Helldivers 2’s Rambunctious Co-Op Play And Haphazard Friendly Fire Make For A Fun Shooter
Helldivers II seems like a great co-op game. I had a lot of fun blasting giant bugs and mechanical soldiers for a few hours in Arrowhead Game Studios’ upcoming shooter, calling down airstrikes and screeching with laughter after accidental friendly fire transformed good intentions into hilarious deaths.
Much of Helldivers II builds on the formula of its 2015 predecessor. You play as ordinary soldiers who ODST-drop down onto procedurally generated planets, fighting to defend the dystopian democracy that is Super Earth. Friendly fire is always on–between that and the dangerous alien threats you face, you’ll die plenty of times, redeploying on the battlefield as a new soldier ready to give their life for the cause. Prior to each mission, you determine your loadout, including what special armaments and heavy artillery you may want to call in when things get bad, like air strikes, deployable turrets, and rocket launchers. When the mission is finished, you call in a dropship and defend the landing sight until your ride arrives.
The big shift between Helldivers II and the first game is the perspective. While the original Helldivers was a top-down shooter, its sequel is an over-the-shoulder third-person shooter (with the option to go first-person while aiming down sights).