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What happens when you take the themes of the movie “Starship Troopers”, dial them to 11, and then make it into a game? You get Helldivers 2, the third-person tactical shooter that, much like the movie it is inspired by, is a parody of pro-war propaganda, hyper-nationalism, and the military-industrial complex. Another thing these two have in common is that the obvious satire works almost too well, with some players missing the message of our “heroes” actually being the villains of the story, or unwittingly victims in the grand scheme of things. Political backdrop aside, you take on the role of a Helldiver, a generic soldier fighting a war on two (for now) fronts against unthinking, unfeeling, killer robots known as Automatons, or the rapidly replicating, giant bug menace known as Tyranids.

Regardless of which faction you face, you will find yourself fighting against overwhelming odds, with only your grit and the support of up to 3 other players within your squad to see you towards mission completion and a safe(ish) extraction. The ongoing fight for galactic liberation unfolds in real time, with every player’s efforts adding to the overall progress of managed democracy and freedom. It’s actually part of Helldivers 2’s simplistic beauty, as to where few online multiplayer games make you feel like you’re a part of something greater, or that there is any point to working as a team, rather than being the lone action hero. Resources, experience points, and other bonuses are shared throughout the squad, further emphasizing the need for teamwork to truly maximize the potential rewards from each mission. These resources allow you to unlock new weapons, armor options, boosts, stratagems, and more, hopefully adding to your soldier’s survivability and lethality.

Some players lament that they can’t further customize their character’s looks or color palette, but that goes back to Arrowhead’s commitment to the bit, where your character is expendable, nothing more than meat for the galactic grinder, and not anyone of real importance. As the game gets older, more battle passes (referred to as Warbonds within Helldivers 2) will be released and available at no additional cost to the player, unless you want to purchase and use Super Credits to speed along the unlock process, rather than earn it yourself over time. Other free content will also be released throughout the game’s lifecycle, as communicated by the Devs, such as the recent release of mechs. There’s already word of additional vehicles and other combat features to be added to the mix in the near future.

As someone who has never really been a big fan of shooters in general, I’ve been having an absolute blast with Helldivers 2’s fast-paced and chaotic combat. Some of the game’s best, and most humorous, moments come from these situations of pure pandemonium among other players, like when someone drops a 500KG bomb in the middle of a battle, without warning anyone ahead of time. Although one might assume that gameplay would feel monotonous, it’s this added level of unpredictability, and gameplay additions like atmospheric events, that constantly keep things fresh and fun. I will say that Helldivers 2 is best played with friends, or even taking a chance on random people online, although the mileage that you get out of the latter may vary.

– Anthony

REVIEW SCORE: 8.5/10