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Helldivers 2

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Helldivers II
Developer(s)Arrowhead Game Studios
Publisher(s)Sony Interactive Entertainment
Composer(s)Wilbert Roget II
EngineAutodesk Stingray
Platform(s)
Release8 February 2024
Genre(s)Third-person shooter
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

Helldivers 2 (stylized as Helldivers II) 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. It received positive reviews from critics and sold over 1 million units within the first month of its release.

Gameplay

See also: Helldivers § Gameplay

Unlike Helldivers, which is a top-down shooter, Helldivers 2 is a third-person shooter.[1] Similar to the first game, players are able to select Stratagems, air drops players can call during missions, which include cluster bombs, sentry guns, shield generators or supply pods containing limited-use special weaponry.[2] Friendly fire is always on. The game's armor system is inspired by real firearms fired against armored targets.[3] On March 6th, Arrowhead announced that planetary hazards would be added to missions.[4]

While Helldivers featured shared-screen co-op, Helldivers 2 does not.[5] The game features cooperative multiplayer with up to four players,[1] 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]

Plot

Helldivers 2 is set a century after the triumph of "Super Earth", a self-described managed democracy, over the Cyborgs, Terminids, and The Illuminate during the events of the first game. It is discovered that, upon death, the Terminids produce a unique and highly valuable resource 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.[9] Environmental storytelling is prevalent throughout the game, with various logs, notes, and propaganda messages available for players to find during gameplay.

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.[10] 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."[11][12]

On 13 September 2021, Helldivers 2 was mentioned in a GeForce Now leak.[13] 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.[14] On 18 August 2022, a 12-second clip of gameplay was leaked on Twitter, but was later removed.[15][16]

On 24 May 2023, Helldivers 2 was announced during the 2023 PlayStation Showcase, with a slated release of sometime in 2023.[17] On 6 July 2023, a trailer showcasing gameplay was released.[2][3] On 30 July 2023, the game received a M rating by the Entertainment Software Rating Board for "blood and gore" and "intense violence".[18] 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.[19] Pre-orders became available on 22 September 2023.[20] On 8 February 2024, the game was released on the PlayStation Store and Steam.[21]

Reception

Helldivers 2 received "generally favorable" reviews from critics, according to review aggregator website Metacritic.[22][23]

Aaron Bayne of Push Square called the game "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 its matchmaking issues and crashes that have occurred when playing the game.[33]

Upon release the game generated massive amounts of interest, experiencing such a large influx of players that the servers were unable to compensate. This led to server issues plaguing the game for the first two weeks of release where many players were unable to log in and play.[38] The developers quickly acknowledged this and pushed out a fix to alleviate server issues by the third week of release. This increased the player cap to "a whopping 700,000 concurrent users" according to Wesley Yin-Poole of IGN.[39]

The propaganda-style in-game content and the plot has been compared to 1997 science fiction action film Starship Troopers; both are a satirical comedy featuring a military regime.[40] However, the tone has received some criticism due to a perception of rising toxicity within the game's community. Journalist Diego Nicolás Argüello stated, "After conducting interviews with over 60 players for this article, it's clear that the propaganda of Helldivers 2 inherently encourages people to band together. But some are acting in bad faith, spinning the clear satire into an overly serious military role-play — one that extends beyond acts like consecrating someone as public enemy number one".[41]

Sales

On 11 February 2024, Arrowhead Games CEO Johan Pilestedt announced that Helldivers 2 had sold approximately 1 million units.[42]

Helldivers 2 was the largest launch of any PlayStation Studios game available on PC.[43] Arrowhead stated that the game's success has greatly exceeded their expectations.[44] Following its initial success, Arrowhead Studios announced it intended to increase the size of its studio and hire more developers to accelerate its post-launch content plans.[45][46]

In the United Kingdom, Helldivers 2 was the best-selling game of February 2024, the month of its release.[47]

By 24 February 2024, the game is estimated to have sold over 3 million units and became the most actively played game on the PlayStation Network, surpassing both Call of Duty: Warzone 2.0 and Fortnite.[48] According to Jason Schreier, Helldivers 2 has sold over 8 million units.[49]

References

  1. ^ a b Stedman, Alex (14 September 2023). "Helldivers 2 Gets a 2024 Release Date and New Look at Gameplay". IGN. Archived from the original on 27 September 2023. Retrieved 14 September 2023.
  2. ^ a b Smith, Graham (6 July 2023). "Helldivers 2 explains how its newly third-person chaotic co-op will work". Rock Paper Shotgun. Archived from the original on 29 October 2023. Retrieved 29 October 2023.
  3. ^ a b Park, Morgan (6 July 2023). "If Helldivers 2 isn't on your 2023 radar, this excellent gameplay trailer should correct that". PC Gamer. Archived from the original on 29 October 2023. Retrieved 29 October 2023.
  4. ^ "Balancing the Firepower in Helldivers 2". Retrieved 9 March 2024.
  5. ^ "Helldivers 2 Is Making Me Mourn The Death Of Split-Screen Co-Op". 21 February 2024. Retrieved 3 March 2024.
  6. ^ "Does Helldivers 2 have a campaign? Answered". 19 February 2024. Retrieved 2 March 2024.
  7. ^ Baskin, Katherine (9 January 2024). "Helldivers 2 PC specifications and crossplay support details revealed". PlayStation.Blog. Archived from the original on 31 January 2024. Retrieved 13 February 2024.
  8. ^ Rich Stanton (8 February 2024). "Helldivers 2 kept its most exciting feature secret until launch: human dungeon masters 'responding in real time' and messing with players". PC Gamer. Archived from the original on 8 February 2024. Retrieved 9 February 2024.
  9. ^ "Helldivers 2 story recap, plus free post-launch story updates confirmed". PlayStation.Blog. 6 February 2024. Retrieved 4 March 2024.
  10. ^ Croft, Liam (3 December 2020). "Helldivers Dev Reveals Next Project, A Co-Op Shooter for PS5". Push Square. Archived from the original on 29 October 2023. Retrieved 11 October 2023.
  11. ^ "Helldivers II Was Built on an Archaic Engine That You Can't Access". 80.lv. 21 February 2024. Retrieved 11 March 2024.
  12. ^ 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.
  13. ^ Makuch, Eddie (11 April 2022). "The Nvidia Games Leak Gets More Intriguing Following Kingdom Hearts 4 Announcement". GameSpot. Archived from the original on 29 October 2023. Retrieved 21 October 2023.
  14. ^ Taveras, Moises (17 August 2022). "A Helldivers Sequel Has Been Heavily Teased". GameSpot. Archived from the original on 29 October 2023. Retrieved 28 October 2023.
  15. ^ Cripe, Michael (19 August 2022). "Helldivers 2 Trailer Seems to Leak Ahead of Potential PS5 Sequel Reveal". The Escapist. Archived from the original on 29 October 2023. Retrieved 29 October 2023.
  16. ^ Fenlon, Was (18 August 2022). "Helldivers 2 is definitely real, and probably announcing soon". PC Gamer. Archived from the original on 29 October 2023. Retrieved 29 October 2023.
  17. ^ Allen, Eric (24 May 2023). "Helldivers 2 drops onto PS5 and PC in 2023". Destructoid. Archived from the original on 29 October 2023. Retrieved 29 October 2023.
  18. ^ Blake, Vikki (30 July 2023). "Helldivers 2 has popped up on the ESRB website". Eurogamer. Archived from the original on 29 October 2023. Retrieved 29 October 2023.
  19. ^ Bailey, Dustin (14 September 2023). "Helldivers 2 shows off some proper co-op gameplay as it gets delayed to 2024". GamesRadar+. Archived from the original on 29 October 2023. Retrieved 29 October 2023.
  20. ^ Tailby, Stephen (22 September 2023). "PS5, PC Pre-Orders for Helldivers 2 Are Available Now". Push Square. Archived from the original on 29 October 2023. Retrieved 29 October 2023.
  21. ^ "Helldivers 2: Here's all about release date, time, platforms, gameplay, storyline and more". The Economic Times. 6 February 2024. ISSN 0013-0389. Retrieved 5 March 2024.
  22. ^ a b "Helldivers 2 for PC Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved 16 February 2024.
  23. ^ a b "Helldivers 2 for PlayStation 5 Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved 16 February 2024.
  24. ^ Franzese, Tomas (16 February 2024). "Helldivers 2 review: this great multiplayer shooter blows the competition away". Digital Trends. Retrieved 16 February 2024.
  25. ^ Kent, Emma (14 February 2024). "Helldivers 2 review - team kills and bug-stomping thrills". Eurogamer. Retrieved 14 February 2024.
  26. ^ Thwaites, Sarah (19 February 2024). "Helldivers 2 Review - Bullet Heaven". Game Informer. Retrieved 19 February 2024.
  27. ^ Ramée, Jordan (15 February 2024). "Helldivers 2 Review - Starship Bloopers". GameSpot. Retrieved 15 February 2024.
  28. ^ Lane, Rick (14 February 2024). "Helldivers 2 review: "Astonishing to behold"". GamesRadar+. Retrieved 14 February 2024.
  29. ^ Dunsmore, Kevin (19 February 2024). "Review: Helldivers II". Hardcore Gamer. Retrieved 19 February 2024.
  30. ^ Borger, Will (16 February 2024). "Helldivers 2 Review". IGN. Retrieved 16 February 2024.
  31. ^ Yang, George (14 February 2024). "'Helldivers 2' review: 'Starship Troopers'-inspired shooter is one hell of a good time". NME. Retrieved 14 February 2024.
  32. ^ Bailes, Jon (15 February 2024). "Helldivers 2 review". PC Gamer. Retrieved 15 February 2024.
  33. ^ a b Bayne, Aaron (13 February 2024). "Helldivers 2 Review (PS5)". Push Square. Retrieved 13 February 2024.
  34. ^ White, Lucas (16 February 2024). "Helldivers 2 review: Life, liberty and the violent pursuit of shareholder value". Shacknews. Retrieved 16 February 2024.
  35. ^ Stuart, Keith (14 February 2024). "Helldivers 2 review – the most fun I've had with a co-op shooter since Left 4 Dead". The Guardian. Retrieved 14 February 2024.
  36. ^ Terence, Antony (19 February 2024). "Helldivers 2 review – an explosive co-op shooter with repetitive thrills". VideoGamer.com. Retrieved 19 February 2024.
  37. ^ "Helldivers 2 Critic Reviews". OpenCritic. Retrieved 11 March 2024.
  38. ^ Bankhurst, Adam (17 February 2024). "Helldivers 2 Devs Respond to Server Issues As It Passes All-Time Steam Concurrents of Destiny 2 and Starfield". IGN. Retrieved 28 February 2024.
  39. ^ Yin-Poole, Wesley (26 February 2024). "Helldivers 2 Servers Handled All Players Over the Weekend 'Without Problem', Dev Now Returns to 'Original Plan'". IGN. Retrieved 28 February 2024.
  40. ^ "A video game has reinvigorated a long-running debate about fascism and satire". NBC News. 28 February 2024. Retrieved 4 March 2024.
  41. ^ "For some Helldivers 2 players, the fascist role-play has gone too far". Retrieved 9 March 2024.
  42. ^ @Pilestedt (11 February 2024). "Pilestedt on X: "Well... We are around a million right now, but yes. The gap is still very large."" (Tweet). Retrieved 11 February 2024 – via Twitter.
  43. ^ Carter, Justin (10 February 2024). "Helldivers 2 becomes PlayStation Studios' biggest PC launch". Game Developer. Retrieved 10 March 2024.
  44. ^ Yang, George (12 February 2024). "Helldivers 2 "Blowing Through" Sales Estimates As Servers Struggle To Meet Demand". GameSpot. Retrieved 10 March 2024.
  45. ^ "Arrowhead is staffing up after Helldivers 2 success to 'beef up' its content plans". VGC. 14 February 2024. Retrieved 16 February 2024.
  46. ^ "Arrowhead Studios Is Expanding Its Team Thanks To The Success Of Helldivers 2 To "Accelerate" Content Plans". PlayStation Universe. 14 February 2024. Retrieved 16 February 2024.
  47. ^ "Helldivers 2 is a major hit in the UK | UK February Charts". Retrieved 8 March 2024.
  48. ^ Cole, Luke (4 March 2024). "Helldivers 2 player count and sales numbers: How many people are playing?". radiotimes.com. Retrieved 11 March 2024.
  49. ^ Schreier, Jason (15 March 2024). "'Helldivers 2' Is a Surprise Hit for Sony in an Oversaturated Market". Bloomberg. Retrieved 15 March 2024.
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