We see a mixture of combat and animated cinematics walking us through several environments, which is the first look we have at the vast landscapes on offer within Helldivers 2

The numerous deaths my crew suffered played right into Helldivers 2’s comedic setting as well, which features a satirical futuristic version of Earth where people are treated as disposable.

There's also friendly fire in the game, so the last thing you want to do is take down your fellow Helldivers. If you want to lock onto a target and be even steadier with your aim, try crouching.

There’s really not much to explain upfront. It’s the future, and Earth – now known as Super Earth – considers itself under threat from alien monsters on distant planets – planets that just happen to be rich in mineral deposits. You start out with a basic spaceship and a rudimentary warrior, then you select a world to visit and a mission to undertake, then touchdown on the surface to begin educating the locals in the joys of militarised democracy.

has been released, providing the first idea of what to expect from the title in terms of combat and content. Intense violence and blood and gore suggest that combat will be more brutal than the previous Helldivers title from eight years ago, but the release of a rating suggests that a release date or announcement for the game could be pretty imminent. 

As it is now, it is an entertaining action spectacle that is definitely best when played with others. Despite the repetitiveness, I have had a lot of fun with it and I look forward to diving into new planets to save humanity.

Plus, you get to see the hideous bug creatures and murder-loving automatons closer than ever before, which is a nice bonus – each faction had lots of variety too, from chainsaw-armed androids who slowly closed in for the kill to heavily-armored beetles who charged at me with reckless abandon.

The universe of Helldivers 2 will grow and change to give our players refreshed gameplay, introducing new tools, new challenges, and new threats from around the galaxy.

Adjust the settings of your gun out on the field. If you press and hold square while you're using a gun, you can change a variety of features during a mission. You can toggle your flashlight on and off, or change whether the gun fires automatically or in bursts.

And with friendly fire always on and bad guys far outnumbering Helldivers 2 Gameplay my ragtag crew of four, dying at some point or another felt like a certainty. This was especially true when we attempted to complete a level on the hardest difficulty and were utterly grinded to a pulp, which was hilarious and a complete blast even in humbling defeat. I’m really looking forward to seeing if I can actually best one of these levels once my character’s been properly leveled.

As for the story ahead, all I can say is that the galaxy will look very different a few months from now than it does today.

It pays to play with friends! Occasionally, you can find doors that require 2 people to open up. But that's not all, you get a big XP boost when you're in a team and you all extract together.

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Helldivers 2 is a third-person sci-fi co-op shooter developed by Arrowhead Studios. Players will become a Helldiver in the name of exploring the galaxy and reclaiming planets that have fallen under enemy control back into the Super Earth coalition.