On February 8, 2024, Helldivers 2 was released to the public. Arrowhead Studios, a relatively unknown development team, expected 10,000 players to join at the absolute most. Within a day, this server limit had been exceeded, and in the coming days, they reached over 400,000 players. So how did the sequel to a decade old strategy game reach such a high player count overnight?
Taking inspiration from other sci-fi media such as the political satire Starship Troopers and Warhammer 40K, HD2 has a focus on patriotism. From a narrative standpoint, you are from Super Earth, an idealized world where prosperity and democracy are at the forefront of life. However, the liberty-filled life you love is threatened by two outside forces: the Socialist Automatons and the Fascist Bugs. These forces have been slowly encroaching into your galaxy, and it is your patriotic duty to stop them.
The gameplay in HD2 is unmatched. Every mission you undertake will place you on an occupied planet, with assigned missions for you to complete. Missions are varied and fun, ranging from civilian evacuation to sabotaging supplies at enemy headquarters. The maps are vast and procedurally generated, so you’ll likely never see the same geography twice. On lower difficulties, the game can be completed with ease, but on higher levels you will struggle to survive. The introduction of new enemy types and more samples to collect can quickly become overwhelming. Armed only with 2 weapons and a list of stratagems (essentially care packages or air support), you and your team of Helldivers must complete your mission within the assigned time limit. After fulfilling your objectives, an extraction will become available, leading to a two minute standoff against enemy forces.
Because of the game’s difficulty, teamwork and planning are essential. Failing to communicate with your fellow Helldivers will result in defeat”
Playing this game with friends was one of my favorite multiplayer experiences I’ve ever had. The game never feels the same twice, with each encounter and skirmish being intense and different from the last. You are incentivized to complete all optional objectives, as doing so rewards you with extra experience points and requisition slips (an in-game currency). Another unique feature is that all progress is universal: the objectives you complete will go towards a liberation percentage that is shared by all players. Everybody has to work together, engaging in planetary defense campaigns and liberating planets in order to protect the galaxy. All of this culminates in a unique experience that hasn’t grown old during my hours of playtime. The game is regularly updated as well, with new mechanics and tools being consistently added, keeping the gameplay loop fresh and unique.
Perhaps the best part is the game’s reasonable price—only $40 dollars in a market where most are $70. It is also incredibly well optimized: on my mid-range PC, I could maintain a steady 75 FPS on medium/high settings, and it runs well on lower-end rigs as well. All in all, Helldivers 2 is one of the best game releases in recent history, easily outshining other big budget games from the last few months.