Here’s the thing: we’ve been here before.Helldivers 2is a game that’s extremely interesting to look at from the prism of its predecessor, the originalHelldivers. That’s because, in more ways than one, it’s a higher-grade, higher-quality repeat of the same concept at its very core.
Indeed, we did discuss this already from a more practical point of view, when thinking about thegear, goodies, and Stratagems that may drop intoHelldivers 2at some point in time, and which were present in the original game. This time around, I’m more interested in the higher concepts of loss and victory as they are depicted inHelldivers, and how the game’s narrative flexes in real-time to accommodate them.
Because,as we’ve seen time and again, Arrowhead’sHelldivers 2is a sandbox on a (virtual) galactic scale: if the player base does not rise to the challenge presented bygame master Joel, then there are consequences on the docket, and boy howdy, if you thought Super Earth itself was not subject to them, you may be surprised by what I’ve got for you.
Helldivers 2 might get a narrative reset, as the precedent already exists
As per the official (wiki-held)Galactic Campaign Records of theHelldiversfranchise, Super Earth is now its 135th galactic war. Most of these wars wrapped up in victory, yes, but notallof them. More often than Super Earth government would ever admit, Helldiver forces got outmatched and outwitted by any of the three competing historical factions: the Cyborgs, the Bugs, and the Illuminate. The end result? The total destruction of Super Earth itself. No amount ofbodies thrown at this problemcould’ve resolved it by that point in time.
The curious bit, though, is that the originalHelldivers‘ campaign both moved on and did not: the lore posits that a wholly different planet in what may or may not be a different galaxy was then named Super Earth, and the whole thing repeated anew in a slightly different configuration. It’s unclear whether this explanation is to be taken at face value, of course, but given the developer Arrowhead’s track record, it’s a safe bet that something similar might happen inHelldivers 2as well.
Even thoughthere arewaymore Helldivers today than ever before, the enemy forces are not pushovers at all. Heck, even when it seemed all but certain (ahem) that the Automatons were out of the fight,they came back stronger than ever before, taking over whole sectors of the galaxy within hours. We did get a cool little Cyberstan takeover animation though, so that was neat.
The point I’d like to make is thatHelldivers 2is a more technologically advanced, engaging, and dynamic version of the firstHelldivers. It’s Arrowhead flexing its proverbial muscles to show just how far its dynamic galactic combat sandbox can be simulated. To that end, if Joel decides that the time is right to put Helldivers on the backpedal, it’s bound to happen no matter what, and the destruction of the latest version of Super Earth may well be on the docket already.
Remember, too, thatHelldivers 2has got plenty of more aces up its sleeves.Mysterious blue-laser assassinsare still prowling about, andArrowhead is keen on straight-up not telling playerswhat’s going on in the latest updates to the game. Such is the nature of this system: it’s way more closed off than most other live-service games, and that’s for the better.
Taking all of this into account, then, it feels obvious that sooner or later, something catastrophic will happen to Super Earth, and if that’s the case, it goes without saying that the game simply needs to push on no matter what. It’s obviously unacceptable that there would be noHelldivers 2for players to actually log into and play, right? In that case, Arrowhead is bound to do what it’s done before: reset the galactic sandbox, reintroduce the factions and key gameplay elements (flying bugs,super-bots, etc.) at a different pace, and see how the story pans out this time.
Whether Super Earth wins or loses, a narrative reset is all but certain on a long enough timeline, and the community should be prepared to keep doing what it’s been doing over and over (and over) again, for years down the line. That’s just how managed democracy rolls, I suppose!
Of course, there’s no tellinghowa given galactic war might get wrapped up. Arrowhead could get really creative with its storytelling if necessary, and it seems obvious that we’ll keep gettingHelldivers 2content for years down the line. This impliesall-new threats and all-new ways for Super Earth to get blown up to smithereens. It’s still a tad early for that to happen, though, and who knows what other curve balls might Arrowhead throw our way beforepulling the plug on a given Super Earth. I’m just happy to be along for the ride.
