Image courtesy of Sony Computer Entertainment
The beginning of each new year can be somewhat of a dead zone for gaming; all of the biggest releases are still on the horizon, and a solid new game is hard to come by. I typically use January/February as a place to catch up on my gaming backlog, but sometimes, out of nowhere, a great game sneaks up on me to (once again) push all of those unfinished games to the side.
Case in point: the brilliant and insanely tough Helldivers, a PlayStation-exclusive top down science fiction murder fest from Arrowhead Game Studios (whom you may recognize as the developers of Magicka).
If you've played Magicka, then Helldivers should feel right at home; you can team up with three of your buddies and traverse a near-endless stream of procedurally generated maps killing enemies and completing objectives. However, friendly fire is always on, meaning you have to coordinate with your friends in order to succeed. This adds a new layer of strategy and coordination; if you want to survive, you have to work together. And watch where you point your gun.
The setup for the game is straight out of Starship Troopers: you are a Helldiver, the best soldier that Super Earth has to offer. It is the distant future, and you are tasked you with eliminating the evil alien menace that is plaguing the galaxy and out to destroy Super Earth's way of life. It's up to you and your Helldiver pals to spread managed democracy across the universe and ensure freedom for generations to come! It's gleefully hilarious, especially since your character yells out "Have a fresh cup of tea-mocracy!" and "FREEDOM!" just about every time you kill something.
Gameplay is simple enough to grasp but has enough layers to create some unique strategy. You travel from planet to planet (each with varying difficulty) completing objectives, all the while trying to escape with your life. You have an arsenal of weapons that can be expanded and improved the more you level up. Each planet you visit also has scientific samples that you can collect to gain research points, which are in turn used to level up your weapons and abilities. Each player has the ability to call in support via strategems; equipment ranges from turrets and ammo to an APC and even a giant mech suit. Before you leave each mission, you have to wait on your escape shuttle; it's a little 'last stand' of sorts, with enemies coming at you from all sides. It's frantic and incredibly fun, especially when you throw other players and multiple strategems into the mix. Controls are precise, meaning you have no one but yourself to blame if you die.
Helldivers doesn't hold your hand at all. It rarely does you any favors, so that means it's up to you to take care of yourself and your teammates. Everything in this game can kill you: your friends, your own weapons, your defensive equipment, a teammate's drop pod, even the rescue shuttle can flatten your ass. You may thing that's a little too much, and at times it can be (especially when you're close to the end of a mission) but trust me when I say that nothing that Helldivers threw at me was frustrating. In fact, the multiple deaths made the game that much more fun (and hilarious). The feeling of accomplishment you get when you clear an insanely tough mission is incredibly rewarding.
You can play the game solo, but I would strongly suggest you either play with friends or use matchmaking. Helldivers is made for co-op, and it's much more entertaining and rewarding playing with others.
We're barely into 2015, but Helldivers is all but guaranteed to secure a spot on my "Best of" list at the end of the year. It's been a while since I have played as rewarding and entertaining game as this. I highly suggest you gather three of your closest buddies and dive straight into hell; you'll have a damn good time.
Just prepare to die. A lot.
Case in point: the brilliant and insanely tough Helldivers, a PlayStation-exclusive top down science fiction murder fest from Arrowhead Game Studios (whom you may recognize as the developers of Magicka).
If you've played Magicka, then Helldivers should feel right at home; you can team up with three of your buddies and traverse a near-endless stream of procedurally generated maps killing enemies and completing objectives. However, friendly fire is always on, meaning you have to coordinate with your friends in order to succeed. This adds a new layer of strategy and coordination; if you want to survive, you have to work together. And watch where you point your gun.
The setup for the game is straight out of Starship Troopers: you are a Helldiver, the best soldier that Super Earth has to offer. It is the distant future, and you are tasked you with eliminating the evil alien menace that is plaguing the galaxy and out to destroy Super Earth's way of life. It's up to you and your Helldiver pals to spread managed democracy across the universe and ensure freedom for generations to come! It's gleefully hilarious, especially since your character yells out "Have a fresh cup of tea-mocracy!" and "FREEDOM!" just about every time you kill something.
Gameplay is simple enough to grasp but has enough layers to create some unique strategy. You travel from planet to planet (each with varying difficulty) completing objectives, all the while trying to escape with your life. You have an arsenal of weapons that can be expanded and improved the more you level up. Each planet you visit also has scientific samples that you can collect to gain research points, which are in turn used to level up your weapons and abilities. Each player has the ability to call in support via strategems; equipment ranges from turrets and ammo to an APC and even a giant mech suit. Before you leave each mission, you have to wait on your escape shuttle; it's a little 'last stand' of sorts, with enemies coming at you from all sides. It's frantic and incredibly fun, especially when you throw other players and multiple strategems into the mix. Controls are precise, meaning you have no one but yourself to blame if you die.
Helldivers doesn't hold your hand at all. It rarely does you any favors, so that means it's up to you to take care of yourself and your teammates. Everything in this game can kill you: your friends, your own weapons, your defensive equipment, a teammate's drop pod, even the rescue shuttle can flatten your ass. You may thing that's a little too much, and at times it can be (especially when you're close to the end of a mission) but trust me when I say that nothing that Helldivers threw at me was frustrating. In fact, the multiple deaths made the game that much more fun (and hilarious). The feeling of accomplishment you get when you clear an insanely tough mission is incredibly rewarding.
You can play the game solo, but I would strongly suggest you either play with friends or use matchmaking. Helldivers is made for co-op, and it's much more entertaining and rewarding playing with others.
We're barely into 2015, but Helldivers is all but guaranteed to secure a spot on my "Best of" list at the end of the year. It's been a while since I have played as rewarding and entertaining game as this. I highly suggest you gather three of your closest buddies and dive straight into hell; you'll have a damn good time.
Just prepare to die. A lot.
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