Platforms: PC, PS5 (reviewed)
Price: $39
Release Date: February 8, 2024
Genre: Shooter
During a recent session of Helldivers 2, I found myself in a precarious position. A hulking insect was bearing down on me, and my supply of ammo was nearly depleted. As the bug-eyed beast took a swipe at me with its armored pincers, I commando divided out of the way, only to land directly in the path of an orbital airstrike my squadmate had just called in.
Without enough time to reposition, I was blown to smithereens and rocketed dozens of feet across the map. This calamitous sequence didn’t result in a feeling of frustration, or irritation that we’d failed the mission, instead, my co-op partner and I could hardly catch our breath from laughing at what we’d just witnessed. And that’s Helldivers 2 in a nutshell.
This co-op-focused PS5 console exclusive offers strong shooting, a whole ship-load of weapons, equipment to unlock and a community-driven progression system, but its key selling point is that it’s capable of delivering some of the most hilarious gaming moments you’ll ever experience on a remarkably consistent basis. When the online servers are working, that is….
Boot camp basics
Anybody familiar with the first Helldivers game will immediately spot the biggest change in this sequel. Helldivers 2 swaps the top-down perspective of its 2015 predecessor for a third-person view that brings you closer than ever to its unique brand of frenetic action.
Purists may miss the old camera angle, but it’s impressive how seamlessly developer Arrowhead has translated Helldivers to this new viewpoint. The shooting fundamentals are remarkably satisfying. Aiming down the sights of a machine gun and firing a volley of bullets feels crunchy. The tactile feeling of shooting is elevated thanks to the convincing reaction of enemies as you riddle them with bullet holes. Plus, on PS5 the DualSense controller is used expertly. I’ve not enjoyed haptics and adaptive triggers this much since 2021’s Returnal.
A key aspect of Helldiver’s combat loop is utilizing Stratagems. These are essential, powerful drops that you can call down onto the battlefield when you need an extra advantage. They range from hard-hitting weaponry like a rocket launcher or an orbital airstrike, to useful support items like ammo drops or even an SOS beckon to call in additional players to assist. Using Stratagems at the correct moment is vital if you want to survive the harder difficulties.
Rather than opening a submenu to select a Stratagem, deploying one requires you to complete a short sequence of button presses in quick succession. It’s somewhat similar to performing a combo in a fighting game like Tekken 8 or Street Fighter 6. This creates genuinely palm-sweating tension in the heat of battle. It can be highly stressful attempting to input the correct commands when you’re being swarmed by enemy forces. But this only adds to Helldiver’s wonderfully chaotic combat pacing.
Squad up, solider
Helldivers is at its core, a game that was very clearly designed to be played cooperatively. Anti-social types can opt to play missions solo, but I would strongly advise against it. Helldivers 2’s combat is fun but one-note and objectives are highly repetitive, and there’s nothing to distract from these issues when played without any fellow soldiers at your side.
Bring a couple of friends into the mix, and Helldivers 2 transforms into one of the most consistently entertaining games I’ve ever played. In large part, that’s because fire-friendly is permanently enabled. A misplaced grenade throw can wipe your whole party. I could fill multiple reviews with all the silly anecdotes that I’ve shared with my co-op partners already.
For example, there was the time a squadmate “accidentally” fired his RPG at me instead of the enemy or a dramatic last-gasp extraction that saw my squad escape from a swarm of hostile bugs with just seconds remaining on the mission clock. After less than a week with Helldivers 2, I’ve already enjoyed dozens of extremely memorable moments.
It’s “fun with friends” is a common adage in gaming, one that’s often used to defend subpar titles (*cough* Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League *cough*), but in the case of Helldivers 2, I implore you to convince a few mates to pick this one up. Or squad up with people from the (very friendly) Helldivers community. It’s a whole different game when played with others.
Spreading democracy
It’s a good job that Helldiver 2’s moment-to-moment gameplay is so compelling because its mission objectives grow stale very fast. Most missions involve you dropping onto a planet's surface, finding a computer terminal, inputting a few buttons and then extracting out of there.
Along the way you’ll have to contend with a whole army of enemy soldiers, but there’s a real lack of variety in missions. Optional objectives like destroying enemy dens and aligning radio towers are similarly routine. This is why solo play quickly becomes tiresome, and playing with friends, or at least friendlies you’ve met via matchmaking, feels essential.
Levels are procedurally generated, which at least stops you from being able to memorize the individual maps, but with only two enemy factions at launch — oversized insects and killer robots — I do have my concerns that Helldivers 2 will need more content fairly soon if it’s to keep its larger-than-expected current player base happy in the long term. New enemy types, level biomes and, most importantly, additional types of missions will hopefully arrive soon.
Getting shiny new gear
Underpinning everything you do while fighting the good fight on the battlefield is the game’s highly engaging unlock system. Cosmetics are a big part of any online game, and Helldiver 2 gives you plenty of funky gear to play dress up with (even if it’s all just different varieties of military armor), but it’s the chance to unlock new weapons and stratagems that hooked me.
In between missions you spend time on your ship, where you can unlock new abilities and gear, and I always found it rewarding to return triumphantly and see what new goodies were available. However, it’s here that the game’s divisive monetization rears its head.
Powerful weapons are locked behind a premium battle pass paywall, which is disappointing. However, you can earn the currency needed to purchase the paid pass just by playing the game. Plus, Helldivers 2 has launched at a discounted $39 price point compared to the now standard $69 MSRP, which feels very fair.
While I’ve yet to put extended time into Helldivers 2, I’ve been generally pleased with the flow of unlocks. I’m consistently getting new toys to play with, and because new stratagems are generally well-priced, I’ve been able to experiment with new ones without feeling like I’m wasting my upgrade currency should I inadvertently pick one that doesn’t suit my playstyle
For liberty and freedom!
Much like its predecessor, Helldivers 2 wisely doesn’t take itself seriously. The absurdly silly opening cinematic sets the tone perfectly, and if you happen to skip this introductory sequence, you pretty quickly pick up on the comedic vibe when your solder starts shouting cheesy one-liners such as “How ‘bout a cup of liber-tea."
There’s no main story to speak of. The setup is simple: You're a combatant in the Helldiver army and it’s your job to spread liberty, freedom and democracy, by any means necessary. While there are plenty of laughs that come from the ridiculously over-the-top mid-mission dialogue, if you’re looking for a narrative-driven experience you won’t find it in Helldivers 2.
The silly tone fits well considering all the ridiculous situations you can get into along with your squadmates, and don’t be surprised if you find yourself getting a little into character. After just a few missions, I was barking one-liners that even Arnie would find too cheesy.
Hellish connection
For all the positive things I’ve had to say about Helldivers 2, and for all the memorable moments it’s already given me, there has been one major caveat to my experience so far, that has occasionally been downright infuriating. As it stands, the game servers are a mess.
For the first 48 hours of the review process, online matchmaking on PS5 was functionally useless as every attempt to enter a game would result in a “failed to load” error message. This was resolved with a patch over launch weekend, but even since, I’ve continued to find the online experience less than ideal. On more than one occasion I was forced to play solo due to server issues preventing me from finding other Helldivers to team up with.
Even worse, I’ve also experienced issues playing with friends. During one session, I spent around 20 minutes trying to invite a friend to my game with no success, and while we did eventually squad up, it came about through sheer luck rather than the issue being resolved.
To Arrowhead’s credit, they have not attempted to shy away from these problems. They have addressed the community on multiple occasions, and the studio is releasing patches and hotfixes on PS5 and PC at an impressive rate.
Nevertheless, at the time of writing, the unstable servers are a black mark against Helldivers 2. Right now, I don’t feel confident that I will be able to play online without issues arising, and that’s not acceptable for a blockbuster game that so heavily depends on its multiplayer component.
Helldivers 2 review: Verdict
Helldivers 2 is an early contender for the most pleasant gaming surprise of 2024. This co-op shooter blends responsive shooting, frenetic combat, worthwhile unlocks and a comedic tone that matches the silliness you’ll experience when playing with friends. It’s a compelling mixture.
Solo players should steer clear — unless you’re comfortable joining forces with unknown players via matchmaking — because Helldivers 2 is a game squarely designed to be played alongside other people. But when you get the perfect squad together, all its elements synergize to deliver a thrilling multiplayer experience that delivers unforgettable moments.
