I’ve often been fond of how two seemingly identical games can rely on similar elements, yet produce entirely different feelings. There’s a lot to be said about presentation, in-game resource scarcity, damage models, mechanical complexity and so on, but one thing that tends to tip the scales one way or another is how high the stakes are.
Helldivers 2 is the latest reminder that you can have a bunch of different currencies, several crafting materials, a quasi-loot system, and an always-online requirement – but still manage to create a solid co-op game that isn’t, well, like any of the other mediocre live service games we can’t seem to get rid of.
There’s a lot to like about Helldivers 2. Its commitment to lifting Starship Troopers’ thematic schtick is only one facet of its presentation; its robot faction owes a lot to Terminator, and its armour and weapon designs have their roots in Star Wars, Halo and half-a-dozen other sci-fi staples.
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