ŷ

Ann Hite's Blog

April 16, 2025

Get a job- Join Treyarch as a Senior Gameplay Engineer 2

The Gamasutra Job Board is the most diverse, active and established board of its kind for the video game industry!

Here is just one of the many, many positions being advertised right now.

Senior Gameplay Engineer, Treyarch

Location: Santa Monica, California or Vancouver, British Columbia

Your Mission

We are looking for a talented engineer with a passion for gameplay and a critical eye for game design to join our team in either Santa Monica, CA or Vancouver, BC. As a Senior Gameplay Engineer, you will be working closely with our Design team to bring innovative game features to life. 

A Gameplay Engineer should be excellent at rapidly prototyping ideas and is capable of quickly turning a design specification from paper into a usable game system for further iteration. A successful Senior Gameplay Engineer will have an “eye� for gameplay and a knack for understanding how to deliver exciting features that millions of fans are going to love. A Senior Gameplay Engineer should be able to get quickly familiarized with existing codebases and be able to write elegant, high performing extensible code that works well within a collaborative environment.

What you’ll be doing:    

Implement, debug and optimize major systems in C/C++ and other languages in the context of a large cross platform codebase

Spearhead development of innovative gameplay experiences

Contribute to game architecture and technical designs and postmortems

Perform data and code analysis to identify improvement opportunities

Provide mentorship to less experienced engineers

Player Profile

Minimum Requirements:

Minimum 5 years of industry experience in a Gameplay Engineering or similar position

Multiple shipped game titles for Senior level

Proficiency in C/C++

Proficiency in scripting language such Python, LUA or similar

Advanced knowledge of algorithms and data structures

Advanced optimization skills � code and data

Advanced debugging skills � comfortable debugging optimized builds in multithreaded and cross platform (networking) context.

Solid math skills � especially linear algebra and 3D vector math

Game knowledge and an understanding of the design principles behind games

Able to collaborate with other engineers as well as non-technical team members

Ability to work well in a fluid, changing environment as creative challenges evolve

B.S. in Computer Science or equivalent experience

And most importantly, a passion for making games

Extra Points:

Advanced programming specialty, such as low level network programming, High Level Shader Language (HLSL), SSE assembly, etc

Expertise and passion in one or more of the following areas: AI, User Interfaces, Animation, General Game-play

Previously shipped AAA titles

About Treyarch Come from

Founded in 1996, Treyarch is an award-winning videogame studio, driven to create awesome games for the world to enjoy. It is an approach that has helped make the studio behind the Black Ops series an industry-leading developer. Call of Duty®: Black Ops, Call of Duty®: Black Ops II, Call of Duty®: Black Ops III, Call of Duty®: Black Ops 4, and the studio’s most recent release, Call of Duty®: Black Ops Cold War, have all gone on to break industry records. Additionally, Treyarch is the birthplace of fan favorite, Call of Duty’s Zombies.

Working at Treyarch means having the opportunity to work on some of the biggest videogames in the industry, all within a culture that values individual talent and the teams that bring games to life. We provide our teams with the cutting-edge development tools needed to make their most ambitious plans a reality, allowing for rapid iteration and the ability to create the kinds of memorable gameplay moments that are ultimately shared by millions of fans around the world. We also embrace challenges, knowing that together, we can overcome anything…and hopefully inspire a few new game developers along the way.

Interested? Apply now.

About the Gamasutra Job Board

Whether you're just starting out, looking for something new, or just seeing what's out there, the Gamasutra Job Board is the place where game developers move ahead in their careers.

Gamasutra's Job Board is the most diverse, most active, and most established board of its kind in the video game industry, serving companies of all sizes, from indie to triple-A.

Looking for a new job? Get started here. Are you a recruiter looking for talent? Post jobs here.

The post first appeared on .

 •  0 comments  •  flag
Published on April 16, 2025 03:18

April 14, 2025

Alan Wake 2 becomes profitable and Control sequel enters full production

Alan Wake 2 has started to generate royalties for developer Remedy after passing 2 million sales worldwide Come from . The title had already recouped development fees and marketing costs.

The Finnish studio shared the news in its fiscal report for the year ended December 31, 2024.

It explained Alan Wake 2 saw "particularly high activity" around October 2024, when Remedy launched the Lake House expansion and a physical edition of the game. Those projects were followed up by the launch of a PlayStation 5 Pro update in November.

Control, which debuted in 2019, has now sold over 4.5 million units worldwide. 600,000 units were sold in 2024.

Discussing its wider project slate, Remedy said Control 2 entered full production earlier this month after the company verified the velocity of asset creation and established clear pipelines.

Max Payne 1&2 is currently making "steady progress" in full production and is on track to meet key development objectives.

FBC: Firebreak, a multiplayer shooter that serves as a Control spin-off, is also in full production and completed a closed technical test with external players in December. Remedy continues to expand its self-publishing team with a view to launching the title in 2025.

Remedy working to deliver 'significant commercial success' by 2030

Looking at the company's financial performance, Remedy saw full-year revenue increase by 49.3 percent year-on-year to �50.7 million ($52.6 million). The company posted an annual operating loss of �4.3 million ($4.4 million), but that's an improvement on the �28.6 million ($29.6 million) loss recorded during the previous fiscal year. 

Remedy expects revenue and operating profit to increase during 2025 and intends to deliver "sustainable, significant commercial success" by the end of the decade.

"We have two established own franchises, Control and Alan Wake, which are linked through the Remedy Connected Universe. Remedy will self-publish upcoming games, in which Remedy owns the IP. Growing and expanding the two franchises will be a key part of our future. In addition, we work with a partner franchise Max Payne that was originally created by Remedy," said the company, discussing its long-term prospects.

"By 2030, we aim to be a highly regarded creative studio with sustainable, significant commercial success. We have set ourselves the following financial targets: 1) Double the 2024 revenue by 2027 with continued growth beyond this milestone and 2) EBITDA margin of 30 percent by 2027 and maintain that minimum level throughout the strategy period."

The post first appeared on .

 •  0 comments  •  flag
Published on April 14, 2025 00:04

March 30, 2025

Report- Ex-Annapurna Interactive staff taking charge of Take-Two’s Private Division label

Private Division, the indie game label from Take-Two, has reportedly been taken over by staff who departed Annapurna Interactive last year.

Per Bloomberg, the new, still-unnamed company will inherit games and franchises previously published under the Private Division banner. The titles that will fall under this new firm's purview include the Kerbal Space Program series, and an unannounced project from Pokémon developer Game Freak.

Last November, it was reported Take-Two had sold the label to a then-unknown company. According to Bloomberg, the buyer was the Austin-based private equity firm Haveli, which reportedly struck a deal to fund the Annapurna alums' new venture. As a result of this purchase, some of the near-20 Private Division staffers will be laid off.

What happened with Private Division and Annapurna Interactive

Last summer, the Grand Theft Auto publisher planned to either close (or shut down) Private Division Come from . That was preceded by the full closure of Roll7 (Rollerdrome, OlliOlli) and layoffs at Kerbal creator Intercept Games. Yellow Brick Games and Bloober Team, two developers whose projects were to be published by Private Division, respectively switched to self-publishing or had their deal with the label fully dissolved.

Over at Annapurna Interactive, an alleged power struggle primarily between studio leadership led to a resignation wave among staff. Among its many issues, the video game division of the popular film studio was reportedly set to launch its own offshoot called Verset, which would handle current and future Annapurna Interactive deals, and indie work of its own.

Instead, discussions between Verset's planned leaders, James Masi and Nathan Gary, and Interactive co-founder Megan Ellison hit a standstill. Despite attempted negotiations, the 25-person Interactive staff all departed. The reported plan at the time for the staff was to launch its own publisher. What remains of Annapurna Interactive began hiring staff so it could make good on pre-existing deals.

Bloomberg's full report on Private Division's new situation can be read here.

The post first appeared on .

 •  0 comments  •  flag
Published on March 30, 2025 20:08

March 27, 2025

Ubisoft and Patrice Desilets in messy second breakup

Assassin's Creed designer Patrice Desilets departed Ubisoft in 2010 and went to work on a game at THQ's Montreal office. However, with THQ's bankruptcy filing earlier this year, other publishers swept in to acquire THQ's assets, with Ubisoft purchasing its Montreal studio � rendering Desilets an employee of Ubisoft again. Such a twist might work out in a romantic comedy, but not so much in real life. Ubisoft informed Kotaku today that Desilets is no longer at the company (once more):

The acquisition of THQ Montreal in January allowed Ubisoft to welcome 170 experienced developers, including Patrice Desilets, to our existing and renowned workforce. Unfortunately, since the acquisition, the good faith discussions between Patrice and Ubisoft aimed at aligning Patrice's and the studio's visions have been inconclusive Come from . As a result, Patrice has left the studio. Our priorities remain with the teams already hard at work on projects in development. They are at the root of Ubisoft Montreal's past and future successes.

UPDATE: Desilets has released a statement that his most recent departure from Ubisoft was involuntary.

Contrary to any statements made earlier today, this morning I was terminated by Ubisoft. I was notified of this termination in person, handed a termination notice and was unceremoniously escorted out of the building by two guards without being able to say goodbye to my team or collect my personal belongings. This was not my decision. Ubisoft’s actions are baseless and without merit. I intend to fight Ubisoft vigorously for my rights, for my team and for my game.

The post first appeared on .

 •  0 comments  •  flag
Published on March 27, 2025 01:38

March 12, 2025

Cyberpunk 2077 Sequel � Everything We Know About The Highly Anticipated RPG Sequel

Cyberpunk 2077 from developer CD Projekt Red had a challenging start when it was released in December 2020–the issues were so bad that Sony removed the game from sale entirely on the PlayStation Store. But the game rebounded in a very meaningful way and went on to become a critical and a commercial success. In fact, following the 2.0 update and release of the Phantom Liberty expansion, it’s one of the best comeback stories in modern times for games.

With more than 25 million units sold, it’s one of the most successful video games in history Come from . Naturally, CD Projekt Red is moving ahead with a sequel that’s in development right now at one of the team’s newest studios.

In this post, we’re rounding up everything we know so far about the Cyberpunk 2077 sequel, which doesn’t have an official title as of yet and is in the works under the working title Project Orion.

In addition to the Cyberpunk 2077 sequel, CD Projekt is working on The Witch 4, a remake of the original Witcher, a new IP, and more–the studio is very busy.

When will Cyberpunk 2077 sequel be released?

This is a big unknown. So far, CD Projekt Red and upper management at the Polish studio have spoken in broad strokes about Cyberpunk 2077 and have shied away from specifics. Management has not provided even a release window, or a target, for the game. This is not unusual, though, as the game is no doubt still early in development. For context, Cyberpunk 2077 was announced in 2012 and wouldn’t be released until eight years later. So fans should get comfortable as they await the sequel.

Preorder Cyberpunk 2077 sequel

Preorders for the Cyberpunk 2077 sequel are not open yet, and if you see any retailer taking orders this early, you should not give them your money or information.

Cyberpunk 2077 sequel trailer information

Cyberpunk 2077’s sequel has no trailer or even any concept art as of yet. Rest assured, as soon as we get information on art or video for Cyberpunk 2077’s sequel, we’ll bring it to you.

Cyberpunk 2077 sequel platforms

Platforms for the Cyberpunk 2077 sequel have not been confirmed, but CD Projekt has a history of supporting both PC and console. The studio operates its own PC storefront, GOG, which offers games without DRM. It’s likely that would be the case for Cyberpunk 2077’s sequel as well, though this is not confirmed as of yet.

Cyberpunk 2077 sequel story, setting, and characters

Unfortunately, there is basically nothing to go on in terms of specifics for the Cyberpunk 2077 sequel at this stage pertaining to its story, settings, and characters. Fans can reasonably assume, however, that it’ll be another RPG set in the future. It will also be “uniquely American,� which follows on from the news that the game is being developed by CD Projekt’s new team in Boston.

“I think Cyberpunk is obviously a uniquely American story,� acting executive producer Dan Hernberg explained in an episode of the AnsweRED podcast. “It’s got a lot of like, punk energy, and [the tabletop game] was written by an American, so it just seems right to do it in America.�

Cyberpunk 2077 sequel game engine

In 2022, CD Projekt shocked some fans by announcing it would abandon its own internal engine, Red Engine, and instead partner with Epic Games to use the company’s Unreal Engine 5 for its future projects.

CTO Pawel Zawodny said Unreal Engine 5’s updates help with the kind of open-world game development that the Polish studio is known for, and this was a major selling point. “This opens a new chapter for us, where we really want to see how our experience building open-world games is combined with the engineering power of Epic,� Zawodny said.

Who’s developing Cyberpunk 2077 sequel?

CD Projekt Red is developing Cyberpunk 2077’s sequel. Specifically, the company’s newest office in Boston, Massachusetts is leading development on the game. A number of staffers from the first Cyberpunk 2077 relocated to Boston to work on the sequel, including Igor Sarzyński, the narrative director for Cyberpunk 2077 and Project Orion.

“I couldn’t be more excited for this project and I’m sure we can make it something special. 2077 was just a warm-up,� Sarzyński said on social media earlier this year.

CD Projekt’s team in Vancouver is also working on the Cyberpunk 2077 sequel, and the company’s network of other global studios may contribute to its development as well. The game’s director is Gabe Amatangelo, who was the game director on Cyberpunk 2077’s popular Phantom Liberty expansion.

Cyberpunk 2077 sequel development news

As of February 2024, the Cybperunk 2077 sequel was in the “early stages of development,� CD Projekt said in a news release. The team working on the game includes a number of senior staffers from the original game, including Gabriel Amatangelo (game director), Paweł Sasko (associate game director), Igor Sarzyński (creative director), Andrzej Stopa (cinematic director), Kacper Niepokólczycki (environment art director), Sarah Grümmer (acting lead quest designer), and Kacper Kościeński (engineering director).

As for people who joined the Boston studio to work on the sequel, these include former lead product manager at Blizzard, Dan Hernberg, who is an executive producer on the Cyberpunk 2077 sequel; IO Interactive and Massive Entertainment’s Ryan Barnard as design director; and Mortal Kombat technical director Alan Villani, who is engineering director on the Cyberpunk 2077 follow-up.

Additionally, writer Anna Megill (Control, Dishonored: Death of The Outsider, Guild Wars 2, Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora) is joining the Cyberpunk sequel as its lead writer. Megill also worked on the narrative elements for Microsoft’s upcoming Fable game. Finally, novelist and comic book writer Alexander Freed is working on the writing for the Cyberpunk 2077 sequel. Freed was previously a lead writer at BioWare on Star Wars: The Old Republic, and he also wrote or consulted for DICE, Obsidian, and Wizards of the Coast.

Pawel Sasko, the associate director of the next Cyberpunk game, said he’s interested in expanding on the concept of reactivity that was more of a focus in Phantom Liberty, which he worked on as quest director.

“We want to make sure that whole DNA is preserved and still in the game. In Phantom Liberty, there’s this moment where the story splits almost, and that’s the structure that we used with Witcher 2, actually, and Blood and Wine with Witcher 3 as well–where you had a split in the middle [that leads to] completely different branches with completely different endings,� Sasko explained.

Sasko also mentioned that Cyberpunk 2077 needs to validate its players� choices. “If you in your story have made a certain choice and that’s the way you have decided to go with your V and your partners and whoever else you met in the game, that’s your story. It’s important when making those decisions not to invalidate what players have been doing because it is their story and the decisions they made,� the developer said.

Keep checking back with GameSpot for more on the Cyberpunk 2077 sequel as we learn more.

The post first appeared on .

 •  0 comments  •  flag
Published on March 12, 2025 23:18

March 9, 2025

Apex Legends Season 11 Battle Pass Is Live, Includes Legendary Mirage, Gibraltar, And Prowler SMG Skins

Apex Legends Season 11: Escape is now live, bringing new legend Ash, new tropical map Storm Point, and a brand-new battle pass Come from . The new season also brings plenty of game changes and balancing adjustments, which you can see in the Season 11 patch notes, including some much needed buffs for Wattson. The new battle pass offers up tons of rewards across 100 tiers, plus a bonus reward at tier 110. Below you can check out some highlights of the items included in the battle pass and the best ways to level up.

Some of the less visually exciting items like quips, trackers, and Apex Packs aren’t included below, to focus on more enticing items like legend and gun skins. The Season 11 battle pass includes eight legends skins, with three rare, three epic, and two legendary. The two legendary skins are for Mirage and Gibraltar. The legendary Desert Mirage skin has everyone’s favorite trickster in a sci-fi-inspired outfit, including a silver face mask with antennas on the side. Gibraltar’s Glorious Combatant skin is aesthetically similar to Mirage’s, giving the large defender a mask over his face and miscellaneous armor pieces across his torso.

The post first appeared on .

 •  0 comments  •  flag
Published on March 09, 2025 23:13

March 4, 2025

Diablo Immortal Is Celebrating Its One-Year Anniversary By Throwing A Party For Diablo 4

Diablo Immortal is turning one June 2, and Blizzard is looking to celebrate the game’s first anniversary by reminding players that they could be playing Diablo IV instead (be sure to read our Diablo 4 review).

Blizzard has announced that a Diablo IV launch celebration event will arrive in Diablo Immortal in early June, around the same time Diablo IV arrives Come from . Though additional details haven’t been released, it will revolve around an event titled Merciless Monstrosity and add a Lilith-themed battle pass into the free-to-play mobile ARPG. It will additionally introduce the Hatred’s Heritage Phantom Market, all of which Blizzard says will be “experienceable expressions of Sanctuary’s matriarch.�

The post first appeared on .

 •  0 comments  •  flag
Published on March 04, 2025 01:10

February 16, 2025

Fortnite Junk Rift Unvaulted- Where To Get One And How It Works

As we’ve come to expect, another weekly update means another new weapon or item for you to enjoy in Fortnite, and this go-around sees the return of a uniquely enjoyable utility item. First introduced back in 2019, the Junk Rift has been unvaulted to bring a little extra mayhem to your matches. Not to be confused with the Rift-To-Go, the Junk Rift actually doesn’t teleport you anywhere, but it sure makes a mess wherever you use it. Read on to find out how it works and where to grab one. Come from

Where to get Junk Rifts and how they work

Junk Rifts are an Epic level throwable that can be found on the ground or in chests and supply drops.

The post first appeared on .

 •  0 comments  •  flag
Published on February 16, 2025 20:19

February 5, 2025

ฮาแลȨ์โึϸฆัวกินอำ!ไม่ดีพอเล่Ȩห้๶บติส

เออร์ลิ่ง เบราท� ฮาแลนด� กองหน้าลูกระเบิดแห่� แมนฯ ซิตี� ถึงกับอายหน้าแดงเมื่อโด� ฆัวกิน ซานเชซ ตำนานแข้� เรอัล เบติส หยิกแกมหยอกว่าอาจฉกาจฉกรรจ์พอสำหรับเอติฮัด สเตเดี้ย� แต่ที่เอสตาดิโอ เบนีโต้ บียามารี� ไร้ที่ให้เขาสอดแทร�

ซิตี� ประกาศการเซ็นสัญญาระยะเวล� 5 ปีกั� ฮาแลนด� อย่างเป็นทางการเมื่อ 10 วันก่อนมูลค่� 51 ล้านปอนด์ โดยศูนย์หน้าชาวนอร์เวย์จะเข้ามาร่วมทีมตั้งแต่วันที� 1 กรกฎาค� ยาวไปจนถึงวันที่ 30 มิถุนายนปี 2027 

ทำให้ระหว่างนี้เจ้าตัวใช้เวลาชาร์จแบตเตอรี่ร่างกายแล้วเลือกตากอากาศยั� มาลาก้� ประเทศสเปน ก็ได้ปะหน้าปีกวั� 40 ปีพอดี ก็ได้นั่งโอภาปราศรัยกันฐานะพี่-น้องร่วมวงการ�

งานนี้ตำนานแห่� โล� เบดีบลังโกส จะถือโอกาสอำ ฮาแลนด� ผ่านโซเชี่ย� มีเดี� ให้เด็กมันได้รู้ว่าใครรุ่นใหญ่ 

ฮาแลนด� มันบอกว่าตัวเองต้องการมาเล่นให้ เบติส และผมก็บอกน้องมันไปว่าเราไม่เหลือที่ว่างให้นายต่อไปอี� โพสต์วิดีโอทางอินสตาแกรม @joaquinarte 

ไร้ที่ยืนให้นายอีก บางทีอาจต้องรอปีหน้า  

สร้างตัวกั� แมนฯ ซิตี� ไปก่อนดีไห�?  

ด้านดาวยิงวั� 21 ปีก็เลยตามเลยตอบกลับมาเป็นภาษาสเปนว่� แจ่มมากครั�  

อนึ่� เบติส ไม่เคยตกเป็นข่าวเชื่อมโยง ฮาแลนด� เลยแต่ไหนแต่ไรมีเพียง 2 มหาอำนาจ ลา ลีกา สเปน อย่า� เรอัล มาดริด กั� บาร์เซโลน่า เท่านั้� คลิปขอ� ฆัวกีน นี้แค่กวนประสาทมากกว่า


{{val.time_create * 1000 | date : ‘dd/MM/yyyy HH:mm:ss’}} �.
แก้ไขเมื่อ {{val.time_update * 1000 | date : ‘dd/MM/yyyy HH:mm:ss’}} �.
Quote

{{v.time_create * 1000 | date : ‘dd/MM/yyyy HH:mm �.’}}
แก้ไขเมื่อ {{v.time_update * 1000 | date : ‘dd/MM/yyyy HH:mm �.’}}
Quote

0 && !val.replys� ng-click=”content.event.get_reply(val);�>
ดูความเห็นย่อ� ({{val.reply}})

วินิ แฮตทริ�!ราชันรัวครึ่งหลังแซงดอร์ทมุนด์5-2 วันพุธที� 23 ตุลาคม 2567

ปืนยิงพอชนะเปิดบ้านบดชัคตาร์1-0 วันพุธที� 23 ตุลาคม 2567

มิลานเฮแล้วดับคลับบรูช10ตั�3-1 วันพุธที� 23 ตุลาคม 2567

ทาคิ ซัดเบิ้ล!โมนาโกยำเซอร์เวน่า5-1 วันพุธที� 23 ตุลาคม 2567

บิ๊กผีรับเองไม่พอใจฟอร์มสตาร์ทฤดูกาล วันพุธที� 23 ตุลาคม 2567

ชาบีโผล่เป้าหมายผีหากสุดท้ายไล่เทนฮา� วันพุธที� 23 ตุลาคม 2567

The post first appeared on .

 •  0 comments  •  flag
Published on February 05, 2025 03:43

February 4, 2025

Helldivers Review

Helldivers won’t be remembered for its narrative, nor will it be praised for intriguing mission design. No, these elements of the game are merely average pieces of a backdrop in a theater enacting thrilling performances destined to be endlessly retold among friends and fellow helldivers–and many of those tales are the kind that begin with “Hey, do you remember that one time?� Among these stories, the best ones told by veteran helldivers are of the edge-of-your-seat moments that culminate in cries of jubilance and relief as you and your allies watch your space-faring drop ship fly to safety just in the nick of time. But just as indelible are the tales that end with howls of disappointment (or, sometimes, laughter) as the last remaining member of the team crumbles against the odds and is finally overtaken. There are undoubtedly some blemishes in Helldivers� armor, but inside that armor you’ll find a story creator, helping you craft fond memories to be retold for years to come.

Indeed, the stories you create will be ones that will stick with you long after you hang up your uniform, as the plot in Helldivers is one quickly lost to the recesses of space. A multiplayer twin-stick shooter, Helldivers sends you and your fellow caped soldiers to march across the galaxy, delivering “managed democracy,� all for the glory of Super Earth. You fight an interstellar war against three other races: the grotesque bugs; the technologically advanced illuminate, and the cyborgs, humans who grafted flesh to metal after separating from the regime–all of whom the government has decreed the enemies of freedom for some reason or other.

The game draws its theme from current history and popular fiction such as Starship Troopers, with the latter inspiring the game’s light-hearted, corny propaganda. There are also some thinly veiled references to real-world issues. The Super Earth government labels cyborgs, who reportedly attack with suicide bombers, as terrorists, all the while justifying war in the name of protecting democracy and “our way of life,� as well as collecting necessary resources such as, you guessed it, oil deposits (sometimes the veil is so thin as to be nonexistent). But Helldivers isn’t attempting to be the next Spec Ops: The Line. It uses tongue-in-cheek humor throughout, and a delicate touch with its weighty themes.

Helldivers is tug of war on a cosmic scale. You and your fellow helldivers fight together against the three computer-controlled species, who reciprocate by pushing toward Super Earth. It’s a persistent online universe, in which battles are won and lost even if you don’t partake in them. The war theater, viewed from a console on the deck of your ship, is split into three large sections that are then broken into smaller sectors, any of which are claimable after you gather enough community points. These points are earned by completing missions on the many procedurally created planets nestled within. Once all the smaller sectors are claimed, you can begin the real battle, on the alien homeworld. During my time with the game, we were able to take the fight to the bug planet, which invoked some fond memories of a certain sci-fi adventure romp. Hopes were high, but to say the planet was a tough nut to crack would be an understatement–we got completely whupped. The desert world was too much for our handful of helldivers, but perhaps the story will be different post launch. Ultimately, complete conquest of the three planets is the goal, and once achieved, the game starts anew. The home world fights are not the only special events, however. On occasion, helldivers are called to safeguard a city under siege, and cleansing the infestation results in a double dose of experience points. Also, if an enemy species manages to breach Super Earth’s defenses, all players rally to its defense.

The humdrum missions, sadly, do put a damper on the engaging design of Helldivers� war front. Planets are won by completing objectives, which don’t stretch far beyond the typical, such as capturing and holding an area, activating some device or another, or the always popular escort mission. Odds are you will be too occupied dealing with oncoming waves of enemies to notice boredom seeping in, but after hours of slowly dragging a briefcase or yet another hapless group of stranded civilians across a stretch of terrain, it’s difficult not to feel a sense of slowly mounting frustration at the tedium. Completing missions offers a variety of awards, at least. Experience points, in an amount that varies depending on your performance, are showered upon you at the end of each stage. Leveling up unlocks new weapons and gear to be used in your campaign, though I would have preferred for the game to denote which piece of equipment unlocks at what level, rather than being occasionally surprised.

Helldivers� one-two punch of deep strategy complementing intense cooperative combat, however, is fantastic. It is so good, in fact, that it often overshadows much of the dreariness arising from the dull missions. It is incredibly satisfying to play on a team of up to four helldivers, all relying on each other to survive while executing carefully planned strategies involving perks and equipment. Playing the game solo is possible and provides its own set of challenges, but it just doesn’t offer the same experience. Choosing a planet, the squad leader picks where the group of guerilla fighters will make its landing. On the ground, the team then decides what pieces of equipment, called stratagems, to call down, and what objectives to tackle first. Equipment varies, and includes options ranging from a UAV, which pinpoints threats on the map, to gun turrets, ammunition boxes, heavy guns, and much more. New stratagems are unlocked when battles on certain planets are completed, with more equipment being offered as a reward. The enemies you face also affect your game plan: Bugs are plated in thick carapace, and charge at you brandishing massive claws; cyborgs are often strapped in bullet-deflecting armor, forcing you to carefully line your shots up with any exposed fleshy bits; and the illuminate attack with high-tech war machines, mind control, and snipers that can kill with one hit.

The stories you create will be ones that will stick with you long after you hang up your uniform, as the plot in Helldivers is one quickly lost to the recesses of space.

The combat itself unfolds organically as you make your way from objective to objective. If your landing is free of immediate hostiles, you can attempt to move through the area with stealth and haste, quickly eliminating any scouting party before scouts manage to raise an alarm. It’s entirely possible to complete a mission leaving only the corpses of unwitting foes in your wake, but more often than not, you will end up hammering down your trigger as enraged forces rush to meet you. The weapons, which include a disparate array of rifles, shotguns, and beam cannons, dish out white-hot metal or plasma in gratifying thunder. Bullets rip through flesh, leaving smatterings of blood and piles of viscera in their wake. Effortlessly smooth controls make the gunplay feel terrific throughout every fight.

Helldivers is easy to jump into, depending on your familiarity with twin-stick shooters, but even if you’re used to the style, you will find that the game has many factors for you to keep in mind the moment your boots touch terra firma. Chief among them is the immense difficulty, which requires all players to be at the height of their game, as one mistake can spell immediate disaster. As you travel around, research samples that dot maps must be collected in order to earn points to use to upgrade weapons and stratagems. Friendly fire is another item of concern, as it is always on and cannot be disabled, so practice keen trigger discipline. Ammo conservation is an equally high priority, as reloading will discard any unused rounds in a clip.

Death is no stranger in Helldivers, and despite your glorious, flowing cape, you are not superhuman. The game demands a sharp eye and a clever wit; otherwise, you will go down fast. And, take it from someone who knows, if your fallback procedure keeps circling back to running away as quickly as possible, then maybe it’s time to rethink the battle plan. Falling in combat is hardly the end of the game, however, as you can call down a reinforcement stratagem to bring a lost comrade back onto the battlefield. But do keep an eye on where the pod (actually, any stratagem, come to think of it) is about to land. Far too many helldivers have lost their lives being crushed beneath incoming ordnance, which doesn’t solve any problems whatsoever.

Beyond mission design and story, Helldivers has other issues, though some are negligible. For example, you can customize the look of your helldiver, as well as unlock new clothing designs as you go along, but the options only change from dark to not-so-dark. Since the camera floats off at a distance, it’s easy to confuse one dark-armored soldier with another, often resulting in someone foolishly falling off a ledge or firing a weapon into an unrecognized ally. A friend I was playing with also mentioned that the game wasn’t tracking his progress when he was playing in my lobby. This is a minor issue; one that I’ve been informed may be patched by the time the game releases. On the more nitpicky side: What is with the wind on some planets? More than once, during rare moments of silence, I watched as shadows of clouds moved northwest, while dust on the ground flowed to the west, and a small handful of particles lazily floated east. All the while my cape drooped, apathetic to the elements. But on the subject of capes, it’s oddly amusing to spin in place and watch your cape flow in response to the motion. And I know I’m not the only one to feel this way. Before nearly every mission, I watched as so-called hardened fighters twirled on the deck of a battleship; joining the impromptu dances is almost irresistible.

The game draws its theme from current history and popular fiction such as Starship Troopers, with the latter inspiring the game’s light-hearted, corny propaganda.

Helldivers is a hugely entertaining space romp, despite bearing a few battle scars. It is truly a game designed for precious water cooler moments, when you can tell stories of fights barely won, and anecdotes detailing white-knuckle flights from insatiable hordes. The deafening cheers heard through my microphone as the last living member of the team squashed a bug tank with three reinforcement pods, turning the tide back toward victory, is forever etched in my mind. Imperfect as it may be, Helldivers� focus on the cooperation of a small team looking out for each other against oppressive waves of enemies elevates it from what would have been a fun and challenging shooter, to a game that now sits at the top of my list of how I plan to spend many future evenings: with a gun in hand, my allies at my back, and a broad smile on my face.

Helldivers is featured on our list of the best PS4 multiplayer games.

The post first appeared on .

 •  0 comments  •  flag
Published on February 04, 2025 19:25