Helldivers 2 Explained

Helldivers II
Developer:Arrowhead Game Studios
Publisher:Sony Interactive Entertainment
Director:Johan Pilestedt
Producer:Denis Bender
Emily McGregor
Heidi Nummi
Eduardo Zamora
Tomoyo Kimura
Designer:Niklas Malmborg
Programmer:Peter Lindgren
Composer:Wilbert Roget II
Released:8 February 2024
Genre:Third-person shooter
Engine:Autodesk Stingray
Modes:Multiplayer

Helldivers 2 is a 2024 cooperative third-person shooter game developed by Arrowhead Game Studios and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment. The game is the direct sequel to Helldivers, a 2015 top-down shooter. It was released for PlayStation 5 and Windows on 8 February 2024.

Helldivers 2 received positive reviews from critics and became PlayStation's fastest selling title of all time, surpassing 12 million units within 12 weeks of its release, as well as Sony's most successful Windows title.

Gameplay

Unlike Helldivers, which is a top-down shooter, Helldivers 2 is a third-person shooter.[1] Players take the role of the titular 'Helldivers', elite shock troops dropped from orbit onto hostile planets in bullet-like 'Hellpods'. Gameplay consists of operations where players must complete missions in procedurally generated levels while fending off hordes of enemies, after which they can attempt to call a ship to extract themselves to their Super Destroyer orbiting the planet. Players may choose the difficulty level of their operations ranging from level 1 (Trivial) to level 10 (Super Helldive). Players must unlock each consecutive difficulty by completing an operation on each level. Completing higher difficulty missions results in larger gains of experience points and in-game currency.[2]

A core gameplay feature carried over from the first game is the use of 'Stratagems' – powerful equipment and offensive abilities such as rocket launchers, sentry guns, bombing runs and orbital strikes which must be called in by executing a sequence of arrow key presses and throwing a beacon to signal to the player's Super Destroyer in orbit.[3] Friendly fire is always on.[4]

While Helldivers featured shared-screen co-op, Helldivers 2 does not.[5] The game features cooperative multiplayer with up to four players, but does not include a dedicated single-player campaign.[6] It also provides optional cross-play between PlayStation 5 and Windows.[7] In the initial days of release, gameplay involved staff at the studio observing players and influencing gameplay in real time.[8]

The game features a battle pass system called "Warbonds" that never expire. As of 8 August 2024, seven Warbonds have been released: "Helldivers Mobilize", "Steeled Veterans", "Cutting Edge", "Democratic Detonation", "Polar Patriots", "Viper Commandos" and "Freedom's Flame".[9] Players can earn various types of in-game currency during gameplay; "war-bond medals" and "requisition slips" are awarded for completing operations, missions and game objectives, while "super credits" are found during missions or purchased via microtransactions.[10]

As players gain experience and progress in level, they unlock different weapons and Stratagems to use during missions.[11] Players can also collect "samples" during gameplay which may be used to unlock ship modules which alter and increase the effectiveness of various Stratagems.[12]

By completing operations, players also contribute to the progress of "major orders" issued from Super Earth. These orders are related to the Second Galactic war. The players collective contribution is calculated as "liberation" or defense levels/points of planets, a percentage displayed on the Galactic Map.[13]

Plot

Helldivers 2 is set a century after the triumph of "Super Earth", a self-described managed democracy, over the Cyborgs, Bugs, and Illuminate during the events of the first game. It is discovered that, upon death, the Terminids produce a unique and highly valuable resource known as E-710. Farms are established on human-colonized worlds, but containment is eventually breached, releasing the bugs and causing chaos and destruction. Simultaneously, a new threat emerges in the form of the Automatons, a mechanical army intent on destroying humanity. The game begins with a recruitment video for the Helldivers, who are elite shock troops dropped from orbit to reclaim the colonized lands. New players undergo a short training course on Mars, becoming a fully fledged Helldiver, and are sent off into space to crew their own Super Destroyer and fight in the ongoing Second Galactic War.[14] Environmental storytelling is prevalent throughout the game, with various logs, notes, and propaganda messages available for players to find during gameplay.[15]

Development and release

On 3 December 2020, Arrowhead Game Studios revealed that work had started on a new project for PlayStation 5. It was confirmed that the game would be a third-person shooter.[16] Like the first game, Helldivers 2 runs on the discontinued Autodesk Stingray game engine (originally known as Bitsquid). Arrowhead Game Studios founder Johan Pilestedt confirmed on social media that "The project started before [Stingray] was discontinued," adding, "Our crazy engineers had to do everything, with no support to build the game to parity with other engines."[17] [18]

On 13 September 2021, Helldivers 2 was mentioned in a GeForce Now leak.[19] The game was teased in a TikTok post showing Arrowhead's social media manager starting their workday, which is followed by a series of posts from fans demanding them to release the game.[20] On 18 August 2022, a 12-second clip of gameplay was leaked on Twitter, but was later removed.[21] [22]

On 24 May 2023, Helldivers 2 was announced during the 2023 PlayStation Showcase, with a slated release of sometime in 2023.[23] On 6 July 2023, a trailer showcasing gameplay was released. On 30 July 2023, the game received an M rating by the Entertainment Software Rating Board for "blood and gore" and "intense violence".[24] On 14 September 2023, gameplay was shown in a PlayStation State of Play event, and it was announced that the game would release on 8 February 2024.[25] Pre-orders became available on 22 September 2023.[26] On 8 February 2024, the game was released on the PlayStation Store and Steam.[27]

Reception

Helldivers 2 received "generally favorable" reviews from critics, according to review aggregator website Metacritic.

Upon release, the game experienced a large influx of players, leading to widespread server and login issues for the first two weeks of release.[28] By the third week of release, the player cap was increased to "a whopping 700,000 concurrent users" according to Wesley Yin-Poole of IGN.[29]

Aaron Bayne of Push Square described the game as "a riotous affair, offering up best-in-class gunplay" and a "truly epic and often cinematic experience, mixed in with one of the best co-op gameplay romps currently available." However, he criticized the game for the server issues and crashes that players experienced after release.

Helldivers 2 has been compared to the 1997 science fiction action film Starship Troopers; both are a satirical comedy featuring a militaristic regime fighting against a race of large insectoids.[30] [31]

Sales

On 11 February 2024, Johan Pilestedt, then-CEO of Arrowhead Games, announced that Helldivers 2 had sold approximately 1 million units.[32]

Helldivers 2 was the largest launch of any PlayStation Studios game available on PC.[33] Arrowhead stated that the game's success has greatly exceeded their expectations.[34] Following its initial success, Arrowhead Studios announced its intention to scale its studio and team to accelerate its post-launch content plans.[35] [36] Pilestedt reacted to the game's ongoing success by stating that he hopes to see Helldivers become considered as iconic as PlayStation's other IPs such as Uncharted, God of War, and Horizon.[37]

In Europe, the United Kingdom, and Canada, Helldivers 2 was the best-selling game of February 2024.[38] [39] [40] Helldivers 2 remained the best selling game in Canada in April 2024 too.[41]

By 24 February 2024, the game was estimated to have sold over 3 million units and became the most actively played game on the PlayStation Network, surpassing and Fortnite.[42] By 15 March 2024, Helldivers 2 was estimated to have sold 8 million units and reached 450,000 concurrent players on Steam.[43] By 5 May 2024, 12 million units of the game had been sold, making it PlayStation's fastest selling video game of all time.[44] By 13 July 2024, the PC player base dropped significantly, with a reported loss of up to 90% of players on Steam, peaking at roughly 35,000 players.[45]

PSN account controversy

At launch, Helldivers 2 did not require PC players to log into a PlayStation Network (PSN) account, allowing players to skip the integration despite a line on boot up stating that a PSN account is required. On 3 May 2024, Sony Interactive Entertainment announced that the PC version of Helldivers 2 on Steam would mandate users to sign in with a PSN account, taking effect for new players on 6 May, and required for existing players by 4 June. SIE stated that a PSN login is necessary to "[uphold] the values of safety and security provided on PlayStation and PlayStation Studios games", and that this requirement was not implemented at launch due to technical issues.[46] The announcement was met with criticism.[47] Additionally, many players called out that official documentation from Sony claimed that PSN accounts were optional for games on PC, with this statement changing to an ambiguous "some games" statement[48] [49] after players were directed to contact Sony support by Pilestedt.[50] On 4 May, the listing on Steam was updated to disallow sales to 177 territories where PSN is not available.[51]

Pilestedt apologized for the sudden change, stating on Twitter that "I hope we will make it up and regain the trust by providing a continued great game experience".[52] Developers inside Arrowhead Game Studios stated that they were on the side of the players and called for the player base to negatively review the game on Steam,[53] leading to players review bombing the game; as of 4 May, nearly 53% of all posted reviews were negative,[54] [55] [56] with over 84,000 negative reviews on Steam.[57] As a result of the negative feedback, Sony announced on 5 May that it will currently not be moving forward in requiring account linking and was working with Arrowhead to find alternate solutions to protect players.[58]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Stedman . Alex . September 14, 2023 . Helldivers 2 Gets a 2024 Release Date and New Look at Gameplay . September 14, 2023 . . 27 September 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230927025729/https://www.ign.com/articles/helldivers-2-gets-a-2024-release-date-and-new-look-at-gameplay . live.
  2. Web site: Huxley . Ben . Helldivers 2 difficulty levels: Full list and differences explained . radiotimes.com . . 30 July 2024 . 12 March 2024.
  3. Web site: Smith . Graham . July 6, 2023 . Helldivers 2 explains how its newly third-person chaotic co-op will work . October 29, 2023 . . 29 October 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20231029063029/https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/helldivers-2-explains-how-its-newly-third-person-chaotic-co-op-will-work . live.
  4. Web site: Park . Morgan . July 6, 2023 . If Helldivers 2 isn't on your 2023 radar, this excellent gameplay trailer should correct that . October 29, 2023 . . 29 October 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20231029063031/https://www.pcgamer.com/if-helldivers-2-isnt-on-your-2023-radar-this-excellent-gameplay-trailer-should-correct-that/ . live.
  5. Web site: Helldivers 2 Is Making Me Mourn The Death Of Split-Screen Co-Op . 21 February 2024 . 3 March 2024.
  6. Web site: Does Helldivers 2 have a campaign? Answered . 19 February 2024 . 2 March 2024.
  7. Web site: Katherine . Baskin . 2024-01-09 . Helldivers 2 PC specifications and crossplay support details revealed . 2024-02-13 . . en-US . 31 January 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240131193048/https://blog.playstation.com/2024/01/09/helldivers-2-pc-specifications-and-crossplay-support-details-revealed/ . live.
  8. News: Rich Stanton . 2024-02-08 . Helldivers 2 kept its most exciting feature secret until launch: human dungeon masters 'responding in real time' and messing with players . 2024-02-09 . . en . 8 February 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240208232019/https://www.pcgamer.com/helldivers-2-kept-its-most-exciting-feature-secret-until-launch-human-dungeon-masters-responding-in-real-time-and-messing-with-players/ . live.
  9. Web site: Filby . Jessica . All current Warbonds in Helldivers 2 & how to get them . dexerto.com . . 30 July 2024 . 20 June 2024.
  10. Web site: Bussing . Anthony . 14 February 2024 . The Pros and Cons of Helldivers 2's Permanent Battle Passes . 19 March 2024 . Gamerant.com . Game Rant.
  11. Web site: Weideman . Matthew . Helldivers 2: 10 Factors To Consider When Choosing A Mission . gamerant.com . . 19 March 2024 . 28 February 2024.
  12. Web site: Mansoor . Saqib . Helldivers 2: All Ship Modules (& Unlock Requirements) . gamerant.com . GameRant . 30 July 2024 . 7 July 2024.
  13. Web site: Valev . Ivan . Helldivers 2: How Does the Liberation Percentage Work? . gameleap.com . GameLeap . 19 March 2024 . 11 February 2024.
  14. Web site: 2024-02-06 . Helldivers 2 story recap, plus free post-launch story updates confirmed . 2024-03-04 . PlayStation.Blog . en-US.
  15. Web site: Lucht . Cornelia . 2024-03-15 . Helldivers 2 Charger Bug Replicates An Iconic 90s Sci-Fi Movie Scene . 2024-03-24 . ScreenRant . en.
  16. Web site: Croft . Liam . December 3, 2020 . Helldivers Dev Reveals Next Project, A Co-Op Shooter for PS5 . October 11, 2023 . . 29 October 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20231029063029/https://www.pushsquare.com/news/2020/12/helldivers_dev_reveals_next_project_a_co-op_shooter_for_ps5 . live.
  17. Web site: 2024-02-21 . Helldivers II Was Built on an Archaic Engine That You Can't Access . 2024-03-11 . 80.lv . en.
  18. Web site: Park . Morgan . 21 February 2024 . Helldivers 2 was built on an obscure Swedish engine discontinued in 2018: 'Our crazy engineers had to do everything with no support' . PC Gamer.
  19. Web site: Makuch . Eddie . April 11, 2022 . The Nvidia Games Leak Gets More Intriguing Following Kingdom Hearts 4 Announcement . October 21, 2023 . . 29 October 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20231029063029/https://www.gamespot.com/articles/the-nvidia-games-leak-gets-more-intriguing-following-kingdom-hearts-4-announcement/1100-6502356/ . live.
  20. Web site: Taveras . Moises . August 17, 2022 . A Helldivers Sequel Has Been Heavily Teased . October 28, 2023 . . 29 October 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20231029063031/https://www.gamespot.com/amp-articles/a-helldivers-sequel-has-been-heavily-teased/1100-6506587/ . live.
  21. Web site: Cripe . Michael . August 19, 2022 . Helldivers 2 Trailer Seems to Leak Ahead of Potential PS5 Sequel Reveal . October 29, 2023 . . 29 October 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20231029063029/https://www.escapistmagazine.com/helldivers-2-trailer-seems-to-leak-ahead-of-potential-ps5-sequel-reveal/ . live.
  22. Web site: Fenlon . Was . August 18, 2022 . Helldivers 2 is definitely real, and probably announcing soon . October 29, 2023 . . 29 October 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20231029063029/https://www.pcgamer.com/helldivers-2-is-definitely-real-and-probably-announcing-soon/ . live.
  23. Web site: Allen . Eric . May 24, 2023 . Helldivers 2 drops onto PS5 and PC in 2023 . October 29, 2023 . . 29 October 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20231029063029/https://www.destructoid.com/helldivers-2-drops-onto-ps5-pc-in-2023-news/ . live.
  24. Web site: Blake . Vikki . July 30, 2023 . Helldivers 2 has popped up on the ESRB website . October 29, 2023 . . 29 October 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20231029063029/https://www.eurogamer.net/helldivers-2-has-popped-up-on-the-esrb-website . live.
  25. Web site: Bailey . Dustin . September 14, 2023 . Helldivers 2 shows off some proper co-op gameplay as it gets delayed to 2024 . October 29, 2023 . . 29 October 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20231029063031/https://www.gamesradar.com/helldivers-2-shows-off-some-proper-co-op-gameplay-as-it-gets-delayed-to-2024/ . live.
  26. Web site: Tailby . Stephen . September 22, 2023 . PS5, PC Pre-Orders for Helldivers 2 Are Available Now . October 29, 2023 . . 29 October 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20231029063032/https://www.pushsquare.com/news/2023/09/ps5-pc-pre-orders-for-helldivers-2-are-available-now . live.
  27. News: 2024-02-06 . Helldivers 2: Here's all about release date, time, platforms, gameplay, storyline and more . 2024-03-05 . The Economic Times . 0013-0389.
  28. Web site: Bankhurst . Adam . February 17, 2024 . Helldivers 2 Devs Respond to Server Issues As It Passes All-Time Steam Concurrents of Destiny 2 and Starfield . February 28, 2024 . IGN.
  29. Web site: Yin-Poole . Wesley . February 26, 2024 . Helldivers 2 Servers Handled All Players Over the Weekend 'Without Problem', Dev Now Returns to 'Original Plan' . February 28, 2024 . IGN.
  30. News: Rosenblatt . Kalhan . A video game has reinvigorated a long-running debate about fascism and satire . 2 April 2024 . NBC News . Feb 29, 2024.
  31. Web site: Goslin . Austen . 2024-02-13 . Helldivers 2 is more than just a great Starship Troopers game . 2024-04-07 . Polygon . en-US.
  32. Pilestedt . 1756503870576918552 . Pilestedt on X: "Well... We are around a million right now, but yes. The gap is still very large." . 11 February 2024 . 11 February 2024.
  33. Web site: Helldivers 2 becomes PlayStation Studios' biggest PC launch. Justin. Carter. Game Developer. February 10, 2024. March 10, 2024.
  34. Web site: Helldivers 2 "Blowing Through" Sales Estimates As Servers Struggle To Meet Demand. George. Yang. GameSpot. February 12, 2024. March 10, 2024.
  35. Web site: Ivan . Tom . 2024-02-14 . Arrowhead is staffing up after Helldivers 2 success to 'beef up' its content plans . 2024-02-16 . . en-GB.
  36. Web site: Palm . Zack . 2024-03-04 . How does Helldivers 2 defy typical sales curves? Breaking down the game's galactic-sized success . 2024-03-04 . . en-US.
  37. Web site: Gerblick . Jordan . 29 March 2024 . Helldivers 2 director's "childhood dream" is for the co-op shooter to join the pantheon of PlayStation's biggest IP: "It's crazy that it might be in the future" . 6 April 2024 . GamesRadar+.
  38. Web site: Dring . Christopher . 8 March 2024 . Helldivers 2 is a major hit in the UK UK February Charts . 8 March 2024 . GamesIndustry.biz.
  39. Web site: Dring . Christopher . 18 March 2024 . European game sales strong in February thanks to Helldivers 2 / European Monthly Charts . 18 March 2024 . GamesIndustry.biz.
  40. 1779873389320065487 . ESACanada . Here are our Top Selling Games in Canada for February 2024! #videogames See the full list on our website: http://theesa.ca/ @WeAreCircana @npdgroup . 15 April 2024.
  41. Web site: Here are our Top Selling Games in Canada for April 2024! #videogames See the full list on our website: http://theesa.ca @WeAreCircana @npdgroup .
  42. Web site: Cole . Luke . 4 March 2024 . Helldivers 2 player count and sales numbers: How many people are playing? . 11 March 2024 . Radio Times.
  43. News: Schreier . Jason . 15 March 2024 . 'Helldivers 2' Is a Surprise Hit for Sony in an Oversaturated Market . 15 March 2024 . Bloomberg.com.
  44. Web site: Helldivers 2 Is PlayStation's Fastest-Selling Game of All Time With Over 12 Million Sold in 12 Weeks . 14 May 2023 . 14 May 2024.
  45. Web site: Bošnjak . Dominik . Helldivers 2 Falls to All-Time Low Player Count . gamerant . 22 July 2024.
  46. Web site: 2024-05-02 . HELLDIVERS™ 2 Account Linking Update . 2024-05-05 . . en.
  47. Web site: Middler . Jordan . 5 May 2024 . Helldivers 2 backlash continues as Sony pulls the game from over 150 regions . 5 May 2024 . Video Games Chronicle.
  48. 1786554504789598547 . Helldiversmedia . SONY got caught changing their own words. Accounts were OPTIONAL like the first picture, Sony comes in says its required today, and changes their wording on PSN PC games. #Helldivers2 #Steam . 2024-05-03.
  49. News: Blake . Vikki . 2024-05-05 . Helldivers 2 has been pulled from sale in 177 countries as its PSN linking requirement rolls out . 2024-05-05 . . en.
  50. 1786417563628437933 . Pilestedt . Hey everyone, in regards to account linking and questions thereto. Please reference https://playstation.com/en-us/support/games/psn-sign-in-pc/ - if you have any further questions you can reach out using the "Contact PlayStation Support" at the bottom of the page. . Johan . Pilestedt . 2024-05-03 . 2024-05-04.
  51. Web site: 2024-05-04 . Helldivers 2 SteamDB change 23416542 . 2024-05-04 . SteamDB.
  52. Web site: Colbert . Isaiah . 2024-05-03 . Arrowhead CEO Apologizes As Helldivers 2 Is Review Bombed on Steam: 'I Just Want to Make Great Games' . 2024-05-04 . . en.
  53. Web site: Tassi . Paul . 4 May 2024 . Arrowhead Tells 'Helldivers 2' Players To Change Reviews To Negative Over PSN Linking . 2024-05-05 . . en.
  54. Web site: Carpenter . Nicole . 2024-05-03 . Helldivers 2 players on Steam now need a PlayStation account to play . 2024-05-04 . . en-US.
  55. Web site: Purdy . Kevin . 2024-05-03 . Sony demands PSN accounts for Helldivers 2 PC players, and it's not going well . 2024-05-04 . . en-us.
  56. Web site: Helldivers 2 on SteamDB Charts . 2024-05-04.
  57. Web site: Litchfield . Ted . 4 May 2024 . With over 84 thousand negative Helldivers 2 Steam reviews in two days, developer Arrowhead seems to be grappling with Sony over its controversial PSN sign-in requirement . 5 May 2024 . PC Gamer.
  58. Web site: Sony overturns Helldivers 2 PSN requirement following backlash . Victoria . Kennedy . 6 May 2024 . 6 May 2024 . .

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