Helldivers 2's latest patch is out and—having properly got stuck in last night—it's a banger. I actually feel like I can muck about with my loadouts now. I rocked an explosive crossbow, a revolver, a thermite charge, and an airburst rocket launcher and felt downright powerful. Likewise, the flamethrower feels potent, too.
It's a solid victory against many of the issues players have been citing since the game's release, including anger at a nerf-first policy that doesn't really track in a horde shooter. It was during these tumultuous times that Space Marine 2 released and, being quick to rally behind any banner that pops up, some players believed it'd right the wrongs of Helldivers 2's rocky update cycles. A return to the halcyon days of power fantasies and bug-smashing.
That's, uh, despite the fact that these games don't have too much in common. Helldivers 2 is a four-player co-op shooter with live service elements and randomly-generated missions—Space Marine 2 has a linear campaign and a co-op mode with specific missions. Helldivers 2 lets you build a custom loadout, Space Marine 2's co-op is class-based. So on, and so forth. They're more neighbours than roommates.
- The United Nations asked Helldivers 2 studio Arrowhead if it'd give a talk on psychological manipulation: ‘Could we brainwash an entire community to fight for a fascist state? … Would we be okay with that? Turns out, yeah’
- Helldivers 2 continues its streak of turning missteps into in-game lore: After a major feature was paused for 24 hours, Super Earth says 'nothing out of the ordinary has happened'
During one of these spats on the game's subreddit, as one player was revelling in the joy of proving the naysayers of the Imperium wrong, CCO (formerly CEO) of Arrowhead Games Johan Pilestedt descended from above to sue for peace (thanks, GamesRadar).
"Thank you for all your amazing feedback, and it's amazing to finally see so many divers return. We are now looking to the day 60 patch, which will bring some more exciting changes!" Pilestedt preaches.
"I just wanted to pop in here and say that I think we should be grateful for getting several awesome games. I can't even imagine how I, as a kid, would have felt to be able to play Helldivers and SM2. They are different games, but you can enjoy as many games as you want!"
It's a voice of calm in a sea of patriotic hoo-rahs. I, myself, have never really understood when players get all Mad Max about their favourite games like they're sports teams—it's as baffling an identity marker to me as defining your allegiance based on the console you buy. I suppose, though, that it's fitting for both of these games, based in universes where fascist superpowers undermine themselves and are generally unhelpful to their own goals.
Doggedly tying yourself to a faction and defending it is part of that satire, so there's a pleasing sort of irony to Pilestedt wading into the centre and being all saintlike in his calls for peace. Like how the Imperium of Man in Warhammer is propped up by the Emperor who, from what I can surmise, is a nonresponsive FTL beacon in a psychic coma that has to be fed 1,000 psykers a day just to keep things from falling apart. Though, uh, apparently we're not supposed to be being taught morals from videogames anymore—forget I said anything.
