Helldivers 2 is a game that was developed by Arrowhead Game Studios and published by Sony. Unlike the top-down twin-stick gameplay of the first game, the new one is a third-person shooter. The amount of shooting it has, makes it a really good shooter. The game has changed a lot since the initial release through different updates. It is an extremely fun shooter that becomes more fun the more you play it. It employs some of the looter shooter tactics which makes the gameplay more rewarding.
Even if you spend less time on it, the game will still be fun. Think of it like a combination of Starship Troopers, Outriders, and Terminator. It’s all about shooting enemies, exploding, and playing with your friend. The launch was rough but the game has become better with all the updates that it has gotten. Under all this, is simple and good gameplay. It is a $40 game which makes it cheaper than the AAA game. It is available on PC and PS5 so sorry Xbox players. Anyway, all this makes you wonder, Is Helldivers 2 Worth It? Let’s find out.
The Beginning
The game will start with a funny but short tutorial. After the tutorial, you will set up your character and ship. Your ship’s bridge also acts as a hub where you can upgrade ship, equipment and start different game modes in the big galaxy map. Your character is a citizen and soldier of Super Earth. Super Earth is fighting enemies throughout the galaxy against anything that can pose a threat to freedom and democracy. Enemies are mostly robots and giant bugs. These bugs constantly remind me of the Starship Troopers.
The general tone of Helldivers 2 is pretty great. It is a comedic take on futuristic patriotism. Similar to Starship Troopers, the game shares a lot of stuff with Starship Trooper which is evident the moment you start the game. Dialogue of the characters, text you find, and characters talking to each other will shed light on this futuristic patriotism. Even the ship’s name pays tribute to that idea.
When on the ship, you can access a galaxy map, and on the map you can select different planets to land with the option to do missions there. Every planet has its own score. All the players that are beating enemies will have an impact on the score. As players fight against enemy forces, they will push back enemy forces and capture the planet.
Missions
Jumping on the missions will get you a few objectives aside from the main ones. You can also find some players that will have collectibles and stuff. The main objectives are not that complex. It usually includes turning on a radio tower, killing a certain number of enemies, destroying a nest, defending a location, and stuff like that.
The more you progress and do the harder missions, the better will be the stuff you see. Objective and enemy type will change along with the missions in Helldivers 2.
Matches can last from 10 minutes to 30 minutes or even more. There is a decent amount of pacing to each map. Depending on the match, it can be challenging and intense. Despite the challenges, it feels good. Pushing across a big map, your allies dying and only getting to the extraction point last minute to wind up is what makes the game fun. All of it feels good and gives you a sense of accomplishment. Helldivers 2 does a decent job of keeping track of your performance and ranking.
Combat
All of it comes down to the gameplay. It is simple but feels really good. It’s about running in gunning. Players can aim down sight and there is even an option to view in first person. There are the options to crouch, sprint, and even prone. Each of these movements has its own use cases. You even have the option to dive on the ground and then shoot in 360 degrees while lying down.
Weapons
Guns are solid with good and responsive feedback. The recoil is manageable and the sounds of guns have punch to it. There is no way to upgrade the weapons and customize them. However, you can progress towards better weapons. Grinding can be intense, especially towards the acquisition of new weapons.
There are a lot of weapons and every one of these weapons is great. It can be a giant laser cannon, anti-tank missiles, SMGs, LMGs, pistols advanced shotguns, flame throwers, energy weapons, and even more.
You have other types of weapons at your disposal known as ordinance. Helldivers 2 lets you call in ordinances on the go as you complete missions and explore to get the currency that will let you unlock more of this ordinance. It can start from supply drops or orbital strikes and go all the way to nukes, napalm, EMP, and bombardment among other things.
You can get better and heavier weapons through supply drops that require two people to work. There are autonomous defenses turrets, traps, Mecha Suite, and other stuff to stop the hordes from overwhelming you. You will be taking down hordes upon hordes of challenging enemies. These enemies can kill you in a few hits.
The amazing weapons, destruction, and gore make everything better. The way parts of enemies explode, fly around, and gore makes everything better.
Friendly Fire
Friendly fire is a thing that can result in some insane moments. Your friends can easily get you killed if they are not careful. The curiosity of testing a new weapon or ordinance can result in the death of your allies in Helldivers 2.
From the approach of freedom to encounter and weapons to the way the character moves and dives around, all of it can make up for some funny moments. Players will eventually make the mistake and cause a friendly fire which makes it fun in a way. For me, it was really bad but it is still fun to experience it.
The Gameplay
There is no way to escape an encounter once an enemy corners you. You will feel that the only thing you can do is use melee attack and that melee attack is weak. The reality of Helldivers 2 is that you are an expendable soldier but it still doesn’t change the fact that you need more than just a simple melee. I mean even a jump button would be better. There is a jump pack that can help a lot in this situation but only if you have it. When on the ground you can only vault over and climb on some of the things around you.
Microtransactions
It is also a good idea to mention that there are microtransactions in the game. It is an online PVE game so this much is to be expected. It’s more like a live service game than a co-op. There are two battle passes one is paid and the other is free. The free battle pass is longer and has more stuff. However, the paid battle pass has stuff that is not available on the free one. Helldivers 2 is generous when it comes to earning currency. Including the currency that you earn from missions. You can also get that currency using real money through Microtransactions which is not a good sign. The predatory Microtransactions are not something one can ignore.
More Fun In CO-OP
It takes some time to get more weapons. The armor, banner, and helmet have good design. So getting these weapons is good even just for looks. Helldivers 2 is the type of game that is fun when played with friends. You can match-make with the random however communication helps a lot. Playing with others is when the game is at its best and it seems like the combat and gameplay are designed around that idea. Playing in co-op makes you feel like a killing machine which is something that you can’t achieve as solo players.
One of the creative things that the developers included is the use of directional inputs. Directional inputs are commands that you have to consider while playing Helldivers 2. These seem like cheat code inputs. You have to input them to call down the ordnance.
Bug could be attacking you while you input these codes to call down the ordinance. These codes can create a sense of panic. One of the players might be entering the code as other players protect that player from a swarm of enemies. It can result in some pretty amazing scenarios. The same method is also used to activate the terminal during the missions.
You have to manually bring the map up as there is no mini-map. So one player has to navigate. Tagging, the map, all of it is well made. It is easy to navigate even when you are running.
Verdict (Is Helldivers 2 Worth It?)
Despite the rough launch, Helldivers 2 has been stabilized with upgrades. It is a polished and well-made game all around that does not leave much to worry about. This could become a long-term game with a dedicated player base that will keep the game alive. New updates and stuff would give players a reason to stick around. Or, it can be a temporary craze and the game will die out with time. The presence of Microtransactions suggests that the developers will try to keep the game alive for a while.
At its core, the game is fun and there are a lot of things to like about the game and not much to not like about it. It needs more mission types as we have already seen that with updates. The arrival of Mech Suite confirms that developers will be adding some cool new stuff to Helldivers 2. If you are a Starship Troopers fan then you will love this game as well. It is the type of game that you should give a try at some point.
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