Spreading democracy has never been so fun. Helldivers 2 review

Helldivers 2 hit the Steam bestseller list and took consoles by storm. We had to check what all the noise (and the screams of the murdered) was about.

I never touched the first part of Helldivers, apparently quite different from the second part. I didn't expect this premiere, because a lot of interesting games were already released in February. Shooting opponents controlled by artificial intelligence? And without a proper campaign? I definitely prefer multiplayer shooters, against unpredictable players on the other end of the cable.

Helldivers 2 is not for soloists

Yes, the intro is funny and the tutorial is well done. We become cannon fodder in the world of the future, where under the banner of democracy we bring death and conflagration to alien life forms. It is a successful, elegant satire on contemporary armed conflicts, which neatly avoids moralizing. However, with my reluctant attitude, the first hour of the game convinced me that it would be a waste of time. A yawn appeared.

Performing missions using basic weapons and alone – no matter how impressive and dynamic – quickly becomes boring. The game does not provide a challenge at the first difficulty levels, and shooting with a pistol or rifle with a small magazine does not bring the expected satisfaction. Sometimes there will also be night missions during which you can't really see much, even with the monitor lit.

Spread democracy more quickly together

However, everything changes when friends who also have this title join the game. The joint liberation of space and restoring the rule of law in it suddenly becomes more colorful. Someone realizes that heavy machine guns can be dropped from the mother ship. And suddenly we all discover at the same time what a joy it is to shoot the entire magazine out of such a beast.

The difficulty level increases rapidly, unlocked after victories. Just like the arsenal of destruction that we acquire as part of the game's progression system. The clashes become even more dynamic, crowded, and you have to think carefully. Monsters attack from all sides and every now and then someone loses an arm or a leg and has to be saved with risky fire. Eventually, we start to lose our companions and have to fight for survival by bringing more recruits from the ship commanding the mission.

Do you like “Starship Troopers”? You will like Helldivers 2

The noise of gunshots, screams of burning figures, screams on voice communicators and inevitable death under the piles of corpses of space worms. All this brings to mind associations with old movies like “Starship Troopers”. On streams, it is this title that viewers who follow the space carnage most often refer to. Even night skirmishes begin to shine when the sky is lit up with explosions, napalm and a futuristic Gatling gun spinning at crazy speeds.

Another film association is “The Mandalorian” or “Star Wars”. Mainly because of the helmets and uniforms of our soldiers. Their designs are eye-catching, and there are many different variants to unlock through gameplay. Our equipment can also be enriched with various weapon models, additional gestures, dances and other such additions known from modern multiplayer games. This is some motivation to try your hand at subsequent, even different, missions.

However, shooting together is what drives us to play. In good company, it's easy to take on the role of space marines and happily rush to an alien planet to exterminate everything that can't pay taxes, drive a pickup truck and admire Super Bowl commercials. God bless Super Earth. It's time to raze another part of the galaxy to the ground. Bonus points for looting and blowing up everything in your path.