Summary
Helldivers 2is currently home to two very distinct factions. While the Terminids are classicStarship Troopers-inspired bugs that swarm teams with their greater numbers, the Automatons pose more of an outright threat, firing back at players with their highly advanced Sci-Fi weaponry. These two very different enemy types are key to keepingHelldivers 2’s gameplay loop feeling varied and fresh.
Though fans are still desperate forthe long-rumored Illuminate factionto come to the game,Helldivers 2’s current factions have managed to keep fans busy for well over six months now, with developer Arrowhead adding a slew of new enemy types to each faction post-launch. But while the Terminids and Automatons have remained fairly equal sinceHelldivers 2’s release, there’s one major element that the Automatons simply do better than the Terminids, and it’s about time that changed.
What Helldivers 2’s Terminid Hives Should Learn From The Automaton Factories
Helldivers 2’s Automaton Factories Are Elaborate and Distinct
A race of robotic skeletal soldiers created by the firstHelldivers' Cyborg faction,Helldivers 2’s Automatonspose a significant threat to players, even on the game’s lower difficulties. Unlike the Terminids, the Automatons have access to a bevy of high-tech and heavy weaponry that’s capable of obliterating entire teams of Helldivers in just one or two shots. While a few Automaton grunts can be easily dealt with, they’re much trickier to handle in larger groups, such as those found in the heart of the Automatons' Factories.
Many ofHelldivers 2’s primary objectivesin Automaton territories revolve around sabotaging the different structures in an Automaton base. From a gameplay standpoint, these Automaton bases usually provide a high level of challenge and satisfaction, with their heavy fortifications encouraging players to use stealth or Stratagems effectively to gain access to the facility. Then, once inside, players are required to navigate the perilous winding pathways, battle through waves of robotic soldiers, sabotage the objective, and narrowly escape the ensuing explosion.
Destroying an Automaton Factory inHelldivers 2often feels fittingly bombastic, and that’s also due in part to the base’s visual design. An average Automaton base will feature tall metallic towers, box-shaped factories, and high walls, all of which are adorned with glowing red lights and long flowing flags depicting the Automaton insignia. These visual design elements merge to makeHelldivers 2’s Automaton baseslook and feel intimidating, which makes their inevitable destruction at the player’s hand all the more satisfying.
Helldivers 2’s Terminid Hives Need An Upgrade
As things currently stand,Helldivers 2’s Terminid Hivesaren’t nearly as impressive as the game’s Automaton Factories. Though there are some larger, more visually impressive variations, most Terminid Hives are a collection of holes in the ground with red smoke pouring out of them. While it makes complete sense lore-wise that the Terminids would be buried deep underground, and thus only its emergence points can be seen, it doesn’t make for the most engaging gameplay scenarios, with players using the same tactics time and time again to destroy them.
In future updates, it might be nice to seeHelldivers 2’s Terminid Hives get an upgrade in terms of both visuals and gameplay that brings them up to the Automatons' level. One idea could be introducing enclosed structures that have been taken over by the Terminids, transforming a research lab into a hive with emergence points stuck on the ceilings and walls, akin to those found inmovies likeAliens. This could be one way to add some much-needed variety toHelldivers 2’s Terminid Hives.
Helldivers 2
WHERE TO PLAY
Do you believe in freedom? Can you stand in the face of oppression – and defend the defenceless? Wage war for peace. Die for democracy.Join forces with up to three friends and wreak havoc on an alien scourge threatening the safety of your home planet, Super Earth, in this multiplayer co-op shooter for PS5 and PC from Arrowhead Game Studios.Step into the boots of the Helldivers, an elite class of soldiers whose mission is to spread peace, liberty and Managed Democracy using the biggest, baddest and most explosive tools in the galaxy.Helldivers don’t go planet side without proper backup, but it’s up to you to decide how and when to call it in. Not only do you have a host of superpowered primary weapons and customizable loadouts, you also have the ability to call on stratagems during play.Helldivers 2 features Arrowhead’s best cooperative gameplay yet. Collaboration will be vital: Teams will synergize on loadouts, strategize their approach for each mission and complete objectives together.1Enlist in Super Earth’s premier military peacekeeping force today. We are heroes… we are legends… WE ARE HELLDIVERS.
