Is Helldivers 2 worth it?

What it is

HELLDIVERS™ 2 is a third-person co-op shooter where four players drop onto hostile worlds to spread "managed democracy" against bugs, robots and worse. The friendly-fire chaos, over-the-top stratagem call-ins and knowing satirical tone make it one of the funniest, most memorable co-op experiences in years. The evolving Galactic War means the community's collective effort genuinely shapes which fronts open and close, and the sheer weight and spectacle of the moment-to-moment combat is hard to match.

The catch

It is built around teamwork, so it is far weaker solo and truly sings only with a coordinated squad or good matchmaking. It is a live-service game, which means balance patches, warbond content drops and the occasional rocky update that shifts how favourite weapons feel, and repetition can creep in if you grind the same mission types. The launch server troubles are long behind it now, but it still asks for friends and a little patience to get the most out of it.

The verdict

Mostly yes, if you have people to play with. Few games deliver this much emergent comedy and tension, and it is reasonably priced for the amount of fun on offer. As a lone player it is a tougher sell. Either way it dips regularly, so it is worth buying near its all-time low; check the current price on its page. If you love the format, the tighter, tenser Left 4 Dead 2 is a classic worth owning too. See our Helldivers 2 vs Left 4 Dead 2 comparison and best co-op games to play with friends, or browse the latest deals.