My impressions of Helldivers 2 after ten levels of carnage.


Helldivers 1 was a top-down squad shooter released almost a decade ago that, like Risk of Rain, was promoted to 3D for its sequel. Gameplay was like this:

1. Select your career-unlockable gear and matchmake with a squad.
2. Drop into a bug/cyborg/energy alien-infested planet.
3. Fight your way through a handful of similarish objectives, like destroy a thing, defend a different thing, etc..
4. Get to the extract point and hold your ground until the dropship arrives.

It was a great formula for an indie-ish game and is entirely worth playing if you like bullet hell/Smash TV-like shooters. Replay value came from unlockables (weapons/armor/specials), increased difficulty (new enemies), and the three enemy factions that are very different.


Helldivers 2 plays surprisingly similar to the first game considering the addition of a z axis. In fact, 1-4 from above still apply:

1. Plan your dive

Like its predecessor, Helldivers 2 has equippable special attacks called 'strategems'. You select four of a few dozen unlockable strategems and a squad passive. Strategems include large weapon drops, air/orbital strikes, and deployable defenses.


The squad leader selects a drop location that is hopefully not in a red area (where you would be immediately swarmed by enemies). The maps are (presumably) procedurally-generated and sprinkled with collectible currency and side activities.

2. Dive your plan

Then you strap into your hellpod and o7 the patriotic music in the load screen. Both Helldivers games take numerous cues from Starship Troopers, including Earth being run by an over-the-top democratic-fascist propaganda state.

3. Shoot and scoot

Helldivers 2 plays a lot like Left 4 Dead 2. To survive, you need the right mixture of running and gunning, but with more freedom of movement (L4D2's maps are linear). Like the Left 4 Dead games (and others) the Helldivers 2 map is littered with enemies and you are intermittantly dealt a horde of baddies. L4D2 had a 'director' that would choose when to trigger a swarm, I think there's more determinism to Helldivers 2, i.e. patrols, canary enemies, and proximity to nests.

4. Get to the choppa

The final leg of your journey is to an extract point where you hold your ground until the Pelican arrives. While not required, it's considered rude to not call in your biggest orbital strike as you board the shuttle.

Atmospherics

Is Helldivers 2 too scenic? Unironically yes, much of the scenery is as dynamic and saturated as can be. Do I prefer postcard planets to ugly planets? Absolutely.

The game takes full advantage of players' graphics hardware to render stunning and desolate worlds that are often impossible to appreciate given the swarms of bugs and cyborgs. Like Battlefield, Battlefront, and the like, outside the glass dome of the playable area there are neat, dynamic backgrounds (mostly orbiting ships).


Often the pretty views are obstructed by dense fog, smoke, or sandstorms. Or it's simply really, really dark. Low visibility is about as challenging as any single enemy.

RTFM

Not a criticism: I only found equipment unlocks and ADS settings at Level 8 when Cooley mentioned it. Since the strategem and ship unlocks are provided at the Super Destroyer terminal, I expected the weapon and armor unocks to be at their terminal. Nope, it's a not-in-universe menu. Training didn't prepare me for this.

Dude, where's my ride?

The first Helldivers had deployable mechs and an APC that was the preferred method of traversing worlds untouched by democracy. They weren't OP but they were safer (contingent on the driver) and faster than hoofing it.

Thus far, Helldivers 2 has no vehicles. I can think of a few bad reason to exclude vehicles from the game (griefing, "it's too hard to make non-buggy vehicles") but having played lots of Helldivers, PUBG, and Planetside 2, I can conclusively say that whoever decided to axe vehicles from Helldivers 2 hates freedom.

Update: There is a teaser video showing a playable mech.

Not driveable.

Opportunities lost

Helldivers 2 is great and it's well worth the sticker price. Probably its greatest liability is replay value. Like the first one, Helldivers 2 objectives and mission modes fall into just a few similar categories. The sandboxy/procedural missions are great for cosmetic variety but then don't have the uniqueness or iconicness of, say, L4D2 campaigns. Considering the amazing visuals and excellent mechanics of the game, it feels like there were some missed opportunities for expanding the gameplay. Examples:

• A campaign, the perfect opportunity to craft some levels/encounters and let the Super Earth dystopia stretch its narrative legs.
• Fortifications. Helldivers 2 has minefields and turrets, the first game had razor wire that could be used to shape enemy advances. It'd be neat to have additional set piece defense options in the vein of Valheim and Fallout 76.

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