Summary
Helldivers 2’s overwhelming popularity is due to Arrowhead Game Studios' understanding of what it means to create an enjoyable third-person cooperative shooter. Bringing to life the concept of working together with others to stop alien threats from taking over Super Earth has captivated the hearts of many, ensuring the game has a strong community and lifespan in the industry. However,Helldivers 2does borrow some aspects from the battle royale genre. Seeing the game’s current success with this blend of tools, copying one more element into its environmental hazards may prove to be beneficial in improving gameplay.
The battle royale genre is known for forcing players to survive as a slowly advancing wall of doom comes from all sides until a victor is declared. The aspect of a life-threatening obstalce closing in on players under a time limit is something the game’s planetary hazards can borrow from. With fellowHelldivers having unique ideasand the developers showing interest in potentially implementing them, taking such an approach is definitely within the realm of possibility.
The Planetary Hazards That Helldivers Have to Deal With
Since their introduction in the major 01.000.100 patch,Helldivers 2players have been dealing with planetary hazardsthat have positively and negatively affected their perception of the game. Recent updates have added more to the list of environmental dangers. While the game will most likely see further additions in the future, the following are the current ones and their effects:
Reduces player visibility
Thick fog
Reduces rate of fire and delays heat buildup in weapons
Fire tornadoes
Produces tornadoes that deal fire damage
Disables stratagem usage during its duration
Increases stamina drain and speeds up heat buildup in weapons
Generates meteors that damage or kill players upon impact
Occasionally stuns players and enemies
Volcanic Activity
Produces volcanic rocks that leave fire trails upon surface impact
The current list of dangers shows that some are more life-threatening than others. Those that can eliminate players would be perfect candidates as giant threats that slowly home in on the player until escape is no longer a viable option.
Why Helldivers' Planetary Hazards Should Act as Advancing Walls of Doom
Although there is much for players to do during 40-minute missions, the repetitive objectives can often feel stale. Despite the long time limit, its duration allows players tosearch for super creditsand finish main objectives without much fear. Introducing a hazard that limits the playable area forces an entire squad to be more alert, regardless of the pace of its approach. It allows for more engaging gameplay that will require all players to coordinate more efficiently and be mindful of the time they have left to complete their mission and obtain the desired resources.
Helldivers 2already has many environmental conditionsthat can be repurposed as a simple wall of doom, although iterating on the battle royale mechanic would seem more beneficial as the game’s different planets offer many suitable ideas. A perfect example would be the inclusion of a mission requiring players to obtain a valuable piece of data before a poisonous fog meant to eliminate Terminids envelops the area. There are many possibilities revolving around an advancing wall of doom that could provide the creative team with more content for years.
Arrowhead Game Studios has more areas of opportunity to play around with to further establishHelldivers 2as the standard for third-person cooperative shooters. Implementing a wall of doom can potentially lure in lovers of the battle royale genre, but it may also clash with the game’s overall loop of play While it is a considerable addition, there may be too many unpredictable factors. For now,Helldiverspatches focus on fixing more crashes, stability issues, and more, meaning major changes are still far into the future.
Helldivers 2
WHERE TO PLAY
Do you believe in freedom? Can you stand in the face of oppression – and defend the defenceless? Wage war for peace. Die for democracy.Join forces with up to three friends and wreak havoc on an alien scourge threatening the safety of your home planet, Super Earth, in this multiplayer co-op shooter for PS5 and PC from Arrowhead Game Studios.Step into the boots of the Helldivers, an elite class of soldiers whose mission is to spread peace, liberty and Managed Democracy using the biggest, baddest and most explosive tools in the galaxy.Helldivers don’t go planet side without proper backup, but it’s up to you to decide how and when to call it in. Not only do you have a host of superpowered primary weapons and customizable loadouts, you also have the ability to call on stratagems during play.Helldivers 2 features Arrowhead’s best cooperative gameplay yet. Collaboration will be vital: Teams will synergize on loadouts, strategize their approach for each mission and complete objectives together.1Enlist in Super Earth’s premier military peacekeeping force today. We are heroes… we are legends… WE ARE HELLDIVERS.
