing less. Well, except for the fact that this time you won’t be playing the game from the top down, but third person perspective.

On top of such a simple gameplay loop, Helldivers builds quite an impressive experience with a fun satirical story, some great systemic elements, and an impressive audio-visual presentation.

Let’s start with the story — in the distant future, Earth has become Super Earth, a wonderful utopia that is definitely not fascist in nature, and Helldivers are its elite soldiers spreading democracy and freedom all over the galaxy. Of course, this kind of utopian democracy is spread with bullets, flamethrowers and rockets — as well as some airstrikes for good measure, just so the humanity can defend itself against all its enemies, be it disgusting giant bugs (that bring to mind Starship Troopers), or some dangerous red-eyed automatons.

With its tongue firmly planted in its cheek, Helldivers 2 will take you and your squad of Helldivers all across the galaxy, making you laugh loudly quite often. And not only with funny dialogues and even funnier propaganda videos, but also with its moment-to-moment gameplay. How? Just wait until you end up in a friendly fire incident or two, and you will understand what I mean. Especially if some of those incidents are caused by someone accidentally (or “accidentally”) dropping reinforcements (or whole minefields) on another teammate’s head, leading to everyone dying, mere moments before the extraction ship comes to pick you up.

In addition to being funny, moment-to-moment gameplay is built on a very solid third person shooter foundation, characterised by punchy gunplay and simple controls that enable you to move around fairly quickly and effectively — if a bit clunkily when it comes to climbing. Then, there’s the game’s focus on cooperation, with stuff like certain weapons requiring two people to properly operate, and, like a cherry on top, some additional systems and systemic interactions that enrich the whole thing, from dynamically spreading fires affecting everything (including you and your teammates), to mud that slows you down (usually when you are in the biggest rush).

And all of that looks appropriately striking — particularly the game’s environments shrouded in fog or a morning haze, or its various enemy bugs and automatons that are wonderfully animated — while the soundtrack sounds properly epic and heroic, and at times very ominous and dark. Or chill, with synth melodies that bring to mind good old Mass Effect.

Basically, what I’m trying to say is that Helldivers 2 soundtrack might be one of the best parts of the game that is already full of very good parts, ranging from its satire and humour, to shooting and systemic action where you will laugh off friendly fire incidents instead of getting angry over them.

And now, if you will excuse me, I gotta go back and join my Super Earth comrades — all that democracy won’t spread itself.

Helldivers 2 | developer: Arrowhead Game Studios | publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment | platforms: PlayStation 5 (played), PC