Helldivers 2 Review

Hi everyone, I know my reviews have been few and far between recently. I have decided to start making it a priority to play games as long as I’m having fun with them and not necessarily push myself to complete the main story of a game before I write about it. Hopefully this will increase the frequency of my reviews and posts going forward. I am also pleased to announce that I am planning on playing/reviewing newer games as well now, not just retro games. I will still play some of those retro games but I hope to strike a good balance. Please enjoy my latest review of Helldivers 2!

What is Helldivers 2?

Helldivers 2 is a cooperative third-person shooter developed by Arrowhead Studios and is published by Sony. It is available on PS5 and PC and came out on February 8th, 2024. Helldivers 2 is the sequel to the 2015 top-down shooter Helldivers. Players take control of soldiers in a future where Humans have achieved galactic space travel and there is an ongoing war against the insectoid Terminids and the robotic Automatons. This game doesn’t have a playtime length because there is no story or campaign, it serves as a mission-based horde mode shooter to play with friends that is meant to be played for a long time.

Game Review:

Helldivers 2 sets the tone with its opening cinematic and tutorial. In a far off future, humans have progressed immensely and united to form Super-Earth and create a “perfect” democracy. But the Terminids and Automatons threaten this utopian society so it’s up to you, the player, to enlist as a soldier (better known as a Helldiver) and spread “managed democracy” across the galaxy, spreading freedom to all planets you come across. 

Helldivers 2 is heavily inspired by Starship Troopers and leans into its heavily satirical tone on militarism and propaganda. It glorifies war, making it seem like a valiant and cool way to live. It minimizes the individual as simply part of the greater good, saying things like “I die for Super-Earth” and similar quips. It’s one of the most hilarious games I’ve played in recent memory. One of my favorite voice lines is “How ‘bout a nice cup of Liber-Tea!” as the soldier fires at the waves of incoming enemies. There isn’t really a story but I love the tone and how this game teases certain ideologies by showing an exaggerated form of it, even if it doesn't seem too exaggerated sometimes…

Gameplay in Helldivers 2 consists of being launched from orbit in a pod down to a planet in groups of 1-4, fighting enemies (either Terminids or Automatons), completing the objectives of the mission, and then extracting off of the planet. While mission objectives vary, this is the basic formula for the whole game. But it’s the individual mechanics that make this game so much fun to play.

The actual gunplay and shooting in Helldivers 2 is actually really fun. I don’t typically like shooters because: 1. I’m not very good at them, and 2. They are often in first-person which can feel a little desensitizing to me so I usually try to avoid it. Helldivers 2 is in third-person, though, and doesn’t pit you against other players who might typically dominate someone like me. The gunplay is fun and frenetic but also feels thought out. One aspect that really sets it apart is there is friendly fire in Helldivers 2. Meaning any weapon you use can also hit and kill your teammates. Most games turn this off but Helldivers leans in and makes it a permanent feature. Meaning often you will accidentally kill your teammates. This can be frustrating for some people but this can lead to some absolutely hilarious situations, especially if you are playing with friends.

Helldivers 2 also features call-ins called strategems. These are essentially requests for better equipment or airstrikes to the ships in orbit above you. Each player can have up to 4 and each strategem has a specific cooldown so you can’t just spam them. These can range from a supply drop to a giant bomb that is essentially a nuke. But they also include reinforcements if someone on the team dies. These are often very powerful and are crucial in achieving success in your missions. They are made intentionally obtuse and difficult to do however. Every time you want to use one you have to punch in a code with the d-pad on your controller, and some of them are long and complex. As a result this can also lead to some hilarious situations where you're trying to call in an air-strike while your comrades are all getting swarmed by the enemies and there’s just pure chaos all around. While this would normally be frustrating in another game, for some reason in Helldivers 2 it’s actually incredibly fun to do.

 In addition to the strategems, you also have to punch in codes to do mission objectives like working a terminal or requesting extraction. Extraction is one of the most fun and exhilarating parts of the mission. You and your squad need to get to the extraction point and punch in the code which will then display 2 minutes or more until the extraction gets there and then you need to defend yourselves and the point from the enemies so that you can all extract. And sometimes not everyone gets to extract, the game doesn’t punish you if not everyone gets there but you do get more rewards and experience at the end of the mission the more people successfully extract. It leads to a lot of funny moments of people diving onto the ramp of the plane just as it’s about to leave.

Helldivers 2 is a super community-based game. There is a galactic war map where you can see how liberated different planets are and where the front is more dangerous than others. Everyone’s missions contribute to the war effort and help liberate planets which can also increase every player's rewards. So there is a thriving online community that is invested in the success of others. And because it is a cooperative game, most people you encounter if you have your mic on will be friendly and give you some pointers if you’re new. This game is always online and requires an internet connection to play however so keep that in mind.

Like I said earlier, this game leads to some hilarious moments, especially if you are playing with friends. This game has actually been great for me and my 2 brothers. We don’t often have games that all three of us are interested in but we all like this game and like playing together. It’s led to a lot of fun that we all get to share.

Family Friendliness:

Helldivers 2 is not a family friendly game. There’s some language in the voicelines that can be unsavory. It’s always online and random people can join your game. And there is some violence and gore. The one thing I appreciate is that the goal is never to kill another human, which is a small thing in the long run, but is a big deal to me personally.

Features for Parents:

Helldivers 2 is not the most parent-friendly game. There isn’t a pause menu and missions can take up to 40 minutes. It doesn’t punish you if you need to leave in the middle of a mission but that does negatively affect the players that were in your group as now they’re down a player. This is definitely not a game to play unless you have help with the kids or they’re asleep, because it is not an easy pick-up and play.

Final Verdict:

Helldivers 2 did not look interesting to me when I first saw marketing. But after hearing word of mouth and seeing others play it I decided to give it a try. It is one of my favorite shooter games I’ve played and has led to some awesome social time with my brothers. It is the quintessential social game and that’s built into its fabric. It’s a great game. So suit up and get into your hellpod, there’s some democracy that needs spreadin’.