Helldivers 2

It is quite simply the best co-op experience i had, and a masterclass in how to handle a liver-service game in a good, honest and fair way.

Helldivers 2 delivers a streamlined, premium experience, features some of the most satisfying space marine-style combat I've ever played.

A frantic co-op shooter that offers an unrelenting challenge. This chaos generator will delight friend groups who enjoy being pushed to the brink of failure. [Issue#39, p.80]

Helldivers 2 is an amazing co-op shooter that deserves all the hype it’s getting. The shift from top-down to third person was an amazing choice which shifted the gameplay but kept the original feel of killing bugs and spreading liberty and democracy. However, the servers are still struggling to keep up with the high amount of people drinking liber-tea and trying to experience, in my opinion, a GOTY candidate.

Crafted with intelligence and brimming with chaotic good vibes, Helldivers 2 sets the kind of tone many others in the action space should take notice of, overcoming some early tech issues by being a sheer delight to play.

Beyond its refreshingly straightforward feedback loop, even more enthralling is how your personal success impacts the overall narrative. Helldivers 2 operates on a live map, with players around the world slowly liberating quadrants of planets, their actions influenced by Major Orders passed down by central control. In an already collaborative game, this compounds the sense of community, making you feel like you're part of something bigger than even the heady emotional beats of your squad's missions.

While Helldivers 2 may look like a tropey action game on the surface, what lies underneath is one of the most fun co-op shooters I’ve played in recent memory. Endless explosions and unyielding foes makes for heart-pounding gameplay as you spread democracy across the galaxy one dead bug and bot at a time.

Helldivers 2 is an exceptional cooperative experience, featuring a tight gameplay loop that is easy to pick up, and extremely difficult to put down. While its launch was plagued with issues, the title ends its first week as one of modern gaming's best multiplayer experiences. From the moment the opening cutscene rolls, players are engrossed in a hyper-militarized world that is just as rewarding as it is deadly. Whether players achieve a glorious victory or fail miserably, Helldivers 2 finds ways to make every mission truly memorable, by injecting its vast battlegrounds with a dark sense of humor, gratuitous gore, and uncapped replayability. After just one week, the title has proven itself a must-play experience on both the PC and PS5. With the majority of its universe still waiting to be explored, and the foundations of its story beginning to take shape, Helldivers 2 is sure to be an experience that keeps fans coming back for more.

Helldivers 2 is the rare modern multiplayer game that does almost everything right. It gives you a ton of freedom, feels fantastic to play, and has a smart progression system that doesn’t nickel and dime you or rely too much on a paid battle pass. It manages to keep its missions fresh by introducing a ton of enemies, modifiers, and objectives, and varying them in interesting ways. There are some matchmaking and performance issues that still need to be worked out, and you can only go so far by yourself or with random players – but if you’ve got a solid squad, it’s an incredible time, and certainly one of the most fun multiplayer shooters I’ve played in years. When I’m not Helldiving, I’m thinking about Helldiving, counting down the time until my next drop. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to pour myself a nice, hot cup of Liber-tea and get back at it. Those bugs and robots look like they could use some freedom, and Managed Democracy isn’t going to spread itself. For Super Earth!

All in all, Helldivers 2 is a fantastic co-op game with lots of content (and arguably the best structure to live service I’ve seen in a long time) wrapped up in a nice $40 package. The price point is right (even if you take into consideration the additional $20 “upgrade”), the content is plentiful and it feels like a game that respects your time. I genuinely have a hard time saying anything negative about the game, especially now that the servers are stabilized and the developers are active on Twitter (X, if you care about that detail) updating the community about game updates and stability hiccups. It is a bit on the difficult side if you’re not playing with at least a friend, but I highly recommend a full group of 4 for the best experience. There are a good few types of missions, and some of them are very challenging as a solo player. If you don’t mind a good challenge, however, or have friends you can party up with, Helldivers 2 is a fantastic time and I sincerely believe you will enjoy yourself.

Helldivers 2 is a testament to the power of teamwork and tactical gameplay, wrapped in a satirical package that's hard to put down.

Helldivers 2 is a surprise hit, featuring some of the best moment-to-moment combat and a satisfying rinse and repeat formula.

Helldivers II came as a surprise and marks a significant moment in PlayStation Studios' console and PC releases. If it has the right support, it will be a game remembered and played for years to come.

Helldivers 2 is a refreshingly fun power fantasy, where mastery through teamwork breeds satisfaction. Diving out of a charging bug's way and firing into its exposed back or blowing up a machine dropship before it can deploy its forces feels incredible. The game's tone is finely tuned so that getting caught in a friendly airstrike and seeing your own character's limbs go flying isn't frustrating, it's a hilariously minor setback. All told, the modestly priced, always online game takes a measured approach to its monetization while being built entirely to bolster its main gameplay loop, making Helldivers 2 a shining example against $70 live-service titles that nickel-and-dime their players.

Helldivers 2 is a riotous affair, offering up best-in-class gunplay, a truly epic and often cinematic experience, mixed in with one of the best co-op gameplay romps currently available. Its present matchmaking issues hold it back from true glory, but when it works it really works, forcing you to feel a sense of patriotism for Super Earth as the score swells and bullets fly. Helldivers 2 is a hell of a lot of fun, and is the best laugh you and your mates will have on PS5.

There's no getting around it - Helldivers 2 is a supremely fun, frequently unintentionally hilarious and bombastic squad shooter that builds upon its predecessor and deftly sets up a long-term future in the process. Though the lack of split-screen is keenly felt and Helldivers 2 is by and large identical to its predecessor in so many ways, Arrowhead Studios highly anticipated sequel nonetheless does a great job of repackaging a shooter that not nearly enough people played into a thunderous current-gen offering that sets a new bar for extraction shooters everywhere.

Despite a complicated launch, Helldivers II has become one of the most fun experiences of the year. This is a clear example of how a game as a service can be positive.

Helldivers 2 is a legendary and explosive journey that every lover of action and co-op games must play. It offers an epic, captivating and unique experience.

Helldivers 2 is a spectacular, hugely entertaining, surprisingly tactical and brutal multiplayer game. Especially now that the server problems have largely been resolved, the game is practically indispensable for anyone who wants to have fun with three friends. Making progress in the battle passes feels a bit grindy, but because this is also the case for players who buy their in-game currency with real money, it continues to make fair progress for everyone. For Democracy, Liberty, and Freedom!

Helldivers 2 takes the single most important component of the previous game and expands it into a full-fledged third person shooter, full of fast paced combat and massive explosions. It's a rewarding experience especially if played as a group, and can keep you and your buddies entertained for months.

Helldivers II is an incredibly exciting cooperative shooter that has benefited greatly from abandoning top-down view in favor of third-person perspective. This change made battles against bugs and robots even more spectacular, while gunplay and using stratagems became much more fun.

Helldivers II from developer Arrowhead Game Studios is a team-driven experience that is goal-driven fun wrapped in a goofy Starship Troopers tip of the hat. While the gameplay can get repetitive, the reward system helps to balance it out.

Ultimately, Helldivers 2 boasts significantly more advantages than drawbacks, and what's most exciting is that it appears to be merely at the onset of its journey. Without a doubt, for those who have a penchant for this particular genre of gaming, there lies ahead many more hours of enjoyment than what many other games offer. The effort put into it pays off, as does the entertainment value. Immensely so!

Arrowhead Game Studios has managed to create a sequel that improves on every single aspect from the previous entry. This is one of the best co-op games we will see in quite some time, especially since not many games of its kind are able to provide as much fun and craziness as Helldivers 2 does. If you are looking for a game to just dive in and have a good time with your friends, then Helldivers 2 will not let you down.

Helldivers 2 was a pleasant surprise and represents the perfect evolution of that twin stick shooter that many players fell in love with back in 2016. Apart from the server problems, which seem to be in the process of being resolved, and some technical problems which we hope will disappear with future updates, the shooter by Arrowhead Game Studios is unmissable for anyone who appreciates the genre and has the opportunity to enjoy it in the company of a few friends. If we then consider the approach to microtransactions and the budget price, there are very few reasons not to take a walk in space and spread democracy.

If Helldivers 2 surprises so much, it is because it has succeeded in two important points. The first is to finally prove to the whole world that it is possible to make a good game based on the Starship Troopers universe. From its creatures to its corrosive and second-rate humor, including the very principle of sacrifice for a common cause, we couldn't dream of a better way to immerse ourselves in Paul Verhoeven's masterpiece. Second point: also proves that making a very good live-service game without creating bad buzz or rejection from gamers is also possible. It must be said that unlike Suicide Squad, this Helldivers was designed and shaped to be multiplayer, cooperative, with the dose of fun that goes with it, the complete opposite of the title from Warner Games and Bethesda.

Although the launch of Helldivers 2 did not go smoothly on pc, the game is worth it. The game excels in co-op, is addictive, offers fine gunplay and tremendous depth. In everything, the perfect sequel. If you liked the original, you're in the right place. Newcomer and looking for a good and fun co-op game? Then Helldivers 2 is a must have.

Quotation forthcoming.

A hilarious and addictive online cooperative shooter that improves the original game with a new perspective, more content, and cross-play. It offers pure and simple fun with friends, a great gameplay and strategic touch, and a good graphical and sound presentation. It could use more variety in enemies, biomes, and missions, but it is one of the best PvE games of the season.

The gunplay is fantastic, the gameplay loop is satisfying, and the reward progression is consistent. Its live service plans are its biggest question moving forward, but right now, Helldivers 2 is a ton of fun.

Helldivers 2 is a fantastic coop game that takes the third person shooter to another level, besides some problems within matchmaking system.

Helldivers 2 doesn't invent anything, but what it does do, it does so well and in such a fun way that it is difficult not to fall at its feet. There are flaws, shortcomings and aspects that are not well balanced, but none of that stops it from being a fun game, a guilty pleasure, especially in co-op.

I had an exceptional amount of fun with HELLDIVERS 2 and will happily boot it up whenever I want to experience some frantic co-op shooting action. Throw in a superb sense of humour and oodles of rewarding unlockables and you're left with a cape-worthy offering.

Helldivers 2 is truly a game of the year contender. The gunplay and gameplay is excellent. The variety invites you to keep hoping into one mission or another. The difficulty ramps from fun barrel shoots to harried and hair-raising struggles on the edge of a knife. However, the overall experience greatly suffers when playing as a solo player. If you have a group, dive in to hell. If not, be careful out there, soldier, and watch your back. The bugs aren't your only enemies.

Helldivers 2 is one the best co-op games ever made. It's a full packed-action title with huge references to Starship Troopers and Terminator that will resonate among fans. A full sequel with far greater ambitions and a sense of destruction like Battlefield series. Don't hesitate, buy it on PS5 or PC.

Helldivers 2's thrilling action, absurd humor, and surprisingly fair monetization practices make it one of the best PlayStation 5 multiplayer games.

Once the ongoing server issues are finally dealt with for good, Helldivers 2 will be one of the easiest multiplayer shooters to recommend. When it all works as intended, finding a game with friends or random players is simple, and the co-op-only nature of the game has fostered a broadly very positive and welcoming community. Helldivers 2 will – eventually – be an essential multiplayer game, and I can’t wait for it to just work.

Eliminating armies of bugs and robots with a ton of weapons and gear definitely sounds tempting, but it will be a quickly mastered routine that won't keep people glued to the screen for a very long time. Helldivers 2 is a game that still lacks that crucial "ideal" aspect of fun that is stifled by an extremely hard grind for beginners and an unrealistically high difficulty if you're playing alone or with random players.

Helldivers 2 gets “games as a service” right, promoting a gameplay cycle that encourages collective play. The space adventure exceeds expectations and could set a new standard for third-person shooters and co-op games.

Server issues aside, which eventually should be eliminated, jump into Helldivers 2 and you’re bound to have a good time. Its battles are challenging and engaging, it’s got a fun sense of humour, and it’s rewarding seeing your war efforts pay off. Whether you find yourself fighting against fearsome automatons while waiting for your flag to be raised, or squashing bugs while racing to take down an illegal radio signal, chances are you’ll have a big grin on your face while doing so. And that’s what really matters. Helldivers 2 isn’t particularly big or clever, but boy, is it a lot of fun.

Helldivers II delivers where it matters and leaves us excited to see what Arrowhead can bring to the game next rather than leaving us pondering if the game can be saved. Helldivers II is one galactic conflict players can happily dive into.

Helldivers 2 is the conquering bald eagle of freedom fans of the original have been waiting for. Despite the familiar surroundings and setup, the switch to third-person is an inspired choice. You’ll bask in the cinematic moments of your last stands and celebrate the arrival of liberty via an orbital nuke with reckless abandon. Salute your fellow Helldivers and take on the galaxy, how do you like the taste of freedom, a second time?!

Although Helldivers 2 is somewhat lacking in originality and depth in terms of missions and story, it more than makes up for it with funny *tone of voice*, spectacular gameplay and hilarious moments. Despite the sometimes chaotic action, it offers enough tactical depth to give you an advantage in combat, while emphasizing the importance of communication between teammates.

Helldivers 2 is extremely silly. It’s utterly over the top, and it’s not very deep, but GOOD GOD, I have had a ball with it this past week. Its general simplicity may end up dooming it to be a short-lived flash in the pan… But what a brilliantly bright flash it would be.

As it is, we would have liked Arrowhead Game Studios to have taken more care of the single-player component... On the other hand, it's a real pleasure to take out waves of enemies in a group, after having defined a plan that goes off without a hitch!

Helldivers 2 is fun, chaotic and addictive. A formula filled with space action that is best enjoyed with friends. Build your squad, organize your ranks and set course for remote planets in the name of democracy. A festival of bullets and green goo that will keep you hooked for hundreds of hours.

After more than 30 hours of play, Helldivers II remains devilishly addictive and extremely enjoyable. Although it still requires playing with several people (with friends or strangers) to fully appreciate its value, the game from Arrowhead Game Studios simply stands out as the best cooperative experience of the moment. If you've always dreamed of playing a mix between Starship Troopers and Terminator and want to be able to fight against hordes of enemies with great blasts from large calibers and orbital cannons, there's a good chance that you'll spend a excellent moment on Helldivers II. And while it may not seem like it at first glance, the game can even require a lot of strategy and restraint on the highest difficulty modes. If I would have liked slightly more solid servers and some additional finishes, I am already looking forward to knowing what the future of Helldivers II will hold. Regardless, I am immediately returning to fight for democracy and freedom. Long live Super-Earth!

Helldivers 2 is one of the most entertaining co-op games you can get on PS5.

Helldivers 2 offers a lot of fun in massacring bug or robot populations, and all it takes are a few well-executed gameplay elements, which become most enjoyable when played with a group of friends.

Even though it changed from top-down to third-person view,, Helldivers 2 remains an engaging and unique game. It keeps almost all the good things from the first game and puts them into a new way of playing, making it even more enjoyable than before. However, unstable network connections are still a stumbling block in your fight for Super Earth. Helldivers 2 has a good start. The big question is if the developers can keep adding new stuff to keep players interested.

While the graphics aren’t really anything to write home about, the game oozes with style. Every match feels like it could be its own short film, the genre of which depends on what you’re doing and how well you’re doing it. While the gameplay loop is fairly small and repetitive it takes a long time for a session to get boring, and that time is extended dramatically when you’re playing and chatting with your friends. Playing Helldivers 2 almost makes you feel like you’re back in the golden age of online gaming, it’s pure, silly cooperative fun that offers a tailored experience for all kinds of players, whether you’re looking for something casual or your next big challenge.

Helldivers 2 is an incredibly fun, wildly unpredictable game that will make you laugh, cry, and yell out in frustration. However, it doesn’t have much of a story or critique its political themes in any meaningful way. Online server issues can be a pain to deal with too.

This is perhaps the most fun I’ve had from a pure co-op shooter since Left 4 Dead or the original horde mode in Gears of War – it is so precise, its gunplay so invigorating, its feedback and effects so generous. Everything about this game is ridiculous, including how good it is at what it sets out to do.

A naked shower scene away from being an official Starship Troopers game, Helldivers 2 is gloriously daft fun when you can get a group of friends together to play. It's just a shame about the matchmaking and crash bugs at launch.

Helldivers 2 is an excellent co-op shooter that lacks a bit of variety in the long run despite many unlock options.

Helldivers 2 is an enjoyable third-person shooter, especially in good company. It is. It is often challenging to play but equally rewarding in terms of gameplay.

Helldivers 2 is essentially the first game, except bigger, louder and more epic in scale. Despite issues with matchmaking and some desperately needed quality-of-life, it's enjoyably engaging.

I got what I was expecting from the game: a damn fun time. What I didn’t expect, however, is to be thinking about it so much after each game, wanting to dive right back into hell with others alongside me. I can’t wait to get better at the game, face bigger threats, to see what planets this galaxy holds, and just what each planet will throw my way.

The beauty of Helldivers 2 is in its simplicity. You’re just a single soldier tasked with the impossible job of contributing to a whole galaxy’s defense. But that’s also where the game shines, as you don’t play as Commander Shepard or someone massively important. You’re essentially just a grunt who survives long enough to get better gear and further fulfill their duty. Whether you want to sink hours into the war effort or just take on a few missions, this game is perfect for as much or as little as you want to give it.

All in, this is great fun, albeit slightly limited in its longevity. While there are unlocks to push for, the core game remains largely the same from the off. However it delivers a good engagement and stress-factor when playing due to the overwhelming odds. And Helldivers 2 is at its best when played with other real-life players in a team situation. Not bad for £35.

Helldivers 2 is a fun multiplayer co-op shooter clearly inspired by Starship Troopers, and that's not too bad. Some server issues (which will be resolved eventually) and good - but not outstanding - graphics make Arrowhead Game Studios' game a certainly well-crafted title, but just nothing more.

Helldivers 2 offers a highly fun coop experience, optimally in short bursts and with friends. It doesn't hide some serious signs of repetition and extremely slow character progression, but its hectic battles and excellent shooting can easily convince anyone to come back again and again for the fight against the insectoids and cyborgs.

Helldivers 2 offers some chaotic and entertaining moments in the early stages, as you hop between planets with friends, call in devastating strikes, and spreading democracy. But as the hours begin to accumulate, increasing difficulty levels unravel some of the annoying design decisions, and along with persistent connectivity problems, it seems that the game could have used more prep time.

Arrowhead has put together a playful and chaotic shooter experience that doesn't take itself too seriously. It's just a bit too hectic for you to be able to keep track of the matches, but I feel that's part of the point. Sometimes you'll struggle through hordes of bugs until the mission is almost done, only to fail because someone botched a missile attack. It can be frustrating, but mostly that's just part of the charm.

As it is now, it is an entertaining action spectacle that is definitely best when played with others. Despite the repetitiveness, I have had a lot of fun with it and I look forward to diving into new planets to save humanity.