Also On: PC
Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment
Developer: Arrowhead Game Studios
Medium: Digital/Disc
Players: Multi
Online: Yes
ESRB: M
Iโd like to start off by saying that I have not gotten around to playing the first Helldivers game yet, so my experience and comparisons will have to be to other games in a similar genre pool that I have played. Helldivers 2 is an intense co-op hoard shooter a la Left 4 Dead, but to me a much higher difficulty curve. Maybe I didnโt play a lot of that game on a hard difficulty, but Helldivers is not afraid to pull punches and really make you feel like youโre fighting against an overwhelming foe. From airstrikes to mounted sentry guns to support weapons, you will have no lack of arsenal to wipe the floor with the alien threat.
Before I get into anything, Iโm sure weโve all seen the ongoing issue with the servers for the game, whether that be rampant disconnects, inability to get into crossplay lobbies, frequent crashing because of crossplay, crashing upon mission launch, etcetera. Luckily, the devs have been very hard at work to fix those issues, sometimes multiple times a day, and you shouldnโt have to worry about it anymore. As of February 12th, I have had little to no issues getting into games or joining my friendsโ lobbies. To summarize all of that, if youโre worried about server issues, you can rest easy!
Gameplay in Helldivers is just downright fun. I canโt really find other words to describe it, honestly. Itโs just genuine fun and it feels great. Youโre in third person with a reticle that somewhat drags behind your view almost like a plane, itโs got some meat that feels almost like Gears of War (strange comparison for the bug game, I know), and the gunplay just feels so smooth. Itโs one of those games thatโs hard to describe how it feels outside of โyeah itโs greatโ. If you want something that emphasizes mowing down hordes of aliens and that feels amazing doing it, this is for you.
Guns arenโt your only options to lay waste to your enemies either. I played on PC, so my popup is my Control key, but you will be using a button to call in all sorts of things like reinforcements for ammo, airstrikes, stationary machine gun turrets, and so much more. As you play, you unlock a plethora of new ways to obliterate the bugs, whether thatโs 500kg bombs, strafing runs, laser force fields, and anything else you can really think of. Itโs a bit more of a niche title, but when you think of the possibilities of support for complete devastation, think of the Earth Defence Force series. Itโs got that constant rush of fighting for democracy and freedom all the while encouraging you to use the most destructive tools you can get your hands on. Oh. and thereโs friendly fire, so try not to drop an airstrike on your teammates, they might not appreciate that too muchโฆ
I did mention unlocks, so let me go over them because I was confused at first. Youโll acquire a couple different types of upgrade materials. Youโll get โWarbondsโ for completing various objectives around the map, and a generalized currency for buying your support abilities like mentioned earlier. The Warbonds are how youโll be unlocking new weapons and cosmetics. I do feel that it is pertinent to mention there is a 2nd upgrade path accessible via the โSuper Citizenโ DLC, retailing for $20 USD. I do not believe the Super Citizen unlocks are available in the base tree, but I havenโt made it far enough in the upgrade paths to find out. Iโm not entirely sure how I feel about locking progression and weapons that may or may not be better than the defaults behind DLC, but at least itโs a one time purchase and thereโs no battle pass like most live service games.
Speaking of DLC and extra purchases, Helldivers 2 does contain microtransactions. I wasnโt sure how I felt about it at first, as it seemed somewhat unnecessary, but we can rest easy knowing it is ONLY for cosmetic items. The game has a rotating shop similar to everyoneโs favorite live service game: Fortnite. The difference being that as far as I can tell, these paid cosmetics (via a premium currency) are at most $5. Iโm still not enthused about having a cosmetic shop in a paid game, but at the end of the day itโs live service and theyโre significantly cheaper than basically every other game Iโve seen with the same systems. Regardless of your or my own opinions on microtransactions in games, I can gladly say these are incredibly unintrusive and donโt affect my enjoyment of the game whatsoever. They exist on their own, in a separate tab, away from anything Iโd normally be interacting with.
All in all, Helldivers 2 is a fantastic co-op game with lots of content (and arguably the best structure to live service Iโve seen in a long time) wrapped up in a nice $40 package. The price point is right (even if you take into consideration the additional $20 โupgradeโ), the content is plentiful and it feels like a game that respects your time. I genuinely have a hard time saying anything negative about the game, especially now that the servers are stabilized and the developers are active on Twitter (X, if you care about that detail) updating the community about game updates and stability hiccups. It is a bit on the difficult side if youโre not playing with at least a friend, but I highly recommend a full group of 4 for the best experience. There are a good few types of missions, and some of them are very challenging as a solo player. If you donโt mind a good challenge, however, or have friends you can party up with, Helldivers 2 is a fantastic time and I sincerely believe you will enjoy yourself.
Note: Sony provided us with a Helldivers 2 PS5/PC code for review purposes.