February 9th 2024.
"Hey there, folks! It's time to gear up and get ready for some intense action in Helldivers 2! GameCentral got a chance to try out Sony's new co-op shooter and we have some early insights to share with you. Trust us, in this game, your teammates can be just as dangerous as the alien enemies you'll be facing.
Can you believe it's been almost nine years since the original Helldivers was released on PlayStation 3 and PS Vita? Surprisingly, it seems like no one has really been talking about it since then. But let's not forget, it was a great game for its time. When the sequel was announced last year, many were left wondering what it was a sequel to in the first place.
We have a feeling that fans of Helldivers like to keep to themselves, although we've had some pretty chatty teammates during our playtesting sessions. Speaking of which, we've had a string of online-only games recently, like Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League and Foamstars, but unfortunately, we didn't receive early copies to provide a scored review at launch.
But don't worry, this is not uncommon. Servers usually go live a few days before the launch, so there's not much time for reviews. However, in this case, the publishers didn't offer any alternatives. Although, we must say, Helldivers 2 doesn't have much to be embarrassed about, except for some technical issues on the PC. From our experience, the PlayStation 5 version runs smoothly.
The first Helldivers was a top-down shooter, similar to Housemarque's Alienation. But at the time, there were a lot of similar games out there, including Alienation's predecessor Dead Nation. What set Helldivers apart was its four-player co-op gameplay, heavily inspired (and we mean heavily) by Paul Verhoeven's Starship Troopers.
But that's not all, Helldivers also had a unique feature where you could call in strategems from an overhead spaceship, like new weapons, turrets, and even orbital strikes. Oh, and did we mention that friendly fire was always on? That's right, your own teammates could be your downfall, along with the giant bugs and 80s-looking robots.
Helldivers 2 is pretty much the same game, except now it's in third person. Don't take that as a negative, though. The change in perspective actually makes a big difference, especially when it comes to gunplay. The controls are smooth and precise, and all the sound effects, including the guns, pack a punch.
But let's talk about the real appeal of the game - the chaos caused by your teammates. While this is technically a PvE game, the AI of the enemies is pretty predictable. However, your teammates... well, let's just say they're unpredictable. The procedurally-generated missions are relatively simple, usually involving tasks like clearing out an area, blowing up a building, or activating a device. And the open world setting adds an extra layer of excitement, with hidden weapons and enemy locations waiting to be discovered.
As a live service game, loot and experience are essential, which means there's always a race to be the first one to reach a terminal, destroy a bug nest, or rack up the most kills. This also means that friendly fire incidents are bound to happen. How you feel about this will depend on your temperament, but the game's default apology message, "Sorry!", speaks for itself. Of course, if you prefer, you can always play with friends and know exactly who to blame for your untimely death.
Helldivers 2's mechanics may not be groundbreaking, but it does have some unique features that make it a blast to play. And let's not forget about the perpetual in-game strategy level map, where all the missions carried out by you and thousands of other players contribute to an overall war effort. It's a nice touch that adds a sense of community to the game.
But, like with any live service game, the big question is how long the fun will last and how much variety there will be. We haven't played enough to judge that yet, but that's always a tricky topic when it comes to live service games. However, with its reasonable price tag, Helldivers 2 is definitely the best online-only shooter of the month. Just be careful not to shoot your own team!
If you're interested, Helldivers 2 is available on PlayStation 5 and PC for £34.99. It's published by Sony Interactive Entertainment and developed by Arrowhead, and it was released on February 8th, 2024. Just a heads up, the game is rated 18, so make sure to keep that in mind.
What do you think about Helldivers 2? Are you excited to try it out? Let us know in the comments below or send us an email. And don't forget to follow us on Twitter and sign up for our newsletter for all the latest gaming news and exclusive content.
That's all for now, folks! But before you go, here are some other gaming stories that might interest you: Silent Hill: The Short Message review - not very scary, Granblue Fantasy: Relink review - the new JRPG to watch out for, and Persona 3 Reload review - a social role-playing gem.
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