Everything pointed to the fact that the protagonists of February (2024) were going to be Skull and Bones and Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, although the latter was entering the fray. However, reality has surprised us again: Helldivers 2 has become the most talked about video game of the month, being a real success and becoming the best PlayStation launch on PC. Almost nothing!
In case you don’t know it, Helldivers 2 It is a third-person shooting video game, cooperative multiplayer (no PVP, no plans) and an online universe that updates in real time. All player actions are taken into account, and developers can interact with us at any time through changes and special events, whether planned or improvised.
Its formula, although simple, is absurdly addictive. Drop into a medium-sized map, complete objectives of different priorities (or not), and escape alive through extraction (or not). On its own, it doesn’t seem too fun, but it is to stratospheric levels when we introduce one of the most characteristic elements of games like Diablo IV, Lost Ark
Why put limits on violence, death and destruction?
Rhythm in video games is essential. Works like Dead Space, God of War and Red Dead Redemption 2 illustrate perfect work in this sense. Although this does not mean that carefully measured action is the only way to succeed among players. Sometimes, developers take everything for granted and offer us experiences that are hyper-saturated with action.
This is where video games like Diablo IV y Lost Ark, where we spend most of our time fighting hordes whose numbers reach absurd limits. There is an inherent pleasure in destroying hundreds of enemies indiscriminately, (almost) non-stop, and in the most brutal ways possible. The greater the number and power of our attacks, the better.
And this is not something I’m making up. There is Musou, a video game genre (sometimes very underrated) that is characterized by presenting an absurd number of enemies on the screen. The players must face them and massacre them massively. The main reference is the saga Dynasty Warriorswhere we fight on battlefields of China’s war history.
The three video games mentioned have a common denominator: their gameplay is very addictive due to the pleasure you get from facing hundreds and thousands of enemies alone. Even the zombie genre tried it with World War Z, although it didn’t catch on too well. And precisely Helldivers 2 It is so addictive and fun for many people because it shares this characteristic.
Humanity, empire and destruction
Helldivers 2 puts us in the following context: humanity forms a galactic empire (based on a satire of American patriotism) thanks to the technological power of its weapons. Anything that is not human is the enemy and must be eradicated without the slightest hint of mercy or consideration. A frequently repeated phrase is: “You will not destroy our way of life.”
There is no room for interpretation in this context. Arrowhead Game Studios He wants us to be savages with anything that is not human and with that idea we go on mission after mission to destroy any species that gets in our way. The maps have a medium-small size for a good reason: we can have literally dozens of enemies on the screen and the final kill count can reach a thousand without much effort when we are talking about squads of four players.
And what happens when you combine many enemies on screen and the American style of bringing democracy and freedom everywhere with the help of the M1 Abrams? The result is the weaponry and Stratagems of Helldivers 2
To all this we must add machine guns and automatic robots, deployment of perimeter defenses such as explosive and incendiary mines, anti-tank, flamethrowers, Tesla towers… And all these Stratagems are available at any time under a single limit: a cooldown of 1-2 minutes maximum.
It is impossible for anyone who is even a fan of this type of action not to widen their eyes when seeing an orbital attack fall right in the middle of a Terminid nest guarded by 30-40 bugs. And even more so considering that all the orbital impacts alter the scenery and that the graphic/artistic section of the game is great.
In conclusion: why Helldivers 2 is it so addictive? For the same reason that Diablo IV, Lost Ark y Dynasty Warriors: Facing huge hordes of outnumbered enemies with a disproportionate arsenal is orgasmic for any action video game fan.
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