I love Helldivers 2. While Balatro and Last Epoch might have stolen slightly more hours of my time so far this year, Arrowhead Game Studios’ bombastic co-op game repeatedly delivers these incredible moments of tension, panic, wonder, and elation; the kind of moments that make my brain shout, “This is the best game ever made.” Yet, for all its masterful execution and an ever-expanding arsenal including the recent arrival of mechs, my favorite thing from the original Helldivers is still absent.
As a huge fan of the first game, one of the most impressive things about Helldivers 2 is how well it manages to capture not only the spirit but also the feel of the original. From the movement to the weapon handling, the rhythm of the enemies, and of course the glorious chaos caused by Helldivers 2 friendly fire, Arrowhead’s sequel is astonishingly close to its predecessor despite the dramatic shift from top-down, twin-stick shooter to a third-person, over-the-shoulder co-op game.
We did lose something in the transition, however, and it’s not a notable absence from the best Helldivers 2 weapons – I won’t pretend I don’t miss my LAS-13 Trident, but I have confidence that, like my beloved EXO-45 Patriot before it, all of those and more will likely make their way over to the sequel eventually. I’m talking about something simpler, something more fundamental: the humble cape spin.
Because of the twin-stick nature of the first Helldivers, you can simply rotate the right stick in a circle to constantly spin your aim (and, with it, your character) around on-screen. Further selling this effect is that your cape flows out gloriously behind you like a well-starched beacon of hope and liberty. It’s majestic, and my friends and I never stopped doing it, even after hundreds of hours played. Between the slight third-person turning circle of the sequel and its somewhat more ‘realistic’ cape physics, it simply doesn’t work anymore in Helldivers 2. Even if you can get a good spin going, your cape won’t follow in kind.
I’m still glad Helldivers 2 made the transition to third-person. It allows both games to stand out on their own merits, it’s given us a whole new perspective on the fight for Super Earth, and it’s brought us plenty of wonderful new twists like those incredible ICBM detonations and the delightfully silly physics of a well-timed dolphin dive. And the community has come up with no shortage of alternative ways to share their joy and camaraderie – personally I’ll always take a comforting hug in the midst of a hectic battle. But, as much as it sounds like I might be exaggerating, I genuinely miss the cape spin most of all; I’d give anything to have it back.
So consider this my plea to Arrowhead. Whether it be an emote, a victory pose, or even a change to the way cape physics work, give me my spin back. I promise it’ll only help us further the cause of spreading sweet liberty across the galaxy. Thank you.
Help further humanity’s cause with the best Helldivers 2 stratagems and you’ll be set for any situation. We’ve also got all the details on the second Helldivers 2 Warbond, Cutting Edge, and all its high-voltage tricks.
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