I put off playing Helldivers 2 for quite some time since its legendary launch on PS5. It wasn’t because I wasn’t interested in it. Quite the opposite really. I was actually a huge fan of the first Helldivers game on PS4 which my group played often. The lore from that game alone was superb, and set the stage for the perfect sequel that is Helldivers 2.

I watched the evolution of the game online through a few gamers and gaming groups that focus heavily on the humous side of it, and trust me there is plenty. I was always so fascinated by the fact that a game with the gameplay of something that isn’t that spectacular can garner such an overwhelmingly positive cult following. Then I played it myself. I finally bit the bullet on the recommendation of a friend, and I have to say:

The hype was real.

Helldivers 2 is one of the greatest co-op games on the market today. One thing I find interesting in the trends of gaming is that the best coop experiences you can find are pretty much science fiction. Think about it. You have Helldivers 2, Space Marine 2, Void Crew, Arc Raiders, Destiny 2, Deep Rock Galactic, and No Man’s Sky. I’m not mad a bit by that revelation. I LOVE scifi, especially when it comes to games that offer space exploration or exploring strange other worlds.

That, however, is not what Helldivers is. No, Sir. You may be able to warp around the sector of space surrounding your home planet of Super Earth, but that’s pretty much the extent of your peaceful exploration. Being a Helldiver is about being a warrior against the darkness of the three current hostile extraterrestrial species looking to wipe humanity from the pages of galactic history. I knew going into this that I was destined to become a warrior of democracy against the plainly labeled socialist robots known as the Automatons who are hilarious satire of the Soviet Union in mechanical form. I mean, even their Homeworlds is called Cyberstan. It’s pure comedy gold.

There are two other hostile factions that cause just as much trouble, but the current focus is on the Galaxy’s resident former cyborgs who gave up the remainder of their humanity to become fully robotic. These guys are no joke, and if you find yourself surrounded by  a squad of them, you better hope you have some respawns available cause survival is unlikely. Death comes quickly in Helldivers 2, and I think that’s actually one of the better design choices the developers made. You have access to incredibly powerful weapons and support call-ins where if you were a bullet sponge it wouldn’t be fun. It’s almost milsim like where a few stray bullets could take you down, but on the flip side you also have access to legit nukes to drop when and wherever you want. It’s beyond satisfying.

I really don’t have anything negative to say about the game. I truly mean that. What these developers created is nothing short of magic, and I can not wait to see what they bring to the game in the near future. Helldivers 2 has become an instant classic, and this will not be the last time we talk about it on this site, so if you’re a fan of the game, or just a general science fiction nerd like us, keep it right here with your pals at the Pixel Parlor!