Democratic Deep Dive
As an avid Destiny 2 player, I’ve gotten used to a number of things in certain live-service games. Battle passes, micro-transactions, regular updates from the developers; the list goes on. So, when I heard that Arrowhead Game Studios’ Helldivers 2 was going to release, I didn’t give it much thought. I had other games to grind and not much time for others.
That is, until I saw the cinematic trailer. The tongue-in-cheek nod to Starship Troopers had me hooked, so I decided to join some friends and dive in. Boy, was I in for a treat. Dropping in from space, liberating planets from the enemies of democracy, all for almost $20 less than a regular game of the same nature; in just about a month, Helldivers 2 has taken the gaming community by storm. Let’s take a look at why this game has so much hype.
Unlike it’s top-down predecessor, Helldivers 2 is a 3rd-person shooter that drops you into procedurally generated environments. There are main objectives, side objectives, and resource gathering spots, all of which tally up for your final completion score. At the time of writing this, there are two main factions the soldiers of Super Earth are facing: the insectoid Terminids and the robotic Automatons. If you are just starting out, I have one word of caution: Bugs first, Bots later. Trust me…
The biggest deciding factor in how well a mission will go is your loadout. Along with basic weapon equipment, players can equip up to four stratagems that allow you to call in a number of support commands ranging from aerial bombardments to non-standard weaponry. The higher your rank, the more stratagems and perks become available for use. My usual go-tos are the Guard Dog Rover drone and the Mortar turret emplacement (I affectionately address them as Rover and Morty).
Now, just because a stratagem is locked behind a progression wall does not mean it is automatically better. The EMS Mortar turret, which you can unlock at Rank 20, can stun enemies, but that does not mean it can defeat enemies as well as the early-unlock regular Mortar turret.
This leads us to the next good thing Helldivers 2 has going for it: developer communication. The CEO and other members of Arrowhead Game Studios have posted updates and other commentary on a regular basis. We learned about upcoming stratagems like the now-live mech suit, developer disputes about whether or not they should add swords into the game, and, as of this week, balance changes. With the latest patch, certain stratagems were hit with nerfs and buffs to ensure that loadouts are a matter of personal choice, not endgame-mandated must-haves. One of my hardcore gamer friends has been able to solo harder content because of his go-to Shield Generator Backpack and Railgun. Sadly, after seeing how these two have over-performed, they both got nerfed.
Another bit of noteworthy developer commentary was the notion that Player versus Player game modes were not being considered. As a gamer who prefers co-op over PvP, I love this statement. We are working for a common goal, and our resource and credit spoils are shared amongst all teammates. Of course, Friendly Fire is permanently turned on, so we can still have some people trolling each other. However, our primary foes are the Terminids, the Automatons, and…Joel…?
As it turns out, one of the members of Arrowhead Game Studios, reportedly named Joel, is the in-house Game Master. Essentially, he can look at the state of our progress and decide to either help Helldivers or hinder them. One day, we could get certain stratagems to use for free. Other days, the Automatons can suddenly rally and retake a planet we had just liberated. Knowing that a human mind is behind these changes and not a program is terrifying…and downright hilarious. Keep up the good work, Joel. We’ll beat you at your game someday.
Now, as this is a live-service game, I had some concerns going in. Some have been addressed, others have not.
For starters, we have the potential for repetitive gameplay. Drop in, shoot enemies, drop out. This rinse and repeat cycle could get tedious. There are two things that do help mitigate this issue. First, we have the procedurally generated levels. Just because we know what the main mission is does not mean we will always be on the same map, nor do we know what kind of side objectives will be available. All of these will still be randomized. Secondly, repetitive gameplay can be made better by playing with teammates. By yourself with nothing but your thoughts can make the game drag. But add in a teammate or two to add to the comedy and chaos? The only thing holding you back would be your alarm clock telling you to get ready for work, because it’s already the next day.
With a lower starting price compared to other games in the industry, it is little surprise that Helldivers 2 has both a free and a paid Battle Pass. There are both cosmetics and equipment available with tantalizing perks, but they are locked behind a pay wall. Normally, this would be a major turnoff. However, not only can you find the required currency on planets you dive onto, you can also unlock them in the free pass. Within a month of on-and-off play, I had enough to purchase the paid pass.
If there were any con I can think of for this game that has not been addressed yet, it would be something that Destiny 2 has defined for me: Fashion and Stats are bound. You can dress your Helldiver however you like, but certain perks are bound to certain armors. You are forced to choose between playing your best and looking your best. Destiny 2 implemented a transmog system (albeit much later than other notable games) that let you customize your character’s look while still retaining your good armor’s perks. Helldivers 2 does not have that at the moment. Who knows? Maybe Joel will throw us a bone and talk to the dev team.
Only a month after initial drop, and Helldivers 2 has found (one might say “dropped”) its way into our hearts. This game has so much potential and a growing community that is shaping itself into a surprisingly united entity. If you haven’t done so yet, go give Helldivers 2 a shot. Let’s spread some democracy together!