Helldivers Vs Helldivers 2

In a satirical dystopian future society overseen by a ‘managed democracy,’ you and your team of online misfits band together to form a group called the Helldivers. Your job is to thwart the invading alien invasion on Super Earth, keeping in mind that teamwork makes the dream work. Helldivers is so good, sculpting a hilarious yet appropriately entertaining space romp for the books. But even for its rewarding experience, the game soon started to show its cracks, just in time for Helldivers 2 to pick up the slack. 

Set a century later, with Super Earth having survived by the whiskers, the Helldivers are called upon once again to destroy the alien scourge threatening the survival of their home planet. So, just how well does Helldivers 2 elevate the original squad-based shooter experience? Being only recently released in 2024, do the mechanics and visuals look and feel superior? Which of the two is worth playing? Let’s find these out and more in our Helldivers vs Helldivers 2 comparison guide.

What is Helldivers?

Anyone in their right mind wouldn’t want to dive head-first into hell. But that’s the heavy weight of responsibility bestowed upon you and up to four online friends. Helldivers is a hardcore, top-down, twin-stick shooter game. It glorifies co-op play above all else, with the task of protecting Super Earth from an alien invasion that is more dire than ever before.  

While Helldivers was released in 2015, high praise for its hilarious yet frantic gameplay spread far and wide. It was among the best multiplayer games of the year, detracted from taking the crown, perhaps, by its subpar visuals on the PS4, PS3, and Vita. Regardless, it offers highly satisfying gameplay with a profoundly committed player base—only in need of a sequel to keep the game up to speed with better technology.  

What is Helldivers 2?

Helldivers 2, a third-person squad-based shooter just the same, picks up where its prequel left off. It sees the elite group, the Helldivers, reprise their roles in the quest to save Super Earth from falling to the mercy of alien threats. Players galavant across a hostile galaxy, teaming up to set up traps and destroy enemy forces once and for all. 

While still fresh in memory, only recently released on February 8, 2024, numerous positive remarks are already streaming in. Missions vary more, with intensity stripped to their core. You access assorted weapons, all while enjoying hilarious yet rewarding gameplay. Despite its shaky start at launch, Helldivers 2 seems better in shape now and ready for a side-by-side comparison to its prequel.

Story

Helldivers takes you to a dystopian, futuristic universe soon to be under the mercy of alien threats. Fortunately, elite forces, codenamed ‘Helldivers,’ come to Super Earth’s rescue. Above all else, the game prioritizes couch and online cooperative play for up to four players. Consequently, in-depth story lovers miss out on a dedicated single-player mode or story-based missions. 

Helldivers 2 has a similar story structure. Super Earth, having won the intergalactic war in the prequel, faces yet another alien invasion that threatens humanity’s survival. The helldivers are called upon to, once again, win an intergalactic struggle. Just like the prequel, Helldivers 2 lacks a dedicated single-player mode or story-based missions. 

However, you can choose to play Helldivers and Helldivers 2 solo. It won’t be as fun, though, as the gameplay’s prime focus is on sharing the experience with friends in co-op mode. Overall, the story for both entries isn’t vital here, but rather the gameplay. 

Gameplay

On one hand, Helldivers is a hardcore, co-op, twin-stick shooter released in 2015. The twin stick has you moving your Helldiver with the left stick and aiming to shoot or launch grenades with the right. You’ll be galavanting across different planets, completing varied missions on them. Maps are procedurally generated as you earn EXP to upgrade weapons and gear. Meanwhile, a global leaderboard keeps track of the best of the best. 

Additionally, Helldivers incorporates crossplay for PS3, PS4, and Vita, which drastically helps spike player base numbers. Yet, as time passed, network issues and aging saw the player count gradually drop. A few players remained committed to the cause in time for Helldivers 2’s launch in 2024.   

Most of the gameplay has stayed the same, including the setting. Stratagems make a return, which are airdrops you can call in carrying cluster bombs, sentry guns, and more supplies mid-battle. Helldivers 2 features a greater variety of Stratagems, though, evidently curating more specific playstyles. The same goes for weapons and gear, which, with added variety, create a more tailored experience for each player. 

Friendly fire returns too, which remains ‘always active,’ as well as the bug-like aliens and cyborgs (now called Automatons) enemies. So does crossplay, thankfully. However, while Helldivers uses a top-down perspective, Helldivers 2 shifts to third-person. Consequently, you enjoy a better, more intimate camera angle of all the bug-blasting shenanigans going down. As expected, Helldivers 2 presents enhanced graphics and improved mechanics. You see more detailed visuals and smoother gameplay. 

Verdict 

Evidently, both Helldivers and Helldivers 2 are cut from the same cloth. They retain the same setting on Super Earth and even forge a similar storyline. Gameplay remains the same, too, for the most part, with Stratagems making a return to the sequel. We see many of the same enemies from the prequel, only enhanced in graphics. At its core, teamwork remains the goal of the game. 

Of course, tossing out top-down in favor of third-person makes all the difference in gameplay. That, combined with improved mechanics on the PS5, ensures players have no reason to complain about aging. You can now enjoy one of the best multiplayer games of all time on next-gen technology. If anything, Helldivers 2 is a more sophisticated experience that we can only hope gets better and better by the day. 

So, what’s your take on our comparison of Helldivers vs Helldivers 2? Let us know your thoughts here on our socials or down in the comments.