One of the most surprising announcements at Sony’s PlayStation Showcase 2023 was the reveal of Arrowhead Game Studios’Helldivers 2, a sci-fi shooter sequel with a darkly satirical tone. The third-person follow-up to the developer’s 2015 top-down, twin-stick shooterHelldivers,Helldivers 2appears to be thenew co-op shooter teased by Arrowhead Game Studiosin 2020. With a trailer focused on frantic firefights against alien bugs and overlaid with jingoistic narration, it’s clear thatHelldivers 2is taking some cues from one of the best sci-fi films of recent decades.
From the outset of theHelldivers 2trailer, it’s easy to see that Arrowhead was heavily inspired by director Paul Verhoeven’sStarship Troopers, a cult classic sci-fi film. A reimagining of the Robert A. Heinlein novel of the same name, 1997’sStarship Troopersused the aesthetic of World War 2 propaganda films to tell the story of a group of young people fighting alien bugs for what increasingly becomes apparent is a militaristic, fascistic world government.Helldivers 2is clearly trying to tap into the same darkly comedic tone that madeStarship Troopersa favorite of many sci-fi fans, and it could help the game stand out in an already-crowded shooter market.
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Helldivers 2 Wears its Influences on its Sleeve
ThefirstHelldiversgamesaw players take on the role of soldiers fighting in service of Super Earth, a dystopian society under the rule of a “managed democracy” and engaged in an endless war against an alien threat. After already drawing inspiration from Verhoeven’s film and other military sci-fi classics for the first title, Arrowhead’s decision to lean harder into theStarship Troopersaesthetic for the sequel isn’t an entirely surprising move.
With a tone highly reminiscent of the Federal Network PSAs that play throughoutStarship Troopers, the debut trailer that premiered at PlayStation Showcase 2023 shows that Arrowhead is going all-in on the social satire forthe sequel toHelldivers. The trailer also reveals that the game is embracing another key element of the film that helped inspire it: its over-the-top violence. Throughout the trailer players are shown disintegrating the alien foes with all manner of overpowered ordinance, all backed by a backed by a jingoistic, in-universe recruitment spiel extolling the virtues of freedom and friendship.
Replicating Starship Troopers’ Brand of Satire Could Prove Difficult
Although the first trailer forHelldivers 2managed to capture the same darkly comedic tone that can be felt throughout the iconic sci-fi film, replicatingStarship Troopers’ potent brand of pointed social satire could prove more difficult for Arrowhead Games Studios.What madeStarship Troopersa masterpiecewasn’t simply its melding of ultra-violence with pitch-black comedy, it was that the film’s satire had bite and offered up some legitimate commentary. Without some sort of point toHelldivers 2’s jingoistic presentation, simply rehashing the tone ofStarship Troopers’ “Would You Like to Know More?” ads throughout the game could quickly prove tiring.
Depending on when it eventually releases,Helldivers 2may also find itself going head-to-head with another game owing a heavy debt to Paul Verhoeven’s film. Released by developer Offworld Industries,Starship Troopers: Exterminationis a tactical shooterdirectly inspired by the 1997 movie.Starship Troopers: Extermination’s presentation features the same darkly satirical slant asHelldivers 2,with gameplay that is similarly centered around mowing down hordes of vicious alien insects.Helldivers 2may still be the best option for players looking for a purely combat-focused experience, though, asStarship Troopers: Exterminationfeatures base defense elements that can draw players away from the bug-blasting action.
Featuring a larger scale and a whole new perspective on the alien battlefield,Helldivers 2looks like it should be a welcome addition to the co-op shooter genre when it arrives on PS5 and PC. If Arrowhead Games Studios can maintain the same sort of over-the-top, darkly comedic tone as the film that inspired it throughoutHelldivers 2’s runtime, it should also be a treat for fans ofStarship Troopers.
Helldivers 2is currently in development for PC and PS5.
