Action
UPS
Helldivers 2: The Final Preview
Sweet liberty! One of my favorite PS4-era shooters is back with a whole new perspective and it’s up to me and my friends to defend Super Earth in glorious co-op! After going hands-on with Helldivers 2 for three hours, I’m sold on the bold pivot from the original’s top-down view to the sequel’s new third-person perspective, the appetizing roster of deadly gadgets, and the outrageous comedic tone that expertly channels the low-budget action film vibes that pair perfectly with the developer’s live-service ambitions. I’m a bit concerned at the moment that it won’t have enough content to go the distance long term, with only two enemy factions (so far as we know), procedurally generated levels that can feel a bit one-note, and no real live-service roadmap at launch, but with such a strong, effortlessly fun foundation, it’s definitely off to good start. With all the over-the-top gore and patriotic pageantry of Starship Troopers, Helldivers 2 is the kind of wonderfully silly shooter that me and my friends could easily lose many Friday nights to.