Helldivers 2 remains to be crushing it. Regardless of some severe drop-off to its participant base, the neighborhood remains to be going sturdy, with a mean of round 40K divers diving at any given second. The developer, Arrowhead Studios, even had to decelerate including new content material to the sport with their Warbonds, as a result of gamers have been nonetheless taking their time unlocking the whole lot in earlier ones. Helldivers 2 has dedicated to conserving gamers engaged with their sport, and thus far it appears to be paying off.
Now, it’s time for his or her first large growth. Escalation of Freedom which provides problem stage 10, a brand new swamp map kind, new enemies from each the Terminids and Automatons, and new mission sorts.
Shaking issues up is at all times essential for any live-service sport to sustain momentum, however what if trying to the sport’s future meant trying to the franchise’s previous? The unique Helldivers was evolving and including to it’s formulation for years after its launch in 2015, and whereas Helldivers 2 reworked and disregarded just a few of the options from the first sport to streamline gameplay and ensure their sport was strong (which was clearly the proper transfer), they now have a chance to slowly reinstate a few of the concepts they’d all these years in the past to make Helldivers 2 even higher.
Automobiles
First and foremost, Arrowhead ought to deliver again autos. Bikes, APCs, tanks, and exosuits finally made it to the unique twin-stick shooter, and with the Patriot and Emancipator Exosuits already having made their manner to the sequel, it wouldn’t be stunning if extra mobility choices comply with.
The bigger dimension of Helldivers 2 maps in contrast to Helldivers 1 lend themselves much more to methods to get round them expeditiously. From the MC-109 Hammer Motorcycle for the lone wolves, to the TD-110 Bastion and M5 APC with their heavy firepower, there are tons of thrilling methods Arrowhead might retrofit these autos from Helldivers 1 to match inside the gameplay context of the sequel.
Not solely would autos deliver new methods for gamers to traverse maps extra shortly, take down bigger enemies extra effectively, and strategize in new and fascinating methods, however the alternative for hilarity can’t be understated.
Social media (or at the very least my social media) has been full of individuals recording ridiculous moments of pleasant hearth, Stratagems gone unsuitable, or watching as their fellow Helldivers soar off cliffs simply to showcase the wonderful ragdoll results the sport has. It’s that physics engine that may make for much more laugh-out-loud moments with the addition of autos, as you by accident run your pals over, tumble away as you try to exit a transferring automobile, or watch, powerless, as your teammate drives headfirst right into a Charger, launching you each into the air. They might even go a step additional and introduce one thing like a rideable rocket that requires your sacrifice, however permits for a very focused strike. Who is aware of! The probabilities are countless.
Completely different Stratagems
However a rideable rocket can be much less of a automobile and extra of a stratagem. Properly, they’re all Stratagems, however you recognize what I imply. Stratagems for heavy weapons and tactical deployments are a few of the sport’s most fascinating mechanics, and truthfully the factor Arrowhead appears most eager to add extra of over time. We’ve already gotten the two Exosuits, and the Airbust and Commando rocket launchers since launch. However there are nonetheless a bunch extra from the first sport and even some gameplay mechanics which have but to be launched in Helldivers 2.
For example, the TOX-13 Avenger was a help weapon stratagem in Helldivers 1 that spat poisonous sludge like a flamethrower, giving the Terminids a style of their very own drugs. There was additionally the M-25 Rumbler mortar, which might give gamers management over their mortar strikes, and extra emplacement turrets like the AT-47 Anti-Tank Emplacement and A/RX-34 Railcannon Turret. There have been drones that healed teammates and boosted UAV signals, distractor beacons, and even an Eagle Airstrike variant that makes use of air-to-air missiles. Truthfully, each one in every of these feels fascinating and worthwhile for sure conditions that may apply to Helldivers 2, and I hope that every of them make their manner to the sport finally. Particularly that final one, so I lastly have a greater manner to take care of Shriekers and Gunships.
Extra Weapon Varieties
Whereas there are already a great, wholesome variety of weapons accessible to Helldivers in the second sport, there are nonetheless just a few from the first that would shake issues up for the meta if applied. For example — HELLDIVERS 1 HAD A SWORD. It was referred to as the Saber, and it was the whole lot you would ever dream of. Please give us a sword, Arrowhead. However past that, there was additionally a flamethrower pistol, a double barrel, double trigger shotgun, and even a laser-powered submachine gun. However my favourite has to be the hilarious and ineffective M2016 ‘Structure’ that’s only a copy of the basic M1903 service rifle from WW1 with a bayonet for melee assaults. There are a ton of enjoyable concepts for weapons and I believe we’re beginning to see them get bizarre with it since the current introduction of Throwing Knives.
One other, smaller aspect that Helldivers 2 might enhance upon with enter from the first sport is the concept of Loadouts. Having to manually equip the whole lot from armor to weapons to Stratagems and boosters for each mission is tedious, and a Loadout system can be enormous. It’s a marvel why that wasn’t one in every of the options that made its manner over instantly from the first sport. No matter the case, I hope they’re ready to implement that one actually quickly.
AND MORE ENEMIES
By way of new enemies, that’s the one place the place everyone seems to be trying to the first sport for solutions. The Illuminate have been the third faction of Helldivers 1, and have been one other robotic life kind like the Automatons, however extra smooth and complex somewhat than Terminator-esque. They rode round in round, floating autos and used energy- and electricity-based weaponry, in addition to power shields. They have been tough, and required gamers to change technique (and Stratagems) so as to take them down. It’s this sort of variety that may maintain gamers coming again as new and intriguing issues are launched. The Illuminate, nonetheless, I might see being a further-off plan, one for a good bigger growth. Perhaps a giant “yr two” kind deal.
In the meantime, there are methods to breathe new life into the Terminids and Automatons. In the upcoming Escalation of Freedom growth, each the Terminids and Automatons will see new members be a part of their respective factions, with the Impaler Terminid making its return from Helldivers 1. From what we’ve seen in the trailer, they’ve reworked the Impaler to higher match the context of a 3rd individual shooter, with tentacles that reduce off escape routes and pressure you to stand your floor. So it’s already begun! Increasingly concepts from the first sport get to make their manner to the second. You like to see it.
In the end, there’s additionally so much by way of inspiration that Arrowhead might take from video games that share extra trendy parts with Helldivers 2 now that it has modified its formulation in just a few vital methods from the unique. Having bigger enemies with weak factors, or multi-stage boss encounters that evolve as the struggle goes on is one thing that each of those sorts of video games do extremely effectively.
Plus, Helldivers II has already proven some curiosity in this sort of design, with Chargers and their breakable armor, the Bile Spewers and their burstable backsides, amongst others. Doubling down on this design language would open up enemy encounters and encourage new, considerate methods to emerge amongst gamers. It’s thrilling to take into consideration what Helldivers II might construct on prime of the already stellar basis of their enemy design.
With Helldivers 1 and a couple of, Arrowhead has showcased its unbelievable skills and creativity as a developer, and there are such a lot of parts from the first sport they’ll reinterpret for its successor. Their observe file for making the proper choices about pricing, microtransactions, server points, and patches has been rock strong thus far, on prime of designing a very participating online game. With the success they’ve now seen, I hope they’re ready proceed making considerate and artistic choices that construct the sport into one thing much more participating. I can’t wait to see what they provide you with. And if I missed something, tell us what you want to to see Helldivers II add in the feedback down beneath.
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Tyler Robertson is a social media coordinator and producer for IGN.