A major point for the success of Helldivers 2 is the co-op aspect. However, MeinMMO author Nikolas Hernes is a big fan of playing the game solo. You can find his 3 reasons here.
I, too, have fallen for the hype surrounding Helldivers 2 and immediately felt the urge to decimate insect hordes. I was looking forward to a great multiplayer chaos and as a fan of Earth Defense Force, I was familiar with insect shooting.
Due to the game’s surprising success, the servers were overloaded and many things didn’t work as they should. On the PS5, the search for teammates didn’t always function perfectly, which meant I spent most of my time alone on missions. And I was surprised at how much fun I had. Here, I summarize 3 reasons for that.
1. You feel like you’re in a science fiction movie
This point may sound a bit silly at first, as the game is a clear reference to the satire Starship Troopers. It works really well in multiplayer, and the premise around it understands the humor of the film.
But when I’m alone on a dark planet, accompanied only by moonlight and my flashlight, attacking the Terminids, I feel reminded of something like Aliens. Fighting against these disgusting creatures alone is the fantasy of a lonely science fiction story. When you fight the robots alone, you feel like you’re battling Skynet and its Terminators in the future.
The environment also creates a beautiful atmosphere, reminiscent of films like The Creator or Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.
2. I love sightseeing in Helldivers 2
When I was alone on the various planets, I was surprised at how beautiful the game actually is. What Helldivers 2 conjures up with light sources, weather effects, and the right brightness is truly atmospheric.
There were moments when the moon or a sunrise shone through trees and rugged rock formations, creating really beautiful images. When you are traveling to the next location just before or after a fight, the isolation, which also fits my first point, is perfectly represented.
But even in combat, beautiful moments arise. When it’s dark and suddenly it rains, visibility decreases, causing shots and your own flashlight to create a horror atmosphere, as you can’t always anticipate from which direction an insect will jump out.
These moments occur only to a lesser extent in multiplayer and rather increase the sense of community than a feeling of horror.
3. Sometimes teammates can be annoying
This point mainly refers to random teammates. Coordination in random lobbies isn’t always perfect, leading to many annoying situations. In one of my first games, I was consistently killed by my teammates’ grenades. Whether this was intentional or unintentional, I don’t know, but the frustration was high.
The great sense of community as a Helldiver community simply doesn’t come across to me in such moments. And even within the mission with random players, coordinating mission objectives is difficult. Of course, I include myself in this too. I am also not always the most competent teammate.
But those are of course just my isolated experiences. The community seems to have had rather positive experiences.
Despite my personal problems, I do enjoy the multiplayer. Especially in difficult missions, it’s almost impossible to succeed alone. However, if you also want to have an atmospheric experience and discover the hidden side of Helldivers 2, I can only recommend taking a round on low missions alone. If you want to be well-equipped, you should check out our tier list: Helldivers 2: Tier List of the best weapons and grenades for every mission
