I Did Not Want to Play Helldivers 2, But Peer Pressure Got to Me – Here’s What Happened

I’m a huge fan of the original Helldivers, having played countless hours with my friends. The game could get chaotic at times, but with the top-down perspective, it never felt like it really got away from you. There was always a way out.

In my mind, switching to third person would take that away, significantly raising the skill floor and shutting the doors on casuals. And I was very much a casual player, since we’d only log in every couple of weeks or so for a night of bug-splattering action.

A friend finally convinced me recently to try Helldivers 2, and I caved. Might as well get it over with, decide I hate the change, go back to the first title, and call it a day, right?

Helldivers was a Gem

I didn’t play the original Helldivers at launch. I didn’t even know about it until much later, when a friend introduced me to the game. I wasn’t a huge fan at first, but it grew on me, and it’s probably one of my all-time favorite games now.

It was very easy to pick it up and play, and even my wife played with us at some point, and as a non-gamer, she wasn’t even all that much of a liability. It’s all so intuitive on a controller that you just don’t have to think about it. Your thumbs kind of know what to do.

For shooter games, I much prefer a keyboard and mouse. I just can’t seem to get the hang of a controller in shooter games, no matter their nature. So I was super worried that this would just be a frustrating experience and that Helldivers 2 would be a waste on the PlayStation.

I was wrong.

Why is it So Easy?

I was quite uncomfortable with the new controls for a bit in Helldivers 2, but quickly settled and even enjoyed myself. Then got bored because the missions were too easy. I did try to look for the difficulty settings, but couldn’t find them.

I moved on, and a few nights later, my friend invited me to a game. Alright then.

We jumped straight into a six (difficulty level), which was at the bottom of our comfort zone in the first game. We tended to play eights and nines more often, and only rarely played elevens or higher when we were feeling exceptionally brave.

You don’t need me to tell you that we got absolutely slaughtered. Having a fresh recruit on your team, who isn’t even comfortable with the controls yet, and then diving into a six is asking for trouble.

A few deaths later, we pulled out and tried something a little more manageable: a three. Too easy. A four. Just right.

As I got used to the controls, I began to really enjoy myself. There were times at the fifth difficulty level when everything just fell apart. You know, the mission went well, got some side quests, time to extract, and suddenly the entire bug army seems to converge on your very location at the same damn time. The deaths start racking up, accidentals climb, and soon you’re chucking grenades in a desperate attempt to at least survive yourself and get out. It’s especially bad when you’re surrounded by big bugs, and you have no anti-tank capabilities.

But with every new battle, I grew more comfortable, more confident, and soon we decided it was time to revisit that six. It was tough, just the two of us, but we managed and had a ton of fun on the way. I’m only level ten, so I still have lots to unlock to actually have the weaponry to take on the higher levels, but we’re already over halfway there, and I’m having just as much fun in HD2 as I did in the first game.

So if you’ve been holding back with similar feelings, Super Earth needs you, soldier. The old front is dead, and there’s plenty to do on the new one.

All the chaos from the first title is there, and it doesn’t ever feel completely overwhelming unless, of course, you try to hit a six when you’re only level two.