From Arrowhead Game Studios comes Helldivers 2, which is set to deliver a gory, action-packed experience that will make every gamer’s pulse race. This news is especially significant given the recently revealed Helldivers 2 age rating, which seems to promise a more mature and intense gaming experience.
From the first glimpses of the gameplay, it’s evident Helldivers 2 will be a fiery escapade. Yet, it appears the most violent elements are tucked away from the initial public view. The battlefield is realistically gruesome, replete with life-like gunfire, chilling cries of pain, and shocking blood-splatter effects. Beyond the immediate combat, the scene reveals bloodstains and dismembered corpses.
Perhaps this would explain why the Entertainment Software Rating Board gave Helldivers 2 a Mature 17+ rating ahead of its release in October, as per Insider Gaming, due to “Blood and Gore” as well as “Intense Violence.”
The goal of the shift from the first game’s top-down perspective to a third-person viewpoint is to elevate the experience of the sequel. More importantly, the age rating provides some insights into the foes that players will encounter. It will see the players engage in explosive combat with familiar enemies from the Helldivers lore, wielding a host of weaponry ranging from pistols, assault rifles, and flamethrowers to turrets, grenades, and rocket launchers. The enemies in question include a variety of terrifying robots, cyborgs, and giant insects.
Franchise fans can expect another round against the Illuminate civilization and the various ranks of Bugs, including Scout, Infantry, Tank, Elite, and Master. Thankfully, players won’t face these formidable foes alone; the sequel is built for co-op play with support for up to four players. However, caution is advised; friendly fire is active, requiring players to take careful shots when decimating enemy forces.
As exciting as the combat seems, a truly groundbreaking feature is an absolutely ludicrous weapon that the developers are crafting for this sequel. Helldivers 2 appears to be adopting a darker tone than its predecessor, its aesthetic resonating with traces of Destiny 2 and Remnant 2, the latter of which recently came out to much acclaim.
With its rumored release date – according to a Sony partnership program mission briefing that was shared anonymously to Insider Gaming – just a few months away, fans won’t have to wait for too long to find out more about Helldivers 2.
Helldivers 2, which was revealed earlier this year at the PlayStation Showcase, could make another appearance at a similar event later this year. Specifically, rumors suggest that Sony is sitting on plans for a “second” showcase where it will reveal more about the Project Q handheld and a slimmer PS5 variant that Microsoft insists is coming out soon.
Sony’s upcoming lineup of confirmed titles is relatively barren with Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 and Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth coming out on October 20 and early 2024, respectively. Outside of these two big AAA titles, we don’t know when the rest, like Rise of the Ronin, Marvel’s Wolverine, and Naughty Dog’s delayed multiplayer The Last of Us spin-off are coming out.
If Sony wants to maintain the current momentum of the PS5 sales, it needs to give fans something to look forward, which could come at a still-unannounced showcase later this month or next month.
