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For Democracy!

Helldivers 2 is the ultimate culmination of what makes games incredible.

Inverting the typical game trope of making a power fantasy in a Sci-Fi setting, and instead making them a pawn in a large scale galactic war where everything you do makes a difference; a simple design but executed masterfully.

Defend Super Earth no matter the cost.

With the exception of a few, most PVE games are designed around player progression.

This is the exception.

Helldivers 2 has been designed in a unique position as a live service game, as the game launched without any sort of hand holding narrative driven action that most PlayStation exclusives are typically known for. No Single Player Campaign, no huge big budget cut scenes. The Reason?

Everything that you do is Canon.

After a brief boot camp tutorial that serves as your introduction into the universe, you are then given command of a Super Destroyer and set free to attempt to win against odds that are better placed in Mega Millions. The game takes place in a massive galaxy spanning over 253 different planets, although most are inaccessible at most times the variety that is on display is absolutely jaw dropping. You are then told to choose the systems at risk or under attack. You and the community now must work together to strategically pick the best points of insertion and drop in to the battle from your ships.

What caused the mass deployment?

Element 710, Rouge AI and Cults.

Instead of focusing on a singular major threat such as the Covenant or even The Empire we are the creators of our own demise. Fighting what was two fronts has now manifested into a three front war while we attempt to avoid one on the home front. In our ignorant quest of manifest destiny, westward expansion clearly wasn't enough to satisfy our imperially curious gluttony. As humans created a coalition of nations to make Super Earth. An incredibly ridiculous form of satire that dresses the entire experience in a layer of not only irony, but what would be considered a black comedy if it wasn't so on the nose. But downright hilarious no matter the situation.

In our quest to continue expansion we found an alien race of mostly insect based life forms that we thought would be an excellent source of Element 710. What's 710? Oil. They did not play nice with their captors, having escaped their containment they are now taking over entire planets and ravaging everything in their path.

Meanwhile during the events of Helldivers 1, We invented an enemy in ourselves by attempting to put down a human insurrection on a planet of Cyberstan. Where conditions were undeniably unlivable but the resources it harbored were so alluring that the failing body's of the human workers were augmented creating the cyborgs. After eradicating what we believed was left of them in the first galactic war, turns out they had the trump card. Creating a Rouge AI that harvests the resources of planets to replicate itself and fabricate new ways to turn human flesh into fertilizer.

And as we think that things cannot get any worse, the toughest of the first Galactic War have now also just joined the fray, a Cult like society made of actual intelligent squid like aliens. And they're using our citizens as their ammo as they're genetically altering our kind and sending them directly down our sights.

What tips the odds in our favor?

Up, Right, Down, Down, Down.

Stratagems are an undeniable stroke of genius from the developers Arrowhead, as this third person shooter can get downright apocalyptic with the ( and I cannot stress this enough ) sheer amount of enemies. It actually boggles the mind that this game engine can handle this many things going on at once that it makes the likes of Risk of Rain 2 seem like a walk in the park. Stratagems are the deployment and ordinance available from your previously mentioned Super Destroyer. This system allows for a creative expression of player choice and tactics, creating an ever changing dynamic of ways the game can be enjoyed while also creating an immense amount of stress. That I haven't witnessed since Clutch LASO runs from the original Halo Trilogy.

At it's core it is a system that allows you to take 4 items with you onto the battlefield. Allowing you to call down turrets, support weapons, vehicles, mechs, air strikes, orbital bombardments, even SOS Beacons to call down other Divers seamlessly for cooperative play. But most importantly respawning the members of your squad after they are inevitably slaughtered to ensure you can get overwhelmed together. With a huge amount on display to choose from and experiment with, it keeps the game fresh since choosing different combinations will change the way you have to play to use them effectively. Moreso the intelligent foes and changing landscapes you'll be visiting will cause you to think twice about what will truly be effective on the next drop.

How would this be a point of stress? Dance Dance Revolution.

Every single stratagem has a specific combination that corresponds with it's deployment that are crucial to memorizing to deploy in between reloads and mainly while you run away and dodge bullets to get an edge on the hordes of never ending democracy threatening demons. That's only one part of the equation as it arms a beacon that you must throw to flag a landing place for your weapons, equipment, turrets or more importantly your airstrikes and orbital bombardments. Just make sure you don't trip with the immensely intricate physics engine attached to this game, accidentally making you drop a 500kg bomb at your heels leaving you to pray that you aren't turned into steam.

Unlocking these deployments are simple and straight forward with progression being attached to experience earned so the more you play the more toys you unlock. Along with this is a modified battle-pass progression system that paves the way for a excellent form of monetization that puts the player first instead of their wallet. The battle-pass system is anti-fomo where any pass that is released is permanently available for super credits in the shop, which you can also farm for in game without having to spend money unless you want it now. Included in the passes are different armors, primary weapons, secondary weapons and even boosters.

The Trees, They Speak Binary

Whoever is in charge of the audio department at Arrowhead I give you an immense around of applause. As the entire dynamic range being used at large here is a spectacle to behold with the sounds of the Super Destroyer warping to another system, the Hellpods deploying, and the sound of bombardments laying waste to any opponent who is within baseball throwing distance.

There isn't much to say here other than this is now the new gold standard when it comes to the audio department and I cannot praise it further.

Overall.


9.9 / 10

Reporting to Hellpods for Deployment.

Played my first game with a friend. Accidently joined a team of rando's, had no idea what was going on. Incredibly, I screamed, cried and ragdolled my way to the pickup zone with their help and through the good grace of Democracy. When the airship came down for pickup, it killed me instantly. Clear as a bell a voice rang out "Oh no, you got squashed." Realised my mic was on the whole time. 10/10