In case you missed it, Arrowhead Game Studios’ Helldivers 2 is out and pretty rad. It’s available for PS5 and PC, and despite some matchmaking issues, offers an excellent co-op shooter experience with some interesting live-service mechanics as players participate in a massive Galactic War campaign.
Every bit of successful action goes towards liberating planets in the name of Super Earth, which means more rewards for you, which means more tools for further destruction. Even the monetization is pretty forgiving, whether you’re picking up the Premium War Bond or purchasing cosmetics from the Super Store.
Nevertheless, there’s room for improvement beyond bug fixes. Here are 15 things that Helldivers 2 needs.
Options for Saving (or Remembering) Loadouts
One desperately needed quality-of-life change is the ability to save loadouts, whether you’re going all in on Eagle Strike Stratagems, busting out the turrets or going in solo. Having the option to remember your previous loadout could also go a long way, especially if you found a set-up that you’re comfortable with.
Lobby Browser
Even if Quickplay improves, Helldivers 2 desperately needs a proper lobby browser. Not to know the ping of the host or their level, but to cut down on all the tedious manual scrolling through planets (especially when you fail to connect). Perhaps quickly toggling between open lobbies would help, but a dedicated page showing the different lobbies available would still be ideal.
Vehicles
Arrowhead Game Studios already confirmed that Exosuits are coming, and based on the short look at the latest State of Play, they look phenomenal. However, we want more options, even if it’s the APCs and TD-110 Bastion from Helldivers 1. After all, what’s better than rolling up on the Automaton’s tanks than with your own?
Faster Results Debriefing
Call it the itch to get back out there and do my part, but the end-of-mission results screen needs to feel snappier. It offers four separate details – a mission report, the star rating, Operation status and Squad Payout. Then, there’s a cutscene of your return to the Super Destroyer and another scene showcasing your squad and their emotes. It’s a lot, and hopefully, it gets condensed in the future.
Firing/Stratagem Testing Range
Whether you’re a new player or a veteran of your Helldiver career, the best way to find out if a gun or a Stratagem is worth unlocking is by trying it out. Of course, if you get the Laser Cannon and discover it’s terrible, well… A range for testing out weapons and Stratagems would be ideal – maybe the tutorial area could be repurposed for the same. It could help you discern the proper radius of some Stratagems and figure out how far back to run from an Orbital 120MM HE Barrage.
Weapon Customization
It probably goes against the current system of weapon variants, but some weapon customization would be ideal. Perhaps there could be different scopes and sights or options for perks that reinforce the realism without getting too “looter shooter.” If nothing else, it would be cool to have attachments like thermal scopes for missions with low visibility and under-barrel launchers for extra explosions.
Raids or Large Co-op Missions
A four-player mission is already intense, especially on the higher difficulties. So why not have missions where 16 players drop in, progressing through objectives in raid-like order to defeat a Terminid Queen or some such boss? While Arrowhead CEO Johan Pilestedt filed it under the “wild ideas but probably too hard to do” section of content, with network traffic and other barriers getting in the way, it would still be amazing.
“Welcome Back” Style Content
The Galactic War campaign in Helldivers 2 encourages long play sessions, but if you feel like taking a break, it’s easy to return. That being said, with all the planets liberated and changes through the galaxy (including a recent surprise invasion by the Automatons), having some content to welcome back those who have been away for a long period would be great. Perhaps some additional War Medals and Requisition Slips to get them back into the groove, the former certainly helping if a new War Bond is live.
More Biomes with Unique Conditions
There’s a good amount of biomes in Helldivers 2, from forests and ice-covered planets to sandy plains, but there are still some ways to go compared to the original game. Once again, while the developer promises to add more, we’d like to see some set in abandoned urban landscapes, adding to that Earth Defense Force feel. Of course, fighting through a Terminid Hive or an abandoned station could also be cool, especially if they have unique environmental conditions.
More Varied Missions and Operations
New biomes or not, there must be more objective types. The recent Automaton invasion showcases how shorter defense-style Operations could go, but how about objectives designed around being unable to extract? Super-difficult objectives which function like the suicide mission in Mass Effect 2, perhaps with each squad member having a specific role, could mix things up further, adding more to the dramatic stakes.
Long-Term Progression
At some point, after all the Stratagems, Ship Modules and weapons are unlocked, players will need something to keep that going for the long run. An end-game progression system would be ideal, perhaps with different trophies to showcase your accomplishments or some exclusive cosmetics. It would probably depend on how often new Stratagems and War Bonds are added, but even something to show off your lifetime career would be great.
Rewards for Helping Lower-Level Players
Monster Hunter World added a system where Master Rank players could earn extra rewards, including cosmetics for helping Low and High Rank players. A similar option for Helldivers who have cleared tougher difficulties and are helping out lower-level players in Trivial, Easy and Medium difficulties would go a ways towards encouraging further camaraderie. It could even make the task of sherpaing a friend new to the experience that much better.
Removing the Ability to Kick Teammates Mid-Mission
It would be nice to remove this option during actual missions. Before the mission, because someone wants to play Helldiver difficulty while being level 5? Sure, but after a grueling 20-minute plus mission when you’re starting to extract? It simply needs to go. Maybe it’s in place to prevent griefing, especially if someone has done nothing but kill you endlessly via friendly fire, but regardless, there needs to be a cut-off point where kicking someone in a mission isn’t possible.
Armor Recoloring
With the amount of Super Credits to earn and all the different armor sets and helms available, being able to recolor them would be great (ideally for free). Some helmets may offer great designs but clash with the armor, and vice versa, while the color scheme on others may not be to everyone’s taste. Regardless, an extra bit of cosmetic customization, with some different patterns, would be ideal.
More Stratagems and Weapons
While new vehicles fall under wanting more Stratagems, we’d also like to see different kinds. Perhaps bots that fight for you and have different roles, like healing and tanking damage. Additional weapon types, like more Machine Guns, Sniper Rifles, Launchers, Marksman Rifles and more anti-tank options, would also help further diversify the available strategies.
Note: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, GamingBolt as an organization.