After doling out the previously leaked Illuminate enemy faction in a compartmentalized corner of the Galactic Map, Helldivers 2 finally brought the alien threat to humanity’s doorstep when the Meridian Singularity began gradually careening toward Super Earth. Helldivers 2’s Galactic Emergency was a mere appetizer course, all things considered, accompanying a new Premium Warbond, Masters of Ceremony, that would be released not much later. Now, with Mars officially razed and players diving into Super Earth’s Eagleopolis, Remembrance, and Equality-on-Sea Mega Cities at long last, the multi-Major Order Battle of Super Earth has begun.
Helldivers 2’s current MO is laughably and ludicrously to kill 2,500,000,000 Illuminate.
This latest Helldivers 2 update, Heart of Democracy, is truly special as it converges humanity’s last bastion with a looming sci-fi threat on Super Earth with the Illuminate’s full onslaught of Overseers, Fleshmobs, Harvesters, Interlopers, and Leviathans swarming city streets. Quite frankly, it’s tough to imagine how much higher the stakes could be in the future, and it’ll be thrilling to see what happens if players fail in foiling the Illuminate invasion. Failure is unlikely due to the sheer volume of players who’ve answered Super Earth’s call for aid, but it’s not out of the realm of possibility given how oppressive the Illuminate have become.
Helldivers 2’s New Weapon Customization is Hopefully a First Step Toward Armor Transmog
As Helldivers 2 debuts weapon attachment and pattern customization, armor is seemingly no closer to receiving transmog or its own customization.
Helldivers 2’s Heart of Democracy Brings the Illuminate Fight to Super Earth
Like each cinematic and momentous in-game event, Helldivers 2’s Heart of Democracy update will be a quickly shifting landscape, encouraging every player to engage with MOs while there are still days, hours, or minutes to spare. Players presently have a day and some change to kill an absurd sum of Illuminate, though they’re given a ripe opportunity to do so with a mission as arduous and harrowing as Repel Invasion Fleet.
Helldivers 2’s Super Earth missions, at least in this initial phase, include Blitz: Destroy Illuminate Warp Ships, Evacuate Citizens, Evacuate High-Value Assets, Free the City, Repel Invasion Fleet, Retrieve Recon Craft Intel, and Take Down Overship.
Repel Invasion Fleet is comical regarding how many Illuminate appear as players desperately attempt to obliterate a predetermined number of Warp Ships before Reinforces expire and squads are hopelessly overrun. Even Voteless mobs, which were relatively a non-issue beforehand, are rather aggressive now if players are unable to maintain distance, and Overseers are bullet sponges as per usual. However, no matter what mission players indulge in, Interlopers are Helldivers 2’s true nuisance.
The multi-Major Order Battle of Super Earth has begun.
Super Earth’s Mega Cities are Well Worth the Wait in Helldivers 2
It’s tremendously exciting to be battling on home soil because players get to have Helldivers 2’s SEAF NPCs deployed to assist them. These soldiers aren’t helpful in a significant way, meaning they aren’t anywhere near a bot level that would supplant real players, but having them around is a neat reminder of what players are fighting for and how everything is at stake now that the Illuminate have made their way to Super Earth.
Plus, with so many NPCs hurling themselves into warfare, it is incredibly easy for SEAF units to perish, and their deaths, while noble, cost squads 25 of their total requisition slips a piece (this also includes citizens who are slain during Evacuate Citizens missions).
Super Earth itself as a setting with a city biome is, as expected, a massive extrapolation of what miniature cities look like on Illuminate planets, and its Mega Cities are brimming with charming signage and commemorations for the Helldivers. Skyscrapers and their clever neon advertising make for a phenomenal setting with an enormous scale, but having such tall buildings interestingly negates a lot of stratagem nukes, such as 
Eagle Strafing Run, that are best applied in unobstructed environments with open skies. Still, watching as skyscrapers are demolished by Warp Ships and Leviathans is a clear portrait painted to represent how omnipotent the Illuminate have become.
Helldivers 2
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 83 /100 Critics Rec: 91%
- Released
- February 8, 2024
- ESRB
- Mature 17+ / Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, In-Game Purchases, Users Interact
- Developer(s)
- Arrowhead Game Studios, Nixxes
- Publisher(s)
- Sony Interactive Entertainment, PlayStation Publishing
WHERE TO PLAY
- Engine
- bitsquid
- Multiplayer
- Online Co-Op
- Cross-Platform Play
- All platforms
- Franchise
- Helldivers
- Number of Players
- 1-4 players (online)
- Genre(s)
- Third-Person Shooter, Extraction Shooter, Action, Science Fiction
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PC
- OpenCritic Rating
- Strong
