Video Game Review - Helldivers

Helldivers: Hilarity in a small but unique package.

STORY:

You, soldier, are part of the great Super Earth race and at this time the universe is in trouble.  Three hostile races are attempting to take over and destroy our beautiful way of life.  Your mission is to train with the best of the best and then be fired down to a hostile planet in a tube and eradicate all living life.  Just make sure you do not shoot your fellow teammates in the balls.

The story of Helldivers is exactly what you think it is: almost non-existent.  But that's okay, because the game doesn't claim to be anything more than what it really is…*cough* Destiny *cough*.  Aside from a humorous beginning and a war recap every time you log in, don't expect too much.  Helldivers is more about getting on a map and shooting things.  So it won't bog you down with trying to explain why you are there.

"Sir, why am I climbing into this pod?  You act like we're going to be fired out into ahhhhhhhh!"

THOUGHTS:

It's not the simple but elegant art and layout that'll first get your attention in Helldivers.  It's not the fact that the game can become unbelievably hard.  It's not even the sophisticated gameplay that'll keep you engrossed.  It's the humor that's buried underneath the surface of Helldivers every step of the way.  From the silly introduction, which has a remarkable Starship Troopers feel, to continually having friendly fire on…you'll not only enjoy your time with this top-down, twin-stick shooter, but you'll have plenty of moments of laughter to boot.

If you're still trying to understand what type of game this is…then picture this.  There's a big video game party happening and in the corner, having a drink all by herself is Diablo 3.  She had her moment in the sun, when the world was playing with all her buttons, but now she spends most of the time wishing there was something more in life.  Then there's a knock at the door and Destiny walks in covered in a half billion dollar suit.  He's kind of shallow, but occasionally can be a heck of a good time to hang out with.  Well Diablo 3 is so moved by Destiny's my-crap-don't-stink attitude that the two of them hit it off perfectly.  What happens next?  Well they make sweet monkey love and a few pixelated months later…Helldivers is born. 

PROCEDURALLY GENERATED ART:

Areas and planets are procedurally generated throughout the game, so that no two planets are laid out exactly the same.  If you enjoyed some of the layouts and scenery in Diablo 3 then you'll love this game.  The only difference is Helldivers has a Sci-Fi coat of paint, while Diablo 3 is decorated in a Fantasy motif.  The art and feel of Helldivers is simplistic but perfect for the environment of the gameplay.  Areas can be lush with vegetation or be desert like in appearance.  The point is the maps that you're running around in—for the most part—are varied, leading you to not get as bored as quickly.

"Grenade!  Heads up--oh crap, we're going to need another Dave.  Corporal, order 

us another Dave." 

GAMEPLAY:

The game is a twin-stick shooter: meaning left stick moves the character and the right stick aims your weapon.  Firing your gun (right trigger) and throwing a grenade (left trigger) are like any other game and are simple enough to pull off when in the heat of battle; though the fun comes in the form of stratagems.  These are supplies you can order depending on your load out.  Need a turret?  Order that sucker.  How about a mech suit?  Also available.  Extra ammo for you or your pals?  Yep, that's there too.  Stratagems are acquired by leveling your character or performing certain missions.  But the best part about them is how you order them.  You have to type in a code correctly for them to arrive.  So holding the L1 down allows you to see the codes and then in the heat of battle you might have to press: up, up, down, left, up, down, down, right.  Or was that last one a left?  This makes the game challenging and fun at the same time, and working together as a four man team becomes critical in harder battles.  One squad mate might be holding back bugs, while another is calling for ammo.  And the third guy is calling in an air strike, while teammate four is trying to call for evacuation.  If done correctly, there’s a sense of accomplishment felt at the end of every mission.  And once the mission is over you return to your ship to upgrade weapons, switch load outs, see any perks acquired, and to twirl…twirling is essential, especially if you want that "dancing queen" trophy. 

"Wait...was it left, down, down, left or left, down, down, right?  Oh screw it...Grenade!" 

"Dammit!  Someone order us another Bob." 

MULTIPLAYER:

This is where the fun happens.  Why?  Friendly fire.  At no time is there ever an ability to turn off the accidents that will happen during battle.  You will shoot your squad mates dead.  You will throw a grenade and probably kill one or two of your friends.  You will definitely get gunned down by your own turret at some point.  But it's all in good fun.  The game is designed to be funny.  Killing a squad mate isn't usually good for the current mission, but it's hilarious.  If one of your teammates accidentally steps on a mine, it'll probably blow up a couple more people.  But these are the instances that you'll remember.  You won't remember winning every battle, but—damn—you will remember that time you blew your friend’s face off with a shotgun.  Or the time you watched a teammate walk directly into a turret and have his head shredded.  Hilariously stuff. 

But this also presents a problem: if none of your friends are online at the moment, you might have to jump in with strangers.  Now, you could make friends instantly by saying hello, but there may be an instance where you appear on a planet to help and—BAM—one of the teammates turns around and shoots you directly in the eyeball.  Funny but not funny at the same time.  At least you'd know where you stand with your new team, right?

Another cool aspect of Helldivers is the ability for all three platforms to communicate with each other.  So not only will you be playing with people on PS4 if you're on the PS4, but you'll also be playing with people on the PS3 and Vita.  Same goes for the purchase of the game: buy it on one platform and you get it on all three platforms.  So finding and playing with friends is even easier.

REPETITION:

The real question to ask is whether or not Helldivers will get old.  Will landing on a planet and filling an objective and then acquiring an upgrade start to wear thin?  The easy answer to that is yes, because no matter what you’re playing, everything gets old.  Everything becomes repetitious.  It's the way of gaming.  But if you still enjoy Diablo 3 after hundreds of hours or you're still teaming up and running a Raid in Destiny for the umpteenth time, you may have more fun with Helldivers than someone else.

"Hey guys, where's Johnny?"

"See that tank?"

"Yeah..."

"Well, it landed on him. Private, order us another Johnny."

CONCLUSION:

Helldivers may not be the next game of the year and may not have an engrossing story like The Last of Us, but for the price, you're getting a lot of bang for your buck.  If you enjoy games like Dentiny, where you continually go on mission after mission, and top down adventures like Diablo 3, then Helldivers is right up your alley.  If both of those games sound boring and uninteresting, then Helldivers will not change your mind.  With elegant art, a humorous undertone, and teammate mistakes that'll make you crack up, Helldivers becomes a small addictive game that will keep you coming back for more comical pain.

3.5 out of 5 Stars (minus a star for missing story and a half star for slight repetitiveness)