Helldivers 2

This is an urgent communication from High Command

Citizen of Super Earth, it’s time to heed the call to Galactic War. You’ll fight for freedom! And for democracy! And you’ll do it alongside three of your closest friends, battling in the dirt and the dust of the eastern regions of the universe, protecting outlying planets from an encroaching Terminid threat. Fighters who excel through basic training will be assigned duties throughout the western colonies, tearing down Automaton footholds.

The prize you receive in exchange for broken bones and spilled blood? Medals Of Valor to spend on gear and weapons, and research intelligence to go towards the development of more powerful additions to your orbital arsenal. If none of that sounds appealing, perhaps just experiencing the best co-operative action in decades is reward enough. Sony has finally found its first live-service success story thanks to indie outfit Arrowhead. The excellent foundations of the original Helldivers have been built on here with thought and purpose, which you feel all through its intertwining, intuitively-designed systems. The studio has improved the fundamentals of play in such a way that the spirit of the original experience hasn’t just survived, but thrived, in the transition away from a top-down perspective.