In the past I’ve been quite critical of local co-op and multiplayer games on the PlayStation 4, and that’s putting it lightly. So it shouldn’t come as a surprise to hear that I was weary when it came to Helldivers. I really needn’t have been. Helldivers is the complete co-op game; it’s tactical, explosive and most of all enjoyable, especially when playing with a few friends beside you.
Helldivers is a co-op top down shooter set in a dystopian futuristic world where ‘Super Earth’ finds itself under threat from three different alien threats. As a member of the Super Earth’s most advanced military group, the Helldivers, it’s up to you wipe out each threat from all three fronts. Although the plot doesn’t ever expand into something more it’s a neat backstory that sets the game up quite nicely.
To defeat each alien threat you will have to take over a number of territories to force the enemy back to their home world, where you can once and for all wipe them out from the game. You do this by gaining influence, which you can achieve by completing missions on series of planets in the system. Once the influence reaches 100% you can claim the territory and move onto the next. The influence of a given territory is not just governed by your battles too, but also determined by how well other Helldivers around the world are performing. This alludes to the fact that online play is integral to Helldivers, and its main attraction.
You can either play through the Helldivers campaign as a lone wolf or with up to three cooperative partners (online or local). The latter is definitely advised if you want the most enjoyment from the game, and if you want to stand the best chance at completing missions more effectively. You see, combat in Helldivers is all about teamwork and tactics. Before jumping into battle you have to choose what weapons and stratagems to pick for your Helldiver. When there are up to four of you in a group you have the opportunity to assign each member a different role in the team based on the equipment on offer.
For instance one member could equip themselves with a shotgun and ammunition packs with their focus close quarters combat, whereas another member could equip their character with a sniper and automatic turrets attacking enemies from distance and providing a good defensive option. Tactics really do increase your chances of success in Helldivers. Head into battle with similar stratagems and weapons and you may find yourselves unprepared for some of the enemies, as some weapons are better at taking down certain enemies.
The combat in Helldivers is reminiscent of Dead Nation. At first it you may find yourself having a little difficultly getting the hang of twin stick shooting and aiming, especially when coming straight out of a first-person shooter, but once you’ve got to grips with it fighting alien threats from all angles shouldn’t be much of an issue for you.
Although the combat in Helldivers is really fast-paced, you really never get a minutes rest from the action, calling in stratagems and some objectives require a moment’s pause from fighting to input a code on the d-pad. This leads to some frantic and nervous few seconds of play as you desperately try to press the code in the right order as a horde of aliens makes it way towards you.
Stratagems can save your life in Helldivers. After inputting a code you can throw a beacon down which can signal for ammunition drops, airstrikes, turret deployments and even for a battle exo-suit. With each player having different stratagems equipped you can expect a lot of variation to the combat capabilities of your squad. You might find a few stratagems to be overpowered though, especially the exo-suit, which ends up making some of the easier missions dull.
Co-op and stratagem signals make for some comical missions…but not always for the right reasons. Friendly fire is always on in Helldivers, which leads to some hilarious deaths. I’ve been trampled on by my teammate in an exo-suit a few times, not to mention the number of times I’ve walked into my own incoming ammunition drop.
You can expect the missions in the game to be quite expansive. You have to traverse a large map and complete a series of objectives along the way before heading to an extraction beacon. The difficulty of each mission is determined by the number of objectives to complete and of course by the density of alien presence in the area. Objectives vary from activating SAM sites and recon beacons to capturing certain areas and defending them from waves of enemies. Missions can last up to 10 or so minutes, but bear in mind this will be constant action.
After each mission you gain XP depending on how well you’ve played. Leveling up unlocks rewards including weapons and armour. You can also customise how your individual Helldiver looks, which is handy in frantic situations where you need to distinguish which character you are. Helldivers isn’t ground-breaking in terms of its visual capabilities but you can expect vibrant extra-terrestrial environments filled with a host of different enemies varying from cyborg snipers to xenomorph-esque organisms.
Online play is the main focal point in terms of progressing in Helldivers which, although a really well integrated idea, could be a bit of a worry. Defeating each alien threat really depends on the performance of other players as well as your own progress, so if there is a lack of people playing then surely you’ll never finish the game? I guess we’ll find this out when the game releases. Despite encountering a few problems connecting to the servers the online play was smooth throughout my time with it with a very quick matchmaking system.
What’s Good:
- Great fun in local coop.
- Quick matchmaking system.
- Dozens of varied missions.
- Tactical, yet enjoyable combat.
- Cross-play and cross-save between PlayStation consoles.
What’s Bad:
- Completing the game alone can be quite dull.
- Some weapons and perks feel overpowered during easier missions.
- Can you ever complete the game?
With seamless online matchmaking and drop-in local multiplayer, Helldivers is the complete coop game. After being left disappointed many a time by previous local multiplayer games the PlayStation 4 has had to offer, Helldivers is a breath of fresh air providing short bursts of explosive action that’s both strategic and enjoyable.
Score: 8/10
Version Tested: PS4
Lieutenant Fatman
Sounds fantastic, good review, thanks! Will definitely be buying this.
Tuffcub
Sounds my sort of thing, I do like twin stick shooters.
bunimomike
Same here, fella. When its done right it’s an absolute blast. Been looking forward to this for months and months.
double-o-dave
It’s looking promising so far. Anyone know how much it will cost?
Stefan L
I’ve only got the price in euros, but it’s €20.99 with triple cross-buy and will have a 20% discount at launch for PS+. So maybe £17 before the discount? I’m not sure how that would convert.
It’s $19.99 in the US, and will be part of their Spring Fever promotion (10% off for PS+)
double-o-dave
Cheers, that price sounds about right. Should be a laugh.
lambchop
Did I see something about this being on PS+ this month?
MrYd
I think it was rumoured, possibly just because the release date happened to be the same as the PS+ update and they haven’t given a price yet. Then it was denied by the developers.
But obviously, nobody knows because Sony seem to have forgotten they were supposed to have PS+ update for March. Supposed to be tomorrow (today in the US) and not a word from them.
Avenger
I don’t think Sony have forgotten, so much as they are are running around frantic wondering what the **** to do.
double-o-dave
Maybe Sony will announce the games at GDC so we could possibly get some kind of surprise.
lambchop
The Last Guardian on PS4 for the March PS+ update ;)
KittDJW
Think this is a definite purchase for me, Looks hilarious and will be nice to also get another fun local coop game.
bunimomike
Negative points:
• Completing the game alone can be quite dull.
• Can you ever complete the game?
Hope these two points didn’t impact the score as it’s 1) clearly been built as a co-op game and 2) up to the player to find friends/good players to team up with.
Lovely review, otherwise. :-)
Avenger
Well if completing the game alone is an option, surely is should’ve been made more exciting. In my opinion, it was a valid point made in the review.
bunimomike
I don’t mind a valid point but a game made with co-op clearly in mind means that the focus needs to be on that. It’s like marking Left 4 Dead 2 down because single player isn’t as much fun as four player co-op. Sure, make it a mention but don’t score it down for that as the main thrust of the game is clearly to play with friends/other players online.
Avenger
I don’t know, a game is a game isn’t it. Shouldn’t reviews be based on what the game is rather than what it’s expected or assumed to be. The game has a solo mode, therefore as a part of the game it’s subject to review and a score. Maybe it’s my point of view, because I wasn’t expecting Helldivers to be anything (‘clearly co-op’ or anything else) until I read a few reviews and got informed on what it actually is.
bunimomike
A game needs context and it doesn’t have to consist of docking points from an overall review when there is a clear divide between the situation at hand – not saying Dan did but just in general. :-) It’s why we’re seeing more and more reviews addressing the single player and multi player of Call of Duty. I very much appreciate this as I’m only interested in the single player part of the game.
If Dan thought it was worth docking Helldivers a point for single-player play-throughs then that can always be mentioned in the review text itself (ideally in the summary) so people know what to be wary of.
There are co-op games (built from the ground up) that deserve co-op scores. However, I’d always welcome an “if you play this through on your own you can expect this” addendum, that’s for sure. I just wouldn’t want it impacting the headlining score when the game is clearly marketed as a co-op experience.
Dan Jones
For a day I couldn’t connect to the online servers which forced me to play offline which wasn’t fun. It was more a warning than a criticism. In the case of the second point overall progression is down to the entire online community it seems, not your group of friends, which could be an issue in the future. Really is a wonderful game though!
bunimomike
If it’s a warning, Dan, that’s fine. I just don’t like the idea of a “clearly co-op” game to be marked down which is why I opened with my initial query.
The next bit is more of a tongue in cheek comment but you being forced to play this offline isn’t strictly true. You just felt like you had to get through the game, I assume, for the review. Unless Arrowhead Studios are at every reviewers house with a gun to your head whilst simultaneously shouting “continue playing, you whore!”. :-) But… excuse my nonsense on that front. ;-)
Mark Lee
I was worried about this game when it disappeared from the public consciousness last summer. Great review, my faith has been restored!
RudeAwakening
I have been reading on NeoGaf that the vita version is shocking, just terrible. It seems PS4 is the better option.
flatspikes
Argh, a poor Vita version… That puts me in two minds over this one now:-(
DJ Judas
Had a quick blast with this this morning based on the general consensus, and impressions are good. One of the main selling points for me though is the cross-platform coop, a feature that more developers should implement if the environment allows.
dirtiestturnip
Bought, now I just need to get home from work so I can play it. Can see myself soaking hours into this.