'Helldivers 2' Review
Image Source: IGN
I’m doing my part!
One of my favorite movies is Starship Troopers, and to be able to play a fun game that captures that satire and silliness is a refreshing change of pace from the AAA titles that were thought to be keeping the industry afloat. That’s glaringly apparent with the fact that not one, but two games, both less than the $70 price tag that is attached to major games, are the hottest and best-selling games of the year so far, while the major studios are contracting.
In this instance, I am of course talking about Helldivers 2. Imagine the movie Starship Troopers and Terminator (and maybe even Independence Day? Stay tuned below for an explanation) combined with the squad-based combat of Gears of War, The Division, and Outriders and you’ll have a good idea of what Helldivers 2 looks and plays like.
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Helldivers 2 takes place on a fictional (maybe) futuristic earth, where humanity has spread among the stars. Humanity is governed by a fascist “managed democracy.” The game is of course satire, pointing out the exaggerated patriotism through wartime propaganda films and advertisements, using phrases like “defending freedom/democracy” or referring to the opposition (the bug-like Terminids, and the robotic Automatons) in demonic and “threatening their [humanity’s] way of life.” You play as an elite soldier that drops to planets in pods to “defend” this freedom.
Many players choose to salute Super Earth when spreading democracy.
Image Source: Tech Radar
Gameplay
The gameplay is solid, with expected (but no less frustrating) hiccups in button response and intention. It’s smooth, running well on a PS5, with animations that flow from one action to the next. Need to reload as you run, no problem, there’s no slowdown in that, which is helpful when you’re running from enemies. Or you can dive, in any direction, and have a full range of motion when prone. One video on the internet compares it to Metal Gear Solid V. The different load-outs and support options to call down offer a lot of customization when it comes to play style and let groups really strategize on how to manage the hordes at the higher levels (but also creates gatekeeping trolls online worried about “meta”). The physics of the game are impressive. Bullets ricochet off armored enemies and rocks, and shrapnel from a grenade can take out your squadmate who just happens to be running by. There are hiccups, of course, and the internet is in no short supply of hilarious videos with examples.
Graphics
One of the first impressions about the game, though, is it is actually quite beautiful. The interior of your individual super destroyer (which you can name. Choose from a list of titles, all of which promote the glory of Super Earth and its values!) is richly detailed. The planets are breathtaking in their vistas and skies, from dense jungles that were suggestive to players of the combat in Vietnam, to the rolling dunes of desert planets like Dune. The terrain is varied enough depending on where you land on the planet, and the maps are large enough that there are different environmental effects depending on where you are. While there are numerous planets to eventually fight for freedom on, they’re only (so far) among a few types, and the plant life is pretty uniform among a set amount of styles and designs. There’s plenty of attention to detail though. For example, when you discard a clip, if you were to look closely, you can see how much of the clip you wasted.
The game is stunning…and absolutely chaotic at higher levels.
Image Source: PlayStation
Story
The lore of the game is another place to find the love that was put into this game, and arguably the best part of the game. If you’re not too dense, and you’ve seen Starship Troopers, then you know it’s a satire and critique of fascism, just as this game is. One-liners about spreading democracy or defending their way of life are interspersed during combat alongside little messages from Super Earth to stop the Terminids or the Automatons from advancing toward Super Earth, threatening freedom!
The subtle little details of what’s really going on are a love letter from the developers to the work they put in, and they help tell the story that exists in the background. Some side missions have you destroy “rogue” broadcast towers, and if you pay close attention to them, they actually have messages that say something along the lines of “Super Earth is lying to you.” Or on Terminid-controlled planets, in the higher difficulties, you notice more and more these massive skeletal remains of even larger bugs, perhaps hinting at something even more dangerous you have yet to encounter. Recently, players have started noticing strange occurrences, like blue laser bolts from somewhere unseen taking out Automaton drop ships. Data miners have done their homework and suggest this could be the Illuminate, an as-yet unencountered race of aliens (that look like the Independence Day ones) that would turn this into a three-front war instead of the current two-front. There’s more to what is going on than the Orders from command are letting on.
The only good bug is a dead bug. For Super Earth!
Image Source: Dicebreaker
Pros And Cons
What the game’s most appealing characteristic is, though, is its live-service promise for the price they charged to get it. The game only costs $40 for the base game. There are, of course, micro-transactions but they aren’t necessary, and there have been weekly updates to the game providing new mission types and new orders that act kind of like global events in games like Diablo 4 and online looter-shooters. The CEO of Arrowhead Game Studios has been on X, responsive to input and queries about the game (as well as having fun stepping into the role of Minister of Truth), promising a strong roadmap ahead for the game. There’s also been a litany of images leaked by play-testers and the like that show upcoming updates, enemies, and weapons, just adding to the promise of the constant attention this game will have.
It’s not without its faults though. It did have a rough launch (if you can call it that) where there were long wait times to get into the always-online game due to server capacity (they were limited to nearly half a million concurrent players…they quickly would have surpassed that it’s first weekend if they had the capacity). There were, and are, bugs that remain, but as I stated above, the CEO has been open and honest and promised that the issues will be dealt with as they can get to them.
The Automatons threaten Super Earth’s way of life!
Image Source: Polygon
Verdict
Those are not nearly enough to detract from what will easily be a contender for Game of the Year. The numerous difficulty levels, and also different play styles depending on your foe, along with everything above, combine to offer a rich, varied, and fun experience that promises to keep players dropping into Hell and spreading democracy for Super Earth for some time to come.
Rating: 9/10 (This game was reviewed on a PS5)
Developer: Arrowhead Game Studios; Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment; Players: 1-4; Released: February 8, 2024; ESRB: M; MSRP: $39.99
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Source(s): Arrowhead Game Studios
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