Spreading managed democracy has by no means been as a lot enjoyable as it’s in Helldivers 2, and it simply received fashionable once more. After rising to change into certainly one of 2024’s largest hits, the incredible co-op sport slowly began to drop again down the Steam charts as newer video games arrived. That was additional exacerbated by some discontent with the sport’s steadiness and the kerfuffle round PlayStation Community account linking. Developer Arrowhead has labored laborious to deliver the sport again to greatness, nevertheless, and now the arrival of its long-awaited third faction is propelling Helldivers 2 again into the stratosphere as soon as extra.
Sizzling off the heels of its wins for greatest multiplayer sport and greatest ongoing sport at The Sport Awards 2024, Arrowhead has launched the Helldivers 2 replace we’ve all been ready for. As somebody who poured a variety of hours into the unique, top-down Helldivers, I’ve been desirous to see how the Illuminate would translate into the sequel’s grand-spectacle shooter format. The third and ultimate piece of the interplanetary puzzle is a extremely superior alien power that has been absent from the galaxy for nearly a century – however now they’re again.

I nonetheless have nightmares of taking up the Illuminate within the first sport. Their defend partitions interrupt your area, and their disruption blasts quickly scramble your controls. Their Helldivers 2 incarnation is simply as terrifying, boasting the power to thoughts management the residents of Tremendous Earth and twist them right into a nefarious power often called the Voteless. They’re led by extra elite models boasting all method of long-range weapons and private shields, and a Conflict of the Worlds fashion colossus with a large laser cannon.
Maybe much more scary is having to struggle them on the town streets. Helldivers 2, for essentially the most half, has saved to pretty open areas – and whereas that’s made some encounters in opposition to the Automatons significantly troublesome, it means there’s at all times someplace to run. Now, you’re pressured into extra close-quarters confrontations, having to navigate the streets and alleyways in a determined try and not be surrounded by the Voteless hordes.
The excellent news is that the Helldivers are combating again in fashion, as a brand new Quick Recon Automobile lets all 4 gamers soar in collectively. The motive force will get to have their enjoyable smashing the armored truck via the Illuminate lots, whereas the passengers can lay down suppressive hearth from the home windows. A brand new Helldivers 2 Warbond titled ‘City Legends’ has additionally arrived, and features a new directional defend stratagem, a stun lance, a flame sentry, and an anti-tank emplacement. You may even put turrets in your resupply pods.
This new replace was Helldivers 2’s greatest probability to reclaim its misplaced momentum, and to this point it seems to be to be working. Prior to now 24 hours, the sport has hit a peak of 150,169 concurrent Steam gamers – the very best it’s seen since April, proper earlier than the preliminary controversy round its proposed PSN account linking requirement. Current opinions, in the meantime, are as much as ‘overwhelmingly optimistic,’ with 95% of customers recommending the sport over the previous 30 days. If you wish to take part and haven’t but, there’s even a Steam sale.
Helldivers 2 is 20% off on Steam till Wednesday December 18, which means you’ll pay $31.99 / £27.99 in your copy. The Omens of Tyranny replace and City Legends Warbond are each accessible now. Head right here to have a look for your self.
In case you can’t get sufficient of the perfect co-op video games, we’ve rounded up all of the necessities, together with the perfect area video games for intergalactic adventures galore.
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