Helldivers 2, the sequel to Arrowhead Game Studios’ co-op shooter and PS4 launch game Helldivers, gets a new trailer today. And has been confirmed the two big features from the original game return for the sequel, now played in the over-the-shoulder third-person perspective rather than top-down.
Stratagems, the strategic supply drop you can call upon from the sky is back. And yes, you still require to do a specific combination of d-pad inputs to summon them. Stratagems can include a call for an orbital barrage, airstikes, supply drops and most, importantly, reinforcements to respawn a player back into battle. The supply pods themselves can cause damage when landing, which can lead to awkward situations where a friend is respawned only for them to land on another player, instantaneously killing them and putting the squad back to square one again.
And that also means friendly fire, as a feature, is back. As per tradition from the makers of Magicka, Helldivers 2 will see opportunities where you must communicate effectively with friends in order to avoid such avoidable casualties.
Another aspect revealed in this dev diary video is armour. Some enemies require heavier firepower to really punch through their armour. Similarly, players can equip heavier armour to withstand stronger fire at the cost of mobility.
Helldivers 2 see you play as soldiers of Super Earth spreading democracy through the galaxy. And that means annihilating alien forces with sheer firepower. There’s a Starship Troopers vibe to the setting.
Helldivers 2 is ready to lock a release date yet, but it’s coming later this year for PS5 and PC.