In this review we will tell you about Helldivers 2, the new cooperative third-person shooter from Sony and Arrowhead Games Studios
Helldivers is a 2015 co-op twin stick shooter developed by Arrowhead Games Studios and published by Sony. The title was a great success at the time and despite the somewhat niche genre, it quickly managed to create a large community of loyal fans.
Now almost 9 years later the team has finally published Helldivers 2, a direct sequel that however applies major changes to the gameplay. This sequel in fact turned into a third-person shooter, therefore significantly changing the way it is played. In this review we are going to talk to you in detail about Helldivers 2going to analyze all aspects of the game in depth.
Basic but satisfying | Helldivers 2 review
Helldivers 2’s gameplay is basically quite in line with that of any other TPS. The title uses a classic camera over the shoulder and an aiming system that any player with a minimum of experience will surely have already seen countless times.
Although it is very simple, however, the shooting is still very effective. The gunplay is really excellent and shooting with the various firearms in the title will always be extremely satisfying. This feeling is accentuated by the excellent use that Arrowhead Games makes of the feedback aptico of the DualSense and also by the great quality of the effects and audio.
Apparently the simplicity of Helldivers 2’s shooting system could lead you to consider it a very arcade title but, although it is partly so, shooting won’t always be a walk in the park. In fact, there are many weapons in the game and each of them requires a different approach in order to be used to the fullest. For example, to be able to shoot effectively with a grenade launcher it is necessary to take into account the curved trajectory of the projectile, while to be able to control the extreme recoil of a heavy machine gun it is essential to stay still and crouch. This is a key aspect of the game, especially considering that defeating some enemies quickly will be necessary precisely target their weak points. Luckily during the shootings it is almost always possible to enter the first-person aiming mode, very useful feature to better control your weapon.
Team War | Helldivers 2 review
Given its simplicity, the shooting system will be very easy to learn and master. On the battlefield, however, it will not be enough for you to know how to shoot to survive, but It will also be essential to know how to behave. In fact, it is essential for players to learn how to move among immense hordes of enemies without being overwhelmed and above all without hindering their allies. Helldivers 2 is a title that really places a lot of emphasis on teamwork and to be able to overcome the most difficult missions it will therefore be essential to cooperate with your companions. In fact, collaborating with other players will not only serve to keep enemies at bay, but also to quickly complete some objectives and even use specific equipment effectively.
Being able to count on your allies is a great advantage, but at the same time if you are not coordinated enough it could turn into a risk. In Helldivers 2 the friendly fire and this means that if you don’t pay enough attention you could end up putting your entire team in serious trouble. Dying in this title is in fact a big deal, given that in each mission respawns are limited and once they are all used up you will have to wait almost two minutes before you can get an extra one.
Taking into account the position of your allies is always important, but even more so when using stratagems. The tricks are support skills very powerful which will be fundamental to maintaining control of the battlefield. For example, some will allow you to call upon very powerful gods air attacksothers will provide you with special equipmentwhile still others will allow you to call back airdrop of ammunition or bring dead comrades back to life.
Some stratagems are fixed and all players will be able to use them, while others are personal and you can equip them according to your preferences. However, what all the stratagems have in common is the fact that to use them you need to enter a specification key sequence directional. This sort of little minigame is really fun and adds an extra degree of challenge to the game. Being able to enter the right sequence on the move or while in the middle of a very heated battle is not at all easy, and it will require a lot of training before you can do it consistently.
Protect freedom | Helldivers 2 review
The main goal of Helldivers 2 is to protect the way of life on Super Earth and to do so it is obviously necessary massacre all alien populations that dare to get too close to us. Players are given a main order common approximately every week and to reach it it will be necessary for the entire community to work hard. These missions range from liberating sectors invaded by enemies to defending planets under attack, and player performance will actively contribute to its success or failure.
Having common goals is very nice and helps create a strong sense of communitybut obviously what interests players most are the field activities. To proceed towards completing the main order it is necessary to complete some operations. Operations are nothing but a grouping of several missions and to complete them you need to do them all without failing a single one.
The missions that players will face are truly very engaging and above all varied. In some cases you will have to activate several terminals on a planet to launch a missile into orbit, in others you will have to evacuate civilians, while in still others you may have to slip into alien lairs to destroy all their eggs. Furthermore, during the missions there are always a lot of people present points of interest filled with resources and secondary objectives which can be completed to improve the final score. This assessment is indeed very important, given that directly affects the reward and this pushes players to always do their utmost to try to complete as many extra missions as possible without being overwhelmed by enemies.
The missions are even more varied thanks to the many types of planets on which you can carry them out. Based on biome in fact, there will always be gods in the world you find yourself in modifiers such as reduced visibility or greater difficulty in overheating weapons, and obviously you can also come across many environmental dangers such as chasms or explosive plants.
However, what contributes most to the variety of missions are the enemies belonging to the two factions currently present in the game. On the one hand we have i Terminidiviolent giant insects that aim to overwhelm the enemy thanks to their numerical superiority, while on the other there are the Automaton, highly resistant robots that can count on highly advanced firearms. Both factions can count on a large number of different units and based on what you are facing you will have to use some completely different approaches. All this variety helps to create a very valid gameplay loop that always remains fresh even after many hours of play.
Free advancement | Helldivers 2 review
Basically all Helldivers go on missions with a fairly simple set of equipment. In fact, every soldier can carry with him a primary rifle, a secondary weapon, and a handful of grenades of various types. Before each mission then it is possible Equip up to four different Stratagems based on your preferences and mission objectives. Finally, it is also possible to wear shoes armature which based on their type are characterized by different statistics and passive bonuses.
At the beginning of the game you will have some basic equipment to choose from, but obviously more advanced tools will need to be unlocked first. As for stratagems, you need them before you can get them reach a specific level and then purchase them with the game’s main currency (obtainable upon completion of missions). In addition, the various categories of stratagems can also be enhanced with gods passive bonuses. To do this, however, you need to use i samplesthat is, materials of different rarities that can be collected during missions on the field.
As regards weapons and armor, however, the situation is very different, given that to unlock these equipment it is necessary to advance in one’s war title. The war bond is a sort of battle pass permanente which will allow you to get various rewards in exchange for medals, another currency that can always be obtained at the end of missions. The pass is divided into levels, each containing specific items, and to access the more advanced ones you will first have to spend enough medals.
Basically this progression system is quite classic but the matter becomes a little more delicate when a premium one is added in addition to the basic war title. In fact, the game, like practically all games as a service, has a payment amount (called super credits) can be used to purchase some items and also a exclusive pass. This may lead some players to fear that Helldivers 2 is a title pay to winsince in addition to cosmetic items you can also purchase unique weapons and armor. Fortunately, however, from this point of view Arrowhead has done a truly exceptional job, making sure not to create imbalances between free and premium players.
All equipment present in the paid passes is well balanced and they do not clearly outweigh the basic ones. Furthermore, players who do not want to spend more money will always have the option to accumulate super credits simply by playingor. In fact, the premium currency can also be obtained through some basic war bond rewards and even in the field while completing missions. This means that truly passionate players who dedicate a lot of time to the game will always have the option of eitherGet premium content without spending a penny.
Some technical problems | Helldivers 2 review
From the point of view graphic Helldivers 2 is a truly excellent title that manages to provide players with a good visual quality without affecting performance. In fact, during our test on PS5 the game always maintained the 60FPS very stablewith slight drops only in very tense situations.
The title also largely satisfied us…