Helldivers 2 is the right side of the story. These are the two reasons why I consider that humanity's galactic fight against bugs and automatons marks the way forward within the world of video games.
Helldivers 2 does everything right. It's not very expensive, its progression is horizontal, it looks luxurious, it fosters a healthy and respectful community of players, it is challenging, stimulating, tremendously fun and it has explosions, lots of explosions.
I could spend hours talking about every little detail that makes this game the best so far in 2024 (server's opinion, of course), but I prefer to focus on two cases that not only point out how good Helldivers 2 is, but also what is necessary right now.
Because this past February we have had four important releases planned as games as a service: Foamstars, Helldivers 2, Suicide Squad Kill the Justice League and Skull and Bones. And it is necessary to analyze why some have had a tremendous setback and others have not.
Games as a service are not evil
Foamstars (Square Enix's Splatoon) is the perfect example of how generic the world of games as a service has become. Suicide Squad Kull the Justice League reflects excessive corporate greed for getting money at the expense of knocking down a decent product. AND Skull and Bones It's… well, something that was seen coming.
One takes note of all those setbacks that occurred in less than a month and many other past examples, with their abusive policies designed to take all the possible euros from your account and it is normal that you begin to think that games as a service are horrible.
And that's why Helldivers 2 is necessary. In my case, this sequel has shown me how conditioned we have become by all the bad practices that have come with multiplayer games after Fortnite landed with its battle passes.
It turns out that you can make a good, enjoyable game that doesn't drain the player based on payments, limited progression, and restricted content. Helldivers 2 is necessary to understand that games as a service are not evilis the search for easy money.
There are micropayments in Helldivers 2, but they are quite small and the game's virtual currency can be obtained relatively easily. In my almost 25 hours of playing I have obtained 700 SuperEarth credits and soon I will be able to purchase the premium content of the battle pass, without paying a single euro.
It turns out that paid armor costs between 150 to 400 credits (between two and five euros) and although I would never invest money in them, it doesn't seem like an armed robbery to me like in other games like The Finals, for example.
In these times and with the thousands of layoffs that are taking place, it is a little easier for me play devil's advocate and champion micropayments so companies not as big as Arrowhead can thrive.
Besides, the perversion of paid content has not reached Helldivers 2. By this I mean that the cosmetic content is faithful to the game universe. So, I'm not going to find myself in a game with Nicky Minaj or Mr. Beast, as would happen in Call of Duty or Fortnite.
And speaking of Call of Duty… all this was just a trap to talk about what really matters. The political “chapa” comes light and relaxed. Because killing bugs and cyborgs is just the tip of the iceberg in this game.
Manage this democracy for me
The anti-fascist and anti-imperialist message of Helldivers 2 It's as subtle as one of the 500kg bombs you drop in the game. I think everyone has caught Arrowhead's satire on America's tendency to invade everything in its path in pursuit of “freedom,” a word that is now being used as if it were a panacea.
It is true that there were little people who did not “get the idea” that Starship Troppers was a savage criticism of these same themes, but here it is not Rico and Carmen who shoot, the player does it and therefore, the political criticism must be much more direct so that it has impact.
The first loading screen you encounter in Helldivers 2 tells you that the survival rate of a Helldiver is just over 20% and that the average age of recruits is 18 years old. There you go, direct message to the player… P-O-L-Í-T-I-C-A.
“Aniram al ne etatsila” – Los Simpson
Many take the fight for managed democracy with humor and I have hardly seen any comments against the discourse that is presented in the game. Curious… That there is politics in video games doesn't matter so much to us anymore!
Where are the individuals who cry out against inclusive representation because they are afraid of a pronoun? Where are those who say they don't want politics in video games? Well they are playing Call of Dutyrecognized recruitment instrument and pro-weapons toolbut now also to this new title.
So, That's why Helldivers 2 is necessary, because if you are going to play a shooter where harmful ideas are represented, it is better to do it with one that widely criticizes them and not with another whose intention is to whitewash acts such as war itself or supremacism and that is nothing more than pure propaganda. Maybe, someone else's perspective will change.
No, you are not the good guy in Helldivers 2. No, there is no democratic system in Helldivers 2. Plato already said it in Republic: from democracy to tyranny. The helldivers are poor wretches with their brains eaten by propaganda who don't last more than two minutes on the front lines.
And that's what would happen in war. You wouldn't get a kill streak, nor would you unlock a camouflage; you will most likely die. There's no harm in enjoying war shooters, but if you also do it with one that better represents reality, then that's what you get.
500kg of pure democracy
In short, Helldivers 2 should be something to look at on many levels and another example that, in the end, quality emerges. I didn't give a damn for this game and the poor marketing campaigns that PlayStation dedicated make me think that there were many other skeptics. How wonderful it is to be wrong!
And maybe you're thinking… “what a mistake that friend has made here to convince me to play Helldivers 2” and you're absolutely right. Because intense political messages and good business practices are fine, but the important thing here is that you can drop tremendous bombshells. Have you seen the size of that explosion? game of the year.