Helldivers 2 continues to amaze. Despite a significant decline in its player base, the community is still running strong, with an average of about 40K divers diving at any given time. Because players were still taking their time to unlock every item in the previous Warbonds, the game’s developer, Arrowhead Studios, was forced to reduce the pace at which they released new content. Helldivers 2 has committed to maintaining player engagement, which appears to be working so far.
It is time for their major initial expansion now. Level 10 difficulty, a new kind of swamp environment, new adversaries from the Automaton and Terminid factions, and new mission types are all included in Escalation of Freedom.
Any live-service game needs to shake things up occasionally to maintain momentum, but what if looking to the future of the series also meant turning to its past? While Helldivers 2 reworked and removed some of the first game’s features to streamline gameplay and ensure their game was solid (which was the right move), they now have an opportunity to gradually reinstate some of the ideas they had all those years ago to make Helldivers 2 even better. The original Helldivers was constantly improving and adding to its formula for years after its release in 2015.
Various Techniques
However, a rideable rocket would be more of a device than a car. All of them are tactics, but you get the idea. One of the most intriguing aspects of the game is the heavy weapon and tactical deployment strategies, which are also the ones that Arrowhead appears most eager to expand upon in the future. Since launch, we have already obtained the two Exosuits as well as the Airbust and Commando rocket launchers. However, there are still a ton more from the original game, and Helldivers 2 does not even yet feature some of the gameplay elements.
To give the Terminids a taste of their own medicine, the Helldivers 1 support weapon stratagem TOX-13 Avenger spat out toxic sludge like a flamethrower. In addition, players would be able to control their mortar hits with the M-25 Rumbler mortar. Other emplacement turrets were the AT-47 Anti-Tank Emplacement and the A/RX-34 Railcannon Turret. Some drones boosted UAV signals, repaired comrades, and even an air-to-air missile-using Eagle Airstrike variant. To be honest, I hope that each of these finds its way into the game at some point because they all seem worthwhile and intriguing in certain scenarios that can arise in Helldivers 2. Particularly the last one, so at last I know how to cope with Gunships and Shriekers better.
Additional Types of Weapons
Even while Helldivers have access to a sizable variety of weapons in the second game, several from the previous game remain that, if used, may drastically alter the meta. Helldiver 1 had a sword, for example. It was all you could have ever imagined, and it was known as the Saber. Arrowhead, please give us a sword. Beyond that, though, were a double-barreled, double-trigger shotgun, a flamethrower pistol, and even a submachine gun that ran on lasers. The funny and pointless M2016 “Constitution,” which is essentially a replica of the iconic M1903 service rifle from World War One and has a bayonet for melee combat, is, nevertheless, my personal favorite. There are a ton of creative weapon concepts, and with the recent release of Throwing Knives, I believe we are starting to see some unusual uses for them.
The concept of loadouts is another, minor aspect that Helldivers 2 could enhance with feedback from the original game. A loadout system would be really helpful because it is quite tiresome to hand-equip everything for each mission, including guns, armor, stratagems, and boosters. Why that was not one of the features that was added right away in the first game is amazing. In any event, I hope they can put that one into practice as quickly as possible.
Vehicles
Arrowhead should prioritize bringing back automobiles. The first twin-stick shooter had motorcycles, APCs, tanks, and exosuits at some point. Since the Patriot and Emancipator exosuits have already appeared in the sequel, it would not be shocking if additional mobility choices were added in the future.
The fact that Helldivers 2 maps are bigger than Helldivers 1 maps makes it even easier to navigate them quickly. Arrowhead may modify several vehicles from Helldivers 1 to make them compatible with the gameplay of the sequel. These include the MC-109 Hammer Motorcycle for lone wolves and the TD-110 Bastion and M5 APC with their powerful weaponry.
Arrowhead should prioritize bringing back automobiles. The first twin-stick shooter had motorcycles, APCs, tanks, and exosuits at some point. Since the Patriot and Emancipator exosuits have already appeared in the sequel, it would not be shocking if additional mobility choices were added in the future.
Not only would vehicles give players new and fascinating methods to strategy, defeat larger foes more rapidly, and move across areas more swiftly, but there would also be a lot of hilarious opportunities.
People have been posting hilarious videos of friendly fire, botched stratagems, or other Helldivers jumping off cliffs to demonstrate the incredible ragdoll effects in the game on social media, or at least on my social media. With the addition of vehicles, the physics engine would provide even more belly-laugh-inducing moments. Imagine running your friends over by accident, falling out of a moving car, or watching helplessly as your friend crashes head-first into a Charger, sending you both skyrocketing. They might even go so far as to develop a rideable rocket that, in exchange for your sacrifice, enables a focused attack. Who knows? There are countless options.
And more Enemies
That is the one area where everyone is looking to the first game for information regarding new opponents. The third group of Helldivers 1, known as the Illuminate, were robotic beings similar to the Automatons in appearance but with a sleeker, more advanced design. They used energy- and electricity-based weapons, energy shields, and circular, floating vehicles to get around. They were challenging, and defeating them required players to switch up their tactics and stratagems. When fresh and fascinating content is added, players will be drawn in by this kind of variety. But I could picture The Illuminate as a more distant goal, one for an even greater expansion. Perhaps a major “year two” kind of thing.
There are ways to give the Automatons and Terminids a fresh life in the interim. Both the Automatons and the Terminids will welcome new members to their factions in the next expansion of Escalation of Freedom, with the Impaler Terminid making a comeback from Helldivers 1. Based on the teaser, it appears that the Impaler has been modified to better suit the third-person shooter genre, featuring tentacles that obstruct escape routes and require you to take a stand. Thus, it is already started! A growing number of concepts from the previous game find their way into the sequel. Seeing it makes you happy.
Ultimately, since Arrowhead has altered its model from the original in a few significant ways, it might potentially draw a lot of inspiration from games that have more contemporary components. Both of these types of games excel at having larger adversaries with weak places or multi-stage boss encounters that change as the battle progresses.
Furthermore, Chargers with their shatterable armor, and the Bile Spewers with their burstable posteriors are just two examples of how Helldivers II has already demonstrated some interest in this style of design. Expanding upon this design language would allow for more opponent encounters and inspire gamers to come up with innovative, well-thought-out strategies. It is thrilling to consider what Helldivers II might be able to add to their opponent design’s excellent base.
