GamesThird Person ShooterHelldivers 2The secret to Helldivers 2’s success? The Last of Us and God of War designer points to immersive element “I don’t see people talking about enough"When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
GamesThird Person ShooterHelldivers 2The secret to Helldivers 2’s success? The Last of Us and God of War designer points to immersive element “I don’t see people talking about enough"When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
(Image credit: Sony)
Helldivers 2’s popularity continues to be immense, and one senior game designer atNaughty Doghas been gushing about what they believe to be the main reason why – its focus on immersion.
Derek Mattson has been credited with a number of hugeSonyInteractive Entertainment-published games, including being part of the narrative technical design team on God of War Ragnarok and serving as a game designer on The Last of Us Part 2. The designer has been discussing how Helldivers 2’s immersive design contributes to players feeling likerealHelldivers, keeping us all coming back for more, even if it’s a factor “I don’t see people talking about enough,” particularly regarding multiplayer games.
“They remove as many barriers as possible between you and living the fantasy of being a Helldiver,” Mattson says. “You are on the stick controlling your Helldiver as soon as the game can let you. No main menu, instead you are on your ship. You are not a player. You are a Helldiver.”
The designer points to the war table and its 3D holographic map and how Helldivers are instructed to get into their Hellpods to begin missions as examples of details that draw players in, noting that “even the loading screen commits to immersion.” Mattson explains: “The theme song kicks in as we watch the appropriate number of pods drop from the ship for our player count. We are singing the theme song in the chat. […] We are Helldivers and no one can tell us otherwise.”
Being a bit more critical for a moment, Mattson says it can be argued that the screen that pops up when you’re choosing your loadout is a bit less immersive, but “my brain fills in the blanks” with the idea that it could be an interactive screen within the Hellpod.
“I can’t understate how all of this (on top of some choice [multiplayer] gameplay design) is what adds up to a cohesive experience that players keep yearning to come back to over and over again,” Mattson continues. “It’s also why you see a commitment to roleplaying of a Helldiver in and out of the game.”
Even these design choices aside, there’s also Helldivers 2’s evolving narrative to consider, since the lore shifts and changes as we complete (or fail) the various Major Orders. We’ve gotgalactic Game Master Joelto thank for a lot of the twists and turns in the war, of course, and he certainly knows how to keep it interesting.
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To wrap up the thread, Mattson acknowledges “the argument” to prioritize “responsiveness over immersion” in games, saying that “it is a balance we all have to strike.” However, “ignoring immersion altogether for the sake of responsiveness clearly leads to losing out on something special,” the designer adds.
This week, Helldivers 2 players were given a number of fresh upgrades to unlock. Be sure to check out our guide toall the new Ship Module upgrades and what they do.
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1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
1
Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”
2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”
2
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3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure”
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1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show”
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3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action”
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4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”
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4
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5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”
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1
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2
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3Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist”
3
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4
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5Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place”
5
Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place”