In the current gaming landscape, where the term “live service” is sure to draw eyerolls and groans amongst a decent percentage of gamers, Helldivers 2 has drawn praise for being one of the most solid entries in the genre.
After spending a couple of hours with the game, it isn’t hard to see why. The controls and gameplay are extremely tight and satisfying, combat is high octane and intense at higher difficulties, and a progression system that isn’t locked behind a paywall is a breath of fresh air in today’s landscape. The Starship Troopers inspired commentary on American imperialism provides an entertaining plot as well, but the best aspect of the game isn’t entirely involved with the game itself.
Sure the aforementioned attributes make Helldivers 2 a solid game, but what exactly is keeping it afloat where similar games have failed recently? What I believe is the strongest aspect of Helldivers 2, and what will hopefully give the game a lifespan on par with games like Destiny, Final Fantasy XIV, and others, is its community/social aspect.
One of the main draws of Helldivers 2 is its focus on conquering planets and continuing to defend them afterwards, and thus progress isn’t relegated to one player or squad. It’s a group effort that changes by the hour, which keeps the game extremely fresh in spite of its repetitive missions. So while the game lacks in the overarching story satisfaction that games like Final Fantasy XIV and Destiny provide with their continuing expansions, what that provides is an opportunity for the community to write their own stories.
While spending a couple hours grinding the various missions available, I found myself catching up on all the lore being created in real time by the myriad of fan accounts dedicated to reporting the progress being made on the ongoing galaxy war. When I heard that a certain planet or system was losing control, I would put on one of the many fan-created Spotify playlists created to fit the game and rush to that area to help my fellow divers. This kept my experience fresh from my first hour to my twentieth.
This amount of fan support and creation is something I haven’t seen for comparative titles, and with the previously created content roadmap reportedly being scrapped by developers in order to meet the overwhelming reception to the game, I believe that Helldivers 2 has the potential to be one of the best live service experiences gamers have ever seen.