Helldivers 2The most important orders should be goals unite the community working toward a common goal, which often paves the way for meaningful steps further down the line Galactic War. Previous major commissions have resulted in incredible player-led stories like this one Liberation of Malevelon Creek and that Securing ‘Mechs on Tien Kwan. They’ve also resulted in some stomach-churning ones, such as the return of the automatons after players were tricked into thinking they had wiped them out of the galaxy. The point is that implementing these large orders tends to have consequences that can be either good or bad, and that was great to watch Hellidivers 2 Players must roll with the punches. All of this makes the latest major contract a little depressing, as it essentially undoes a decision they made together just a few weeks ago.
At one point, Helldivers 2 Players were encouraged to do so Choose between defending two planets, each with their own cunning that they could earn as a reward. Although the community could supposedly free both, only the first to be freed would result in a stratagem. Players were given the opportunity to try out each strategy while on one of the worlds, and they ultimately chose the planet that granted everyone a rocket launcher, rather than the planet that had anti-tank mines. It wasn’t the greatest decision in the world, but it had some consequence in locking you away new weapon. Now, Helldivers 2The latest major mission is to reverse course and give players a chance to unlock the mines they had missed.
Let me start with the obvious: Yes, something like this was always going to happen! You don’t work on a completely new feature for a game, or in this case a different version of a similar weapon, only to scrap it. However, I wish they would hold on to it a little longer to make the reintroduction a more dramatic deal than it is now. Arrowhead Studios always wanted to find a way to inc orporate them into the game, otherwise the development costs would be eaten up in vain, and I can’t blame the developers for that. But this turn of events and how quickly it came makes it clear how momentous some decisions are Helldivers 2
The introduction of this choice just a few weeks ago felt like a major turning point after months of the community uniting behind one cause after another. Players were rightly divided, even if things ultimately worked out in the big gun’s favor as predicted. You just can’t say no to a big gun. However, the concept of forcing players to make a decision with lasting consequences had potential beyond simply choosing between weapons, and it’s not hard to imagine the team extending it to larger decisions that affect the fate of entire planets or affect the course of the war. I was looking forward to seeing how Arrowhead could continue to create and build on these moments of friction, not to sow actual disagreement among the fan base, but simply because it’s interesting to watch a group weigh multiple factors and come to a consensus ( or lack thereof) and then live with it. I bet it was also a very convenient way to conduct informal surveys internally Helldivers 2 Players about what they would like to see in future weapons and war strategies!
Choosing to follow a story beat that effectively communicates, “Psych, it was all for nothing,” is just a little weak. The next time Arrowhead tries a similar move, people will be smart enough to know that it probably doesn’t really matter and that what was once a rousing goal is now barely any something for the community to play with next time it rolls around. I’m sure most people are completely unimpressed by this and are actually happy that they now have the opportunity to use both stratagems on offer, but as someone who enjoys the narrative of it the most Helldivers 2 From the outside looking in, it’s a shame to see such a powerful storytelling mechanism so abruptly silenced.