Summary
It’s been a wild few months forHelldivers 2. Released on February 8, there wasn’t too much hype surroundingHelldivers 2’s initial launch. While the game is a sequel to a 2015 PS4/PS Vita title, it bears little resemblance to its top-down predecessor, and its online multiplayer live-service approach didn’t fill fans with a lot of confidence. But somehow,Helldivers 2has managed to do what so many have tried and failed to do, and that’s actually become a successful live-service title.
With a lower initial price point, no predatory microtransactions, and a battle pass system that avoids common FOMO practices,Helldivers 2has set a new standard for the live-service genre, and it’s enjoyed a great deal of success over the last two months. Putting players in the boots of an expendable sci-fi army of Super Earth’s finest,Helldivers 2’s core gameplay loopsees players try to gradually wipe other hostile species from the face of the galaxy, one planet at a time. To aid in that noble objective, Arrowhead has continued to add new weapons and tools to the game, and one recent addition feels like it’s still only scratching the surface of its potential.
Helldivers 2’s Exosuits Could Be So Much More
Added toHelldivers 2at the start of March after a Major Order tasked players with liberating the system of Tien Kwan,the EXO-45 Patriot Exosuitis one of the latest Strategems players will unlock in the game, only being available after level 25.
Right now, Helldivers 2’s exosuit only has one form, but it’s a rather effective one. Equipped with a Gatling gun on one arm and a missile pod on the other, the EXO-45 Patriot is capable of cleaving through swarms of Terminids, and to a lesser extent, wiping out small armies of Automatons. While the Patriot Exosuit does its job fairly well, there’s always room for improvement.
Helldivers 2’s Exosuits Should Feature Alternate Loadouts
It would be great to see some different exosuit loadouts come toHelldivers 2in the near future.The firstHelldivershad three different exosuit Stratagems, each one with a unique weapon loadout: the EXO-44 Walker is the model closest toHelldivers 2’s Patriot, equipped with some missiles and a minigun, the EXO-48 Obsidian is an upgraded version of that equipped with dual autocannons, and the EXO-51 Lumberer boasted a powerful cannon on one arm and a devastating flamethrower on the other. It would be great to see similar exosuits come toHelldivers 2.
But even then, that feels like it’s still only scratching the surface. While miniguns, autocannons, missiles, and flamethrowers would all be great exosuit additions,Helldivers 2could deliver a handful of even more unique exosuit loadouts. An energy-based exosuit would be a great pick, with a morepowerful version ofHelldivers 2’s Sickleon one arm and an EMG grenade launcher on the other. Alternatively, an exosuit designed for support might also be interesting, equipped with a portable shield and some kind of gas emitter that slows oncoming enemies.
But the true final destination forHelldivers 2’s exosuitsis already clear as day, and that’s custom exosuit loadouts. Eventually, it would be amazing to be able to customize each individual component on aHelldivers 2exosuit, from deciding what weapon gets attached to each arm, to maybe being able to give the exosuit some kind of unique ability such as a rocket boost or the aforementioned portable shield. There’s no confirmation that’ll ever occur, but the ceiling is only as high as Arrowhead wants it to be.
Helldivers 2
WHERE TO PLAY
Do you believe in freedom? Can you stand in the face of oppression – and defend the defenceless? Wage war for peace. Die for democracy.Join forces with up to three friends and wreak havoc on an alien scourge threatening the safety of your home planet, Super Earth, in this multiplayer co-op shooter for PS5 and PC from Arrowhead Game Studios.Step into the boots of the Helldivers, an elite class of soldiers whose mission is to spread peace, liberty and Managed Democracy using the biggest, baddest and most explosive tools in the galaxy.Helldivers don’t go planet side without proper backup, but it’s up to you to decide how and when to call it in. Not only do you have a host of superpowered primary weapons and customizable loadouts, you also have the ability to call on stratagems during play.Helldivers 2 features Arrowhead’s best cooperative gameplay yet. Collaboration will be vital: Teams will synergize on loadouts, strategize their approach for each mission and complete objectives together.1Enlist in Super Earth’s premier military peacekeeping force today. We are heroes… we are legends… WE ARE HELLDIVERS.
