Helldivers 2 has arrived on Xbox finally and now a whole new group of players can fight for managed democracy. With the era of exclusives (hopefully) coming to an end, Xbox gamers can now join the fight as the last line against oppression. One thing that initially turned me off from the Helldivers franchise is the ability to team kill. I don’t understand why some developers put that in their games so that trolls can try to ruin everyone else’s fun. That said though, after spending some time with Helldivers 2, I did find the overall experience fun.

In Helldivers 2, it is up to you to complete strategic missions with up to three other people. The first experience I had before jumping into any actual missions was aboard my ship. This operates as a hub world for your Helldivers 2 experience. This is where your armory is located and you can customize your loadout before joining the battle. In addition to your weapon, you can also customize your armor, character, equip any boosters you might have, and look at your overall career statistics. There is also an acquisitions menu which is the store where you can buy items, both using in-game currency as well as real world money. The biggest thing here for Xbox players is the collaboration between Sony and Microsoft by bringing in a Halo ODST warbond. In Helldivers 2, a warbond is a set of unlockable equipment. This is similar to battle passes in other games. It is a tiered system that can reward players for playing the game. The way to progress is by using Warbond medals that you can earn by completing both personal and major orders.

There are three different types of warbonds. These include legendary, premium, and standard. You can get standard warbonds for free but super credits are required for premium and legendary. I was able to find super credits in special loot containers at “Points of Interest,” as well as a reward for some warbonds. Then, of course, you can use real money to buy them in the Super Credit tab in the Acquisitions center. If you want the special Halo ODST gear immediately you have to spend some real world money and a decent amount to get it, which I didn’t appreciate. I was able to unlock the MA5C Assault Rifle for 35 medals, however, I needed a legendary warbond before unlocking that item, which is 1,500 super credits. That translates to me having to spend $20 of real world money to buy those super credits, so that I can unlock the ability to spend medals to unlock some items. While this can be earned through gameplay, those who want to use this equipment from the jump, will be required to pay this, which I didn’t really appreciate. If you want to require that players earn medals by playing the game to unlock items, great. Charging something on top of that though to give us the ability to spend those medals is not such a great thing.

Once you get everything set up, I went to the Galactic War table to jump into the fight. Helldivers 2 is a collective effort with other players. As you are deciding what you want to do, you can see real time stats, such as how many enemies have been killed, how many bullets have been fired, and how many Helldivers are active. Participating in the Galactic War will have you capturing enemy planets, completing objectives that will help in the collective effort, standing your ground against invading forces, and more. The overall success depends on everyone. For example, as I am writing up this review, there is a planet that must be reclaimed. Liberation currently sits at 81.95880 percent. Working together with other players and by completing objectives on that planet, you can eventually get the planet 100% liberated. I appreciated the number of different choices that I had there, along with a few different varieties in the type of missions I wanted to do. Regardless of what I felt like doing, I could still play my role in fighting for managed democracy.

As far as gameplay is concerned, Helldivers 2 is a third person team based shooter. If you have played any other third person team based shooter you know what to expect here as far as basic fundamentals are concerned. While playing I would always enjoy calling in support Stratagems, such as airstrikes or turrets. There is also some resource management to pay attention to, in addition to environmental hazards on whichever planet you happen to be on. Resource management such as watching your ammo carefully adds another layer of challenge to the game. If you reload too early, you risk losing the remaining ammo you had in the clip you replaced. It doesn’t just carry over like a lot of other shooters. I have quite a bit of experience with third person shooters like this so I was able to pick up the basics fairly quickly. The shooting mechanics feel a bit “weighty” as these shooters tend to feel. You won’t be zipping around the environment but if you know what you are doing, you can cause a whole lot of damage. The development team made an interesting decision when deciding how players will incorporate Stratagems as well. You essentially have to enter a series of directional inputs, like you are performing a fatality in Mortal Kombat or entering the Konami code to get thirty lives in Contra. Missions are also timed so be sure to keep track of what is going on because once the shuttle arrives, you need to be ready for extraction or get left behind.

The planets that are available to play on and the missions available to complete will depend on the overall status of the Galactic War. If you see one planet or mission that interests you but you don’t want to play it at that moment, it might not be available later. Keep that in mind that the Galactic War is an ever evolving battle and everything is tied to working towards the common goal. Once the mission launches you will dive into the action, decide on your route and fight alongside others that (hopefully) work towards the common goal of completing the missions and then completing a successful extraction. Once you complete missions you will be rewarded medals, which you can use to purchase items as I mentioned earlier in this review. As you progress in the game you will also be able to upgrade your ship, which can give you a better chance at overall survival. This can open up new Stratagems to use, for example.

Overall, other than the cost of some of the items like I mentioned earlier, I don’t have much to complain about with Helldivers 2. It can be a lot of fun, especially if you find the right people to play with. The ever evolving battle keeps everyone on their toes and I’m curious to see what the developers have planned for the future. I look forward to spending more time with the game as new concepts get thrown into the mix. Helldivers 2 is also a crossplay title, meaning you will be able to play with those who have the game either on PlayStation 5 or PC. If you are a fan of third person shooters with some strategy and teamwork, be sure to give Helldivers 2 a try.

Score: 8.5/10

Originally posted on Gaming Target

Please Note: Sony provided us with a code for Helldivers 2 for review.