Helldivers 2

That's less of a concern of course if you have a team of friends ready to dive with, and despite the hiccups, those initial 20 hours have largely been joyous. The prospect of unlocking more planets and more spectacular toys to play with, plus a hundred more last-ditch sprints to the dropship, is far more enticing than the vast majority of live service propositions.

But this is perhaps the most fun I’ve had from a pure co-op shooter since Left 4 Dead or the original horde mode in Gears of War – it is so precise, its gunplay so invigorating, its feedback and effects so generous. Everything about this game is ridiculous, including how good it is at what it sets out to do

So as I head into another week of ‘spreading democracy' throughout the galaxy, I'm excited to try the higher difficulty levels, and discover some of the most terrifying hordes the game has to offer. But perhaps more than that, I'm wondering where the next comedic team kill is going to come from. Anyone know the blast range of a mini nuke? Guess there's only one way to find out.

Helldivers 2 is a fiercely challenging and visually breathtaking cooperative shooter where failure is funny and success feels magnificent. However, bugs and server issues hindered the initial experience, while there's a sense the game's full potential is yet to be realized.

Helldivers 2's thrilling action, absurd humor, and surprisingly fair monetization practices make it one of the best PlayStation 5 multiplayer games.

In the ever-crowded live-service shooter landscape, Helldivers 2 manages to carve out a place for itself with its fun narrative tone, punchy combat, intense firefights, and rewarding progression track. Helldivers 2 has plenty of tense moments against gargantuan bugs and hulking tank-like machines, but the entire experience is largely meant to make you feel good and have a laugh with friends, a refreshing notion for how darkly serious most major shooters are today.

Helldivers 2 is a surprise hit, featuring some of the best moment-to-moment combat and a satisfying rinse and repeat formula.

A naked shower scene away from being an official Starship Troopers game, Helldivers 2 is gloriously daft fun when you can get a group of friends together to play. It's just a shame about the matchmaking and crash bugs at launch.