A new game from Sony, Helldivers 2, was recently released. The developers from Arrowhead Game Studios stayed true to themselves and remembered that games should bring people together and bring joy, but at the same time offer players real challenges. In Helldivers 2 we encounter madness that makes us laugh in places, sometimes we feel tension from the sheer number of enemies on the screen, but it’s this range of emotions that makes games interesting. The only problem with this ride is the instability of the game’s servers, but we hope that the developers will fix this as soon as possible.
FOR DEMOCRACY, FOR FREEDOM!
We are citizens of Super Earth and stand in defense of peace and democracy. In the role of the Hell Troopers, we spread the principles of democracy through fair fire. Brutal insects and robots seek to take over the world, but the Hell Troopers will carry the foundations of democracy to the invaders.
The plot of the second part of the game “Helldivers” is completely based on the achievements of the original. Courageous earthlings do not spare their lives in the fight against alien invaders and spread democracy across the universe. The player will have to assume the role of a warrior who needs to land on various planets to fulfill the tasks set by the leadership.
After joining the squad, you undergo a brief training at the training ground and immediately go to your destroyer to perform a variety of tasks throughout the galaxy: destroy ammunition depots, repel insect attacks, counter enemy propaganda and much more.
It’s no wonder that everyone is discussing the new project to destroy insects and other enemies, comparing it to Star Troopers. After all, there is a similar atmosphere of brave fighters and hopelessness. The game very accurately conveys the current situation, while adding humorous notes.
Gameplay in Helldivers 2
The gameplay is built around the sequential fulfillment of several tasks. We choose the difficulty level, land on the planet and clean up the territories. Somewhere you need to save the station workers, somewhere you need to refuel the shuttle, and somewhere you need to find an elite target and destroy it. It is also worth mentioning the random map generation, which will not let you get bored on the same type of terrain.
The game offers several difficulty levels. If on the first one it’s more of a fun shootout on aliens, then on the ninth one, which has the corresponding name “Straight to Hell”, it already requires a well-coordinated work of the whole team: you will have to think strategically and constantly communicate with your squad members to coordinate your actions and successfully complete the mission.
It’s worth noting that different enemies are noticeably different from each other. Some aliens can jump long distances, others can spit acid, and others have such a powerful shell that it can only be penetrated by heavy weapons. Take into account that you will have to fight against all of them at the same time, so you will have to adjust your tactics as you go along.
Helldivers 2 can also be played alone, but the game is fully revealed in cooperative mode: your squad can have up to 4 members – both your friends and random people from the network.
Stratagems and indiscriminate fire on your own.
A poorly thrown grenade or indiscriminate shooting can result in the elimination of one of the fighters, which adds both challenge and fun to the gameplay. These random incidents can force players to be more cautious and tactical in their actions, which creates additional tension and excitement when playing the game.
Stratagems are activated through a mini-game, turning this into a separate ritual. For example, to trigger a bombardment of an area, you need to press “up, right, right, right”, after which a beacon appears in your hand, which you need to throw to where you want to strike. The stronger the stratagem, the more difficult its combination. Resurrecting an ally, for example, will already look like “Up, down, right, left, up”. Stratagems can contain various air strikes, ammo replenishment, weapons of various kinds, stationary turrets, mines and other things.
At first, the player’s arsenal is very limited, but for completing missions will be provided with medals to open armor and starting weapons, as well as requisition points to get stratagems. The principle of opening them is simple – pump the level and get access to buy weapons.
In addition to performing basic tasks resourceful players can even find paid currency (super-credits) and components to pump stratagems. On the regular map the cleanup is available in forty minutes (in other missions it can be much less time), otherwise you can not evacuate.
Later in the game will add steerable “pedometers” and various vehicles present in the original, but at the moment we have to deal with hordes of enemies with what we have.
What about microtransactions?
Only one currency is bought for real money – it is super-credits, which is spent only in a special menu, where mostly different armor is collected. I liked the words of one of the game developers that the right to monetization must be earned. And this methodology of creating a service game is strongly appealing. I go into Helldivers 2 and I know that the pay-to-win scheme doesn’t work here. For a notional 100 hours, I may not spend a single dollar, but I will have strong armor, weapons, and tools. You don’t feel like they’re trying to extract money from you, and for this approach Arrowhead and PlayStation have nothing but praise.
Global map
The game introduced a global plot, which will actively develop depending on the actions of the game community. Now territories are captured in real time, each victory or defeat has its own impact on the course of events. This is a fascinating decision, and who knows, perhaps in the future the developers will add factions that allow players to fight each other? The potential for the game’s development is huge, right up to the realization of PvP (player versus player). Even now it is safe to say that when the game loses its audience and it is time to close the servers, it can always be played as a defeat of Super-Earth in the struggle for peace and democracy.
Laughs and Bullets
Helldivers 2 ironizes the theme of democracy and its values, which should be promoted with weapons in hand. And the destruction of aliens is accompanied by jokes and funny situations. While firing a trigger-happy paratrooper can start yelling “FOR DEMOCRACY, FOR FREEDOM!”.
Funny example from the donation store: there are reviews with 5 stars, and those with 1 star are labeled “reviewer is under investigation for treason”.
What does democracy look like?
The overall visual style of Helldivers 2 game leaves a pleasant impression. The graphics and level design are of a high standard, although some of the backgrounds could have been more detailed. The voice acting and audio accompaniment are also good, with characters shouting slogans and realistically reproduced gunshot sounds and other effects.
The game is visually appealing, with multiple planets, a variety of effects and weather patterns, but the gorgeous explosions are particularly notable. While the graphics level is not AAA, it is in line with the game’s budget, due to the need for optimization to maintain a steady 60 fps, especially during the big battles. This is important to ensure an enjoyable gaming experience, especially for users with less powerful computers.
Overall, the visual aspect of Helldivers 2 is enjoyable and cohesive despite some budget and optimization limitations.
Now it’s time to give the game a little bit of a scolding
Unfortunately, not everyone can play comfortably. At the moment, the servers cannot cope with the number of people who want to play, so there are periodic crashes and failures.
In technical terms, not without problems. On consoles there are bugs, in some places the game is very soapy, and the start screen of the match has such ladders on the textures that you can cut yourself. On PC it’s even worse, the game can crash or work badly on any system, and the player selection system is broken.
But the developers are very quick to fix the problems, answer all the requests of players and keep in touch with them, not leaving the problems hanging. Seeing such work you believe that within a couple weeks the game will be in good condition. Actually, on the first day they fixed many problems or offered solutions before the patch.
In the end
This game leaves a positive impression. With active allied fire, randomly generated locations and huge crowds of enemies, each game situation becomes unique and requires finding a way out. Helldivers 2 offers adjustable difficulty levels so that each player can find their own balance and enjoy the game. If you are looking for challenges, you will easily find them here. It is a sequel to the first installment of the game, which is now presented in third-person and first-person view. And if you have reliable companions, the game will give you unforgettable emotions. Give it a chance and you won’t regret it.
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