5 days ago4 min read

AAA Thursday - Helldivers 2

Finally the weekend nears and it's time to sit down and play some games. With so many games out there is can be hard to find the right one. So check back here weekly as we post notable games that we think is worth at least a second look. This week we will be covering Helldivers 2. This game has had a lot of ups and downs since launch and we're personally indifferent about it as well. But, it is worth a another look especially if you're running low on promising titles. So lets take a second and dive into the world that is Helldivers 2.

Helldivers 2 is a cooperative multiplayer game with up to four players. While there is not exactly a dedicated single-player campaign, don't fear going in alone. The game is designed for squad play but it is do-able for a single player. You may just need to take a slightly different approach. But there is a matchmaking system and a ton of discord channels and other avenues you can pursue when looking for players to game with. Its also worth noting the game does adjust difficulty based on team's size. With the most noticeable change coming from two players to three players.

So rather you're going in alone or with a squad of friends what is the point of this game? For Helldivers 2 the basic concept is fairly rudimentary, find alien factions threatening a planet and eliminate them. While that is fairly basic the game expanse from there, you have your Major Orders, goals that are set for a community and Personal Orders which work more like daily missions for you personally.

The missions are all completely objective bases, so it doesn't matter if you rack up a thousand kills (unless the objective is to get a thousand kills). Simply follow the orange icon to your mission objective while cutting through the enemy lines. This may sound easy enough but it takes strategic use of abilities, positioning and coordination with your teammates to succeed as the masses can get quite overwhelming at times.

There are also optional missions you can engage in while on main objective missions. These are indicated by blue markers and are typically easy and quick compared to main objectives and, as the name indicates, are optional. This adds a little extra challenge and reward to your experience. Which is always nice for unlocking new weapons and Stratagems.

Don't forget to keep your eyes peeled slips and sample nodes while you're on missions. While slips and medals are important one thing that tends to be over looked are sample nodes. These tend to be a little more rare so looting them whenever you find them is imperative.

Finally I wanted to mention stratagems, in my opinion the heart of the game. Having powerful stratagems and memorizing their input code can make this game less chaotic... or more depending what side your on. It is a good idea to remember that friendly fire is always on in this game before deciding what stratagem to use and when to use them. Most stratagems have a large area of effect (AoE) and can make even the most atheist of allies holey if given the chance. So coordinating your stratagem deployment is always a good idea.

Accessing the stratagems are pretty straight forward. You earn medals while on missions, those medals can be redeemed for new tech, like stratagems. Once you've acquired some medals you go to your shipboard computer, on the left side as you enter the ship. From there access the ship management screen then use your medals to purchase new stratagems!

Now that you got some stratagems, all you need to do, while on a mission is call them in. This is done easily enough, however your controls may differ. For PC the default control key is the "Ctrl" key... should be an easy one to remember. Then input the stratagem input code using W(Up)A(Left)S(Down)D(Right) keys. For console the control key is L1 and you would use the D-Pad to input the code. Remember to HOLD the control key while you're inputting the command.

This game is a lot of fun, even with all its short comings. Anyone who is looking for a new hook should give this game a second look. But don't expect a one size fits all game here. This is truly one of those games that can be loved and hated at the same time. But, especially when playing with friends this game is a blast. With solid graphics, a tried and tested... if not slightly boring story arc and exciting combat with plenty of upgrades to work toward Helldivers 2 will keep you entertained and likely on the edge of your seat for hours! You can pick the game up in the steam store for $39.99 or get the Super Citizen Edition for $59.99. Or for console players the game is available for PS5.