The Democratic Design of Helldivers 2
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 15 พ.ย. 2024
- "Why is Helldivers 2 so special? I think, in part, because of how and why it makes us care about its narrative."
It's only through embracing oft-maligned ideas (no cinematics, always on-line, few cosmetics) that Helldivers 2 actually creates a framework for reactivity and community.
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Hey everyone - back with another video. This time talking about 2024's surprise hit Helldivers 2 and digging into some thoughts about what I think this game does really well, and sets it apart from many of its peers.
It's not often I care about any kind of 'story' in these types of games, yet Helldivers 2, since its release, has my attention.
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Games, in order of appearance,
Helldivers 2
Deep Rock Galactic
Strange Brigade
Left 4 Dead 2
Warhammer: Vermintide 2
Remnant
Wildlands
GTFO
Destiny 2
Sea of Thieves
World of Warcraft
Final Fantasy XIV
Guild Wars 2
Music used,
Helldivers 2 OST - Wilber Roget
The Illusive Man - Mass Effect 2 - Jack Wall
EDZ - Destiny 2 - Michael Salvatori, Skye Lewin, C Paul John, Rotem Moav & Pieter Schlosser
Spectre Introduction - Mass Effect 1 - Jack Wall, Richard Jacques, Sam Hulick
Vigil - Mass Effect 1 - Jack Wall
The End - Mass Effect 1 - Jack Wall, Sam Hulick
#helldivers2 #gamedesign
Super Earth Disclaimer: Many automatons and terminids were killed in the making of this video.
Thank Democracy
Democracy bless super earth
When you look at it, Helldivers 2 plot is a movie plot. With all the movie moments. It is just that it emerges from the gameplay itself rather than being constructed before hand.
I think that's the other part of it for sure - the game and environmental design of shooty shooty looks really cinematic.
@@QuestMarker It doesn't just look cinematic it feels cinematic in the moment. Which is why it is really easy to put together videos for the game, because those cinematic moments happen often in a battle.
100%. So many times when we're charging across a field, you get these sweeping vistas of being chased by a horde of enemies while orbital strikes are going off left, right, and centre. It's awesome.
Pixel Whip sent me here! Can't believe how incredible this video is. You are both small channels that deserve a much larger following. Amazing work 😊
Hey thanks so much! Comments like these keep the channel going. Really glad you enjoyed this.
I have actually admired Pixel Whip from afar but maybe I should go be more direct! ;D Let me know what video I should go say hi in!
(Also i just realized what your profile pic is haha I love it. Pengu is the best)
First off noot noot/10 on the whole channel 😉.
Pixel whip did drop your name on his latest kill the justice league video but I have a feeling he would appreciate your thoughts on his coccoon or his obra dinn video which seem way more your speed.
I also have it on good authority that he may be interested in a game of helldivers if you reach out via hia business email 😉
Ooo Ill have to do a channel binge soon!! Thanks for the intelligence - doubly so on the helldivers stuff haha.
Always appreciate finding other creators in the trenches.
Heroes of Might and Magic does the "Ice is stronger this month" thing...but as JBlow probably only plays his own games I'm not surprised he wouldn't know of any games doing this. Also, the interviewer was so wrong. It's immersive as hell when single player games take these things into account, like characters in Oblivion doing something only on a specific day of the week!
Ooo I didn't know that about Heroes of Might and Magic! I'll have to check that out.
At least for the older ones, there's no pattern or way of controlling or knowing what's coming next, so it's just a randomizer element.
@@tawlney
Once you do know you can commit your resources to taking advantage of that month's bonuses or ignore until something more relevant to you comes up. It can be risk/reward if you want to push it or just nice flavour. I think Endless Legend did something fairly similar.
This cup of liber-tea was double steeped
may your tea always be strong!
Great video man! I haven't played Helldivers 2 yet, but this really makes me want to play!
Thanks, man! It's really great fun with friends!
Post-
Or even meta-modern at it's finest.
Games 10 years ago were like "This is Jack! He is a protagonist with power to save the world but he is held down by forces of evil! Fight your way and save everyone!!"
And Helldivers is like "you are nobody. Another grunt in huge cogs of war. Do what you ordered. Also we are the bad guys"😂
And it works because of how new generation of players see themselves. No more "saving the world", no more "I am the only hope of humanity". It's kinda cringe and stale. If game wants to tell us some war story - it should show us soldiers, not the superpowerful imbalanced heroes.
You are just sent there to do dirty work. For better or worse - doesn't matter. Because nobody asked you for your opinion.
One line from JT Music's helldivers clip perfectly describes this feel:
"'Till I went MIA, I was dependable"
Finally early to one of your videos! Awesome content, as usual.
Appreciate you, and appreciate this comment.
The galactic campaign is the perfect example of managed democracy. Every dive counts. You're casting your vote -- the bugs and bots, or Super Earth? And we will make our voices heard.
Of course, to maintain order and prevent anarchy, there must be some management. This is why we are given major orders and rewarded with war bond medals.
These two principles go together. They must go together. It is only then that you can have a free and ordered society to fight for.
Our goal is democracy and liberty for everyone. ...if we're being idealistic, then perhaps one day the bots or bugs will join us and embrace the liberty of Super Earth. We could probably find a place in our managed democracy for them. But---to be honest, I hope they don't sue for peace. How could they understand liberty? They haven't seen Super Earth, and they NEVER will. It would take an incredible amount of effort to teach them. It would be so much easier to contain the bugs and destroy every last clanker. Then the whole galaxy can be liberated under managed democracy, with every person a citizen.
Sir! Permission to spread managed democracy, sir! My freedom fists are ready for the bug holes and machine factories sir!
@@QuestMarker Permission granted, diver. Wear your cape with pride. And remember the golden rule: If our ideals are alien to them, then they are aliens to us. Cast your vote for democracy today!
DRG is the same. We are just dwarfs living life among rock and stone and our dwarf chad drunk friends as mission control treats us like office workers as valuable as the material we can carry on our backs. We dont feel special can we are ourselfs, but special because we are us.
DRG totally treats you as a blue collar everyman, 100%. But it doesn't really tie all of us blue collar miners together in a meaningfully way, I would argue.
Like how cool would it be if there were Company Quarterly Objectives, and if we didn't get the numbers to go up, they'd cut our beer?!
B3 on the flamethrower at 11:12 is what this game is all about. SO good!
B3 likes his bugs ... t o a s t e d.
I love how you use Mass Effect multiple times for music in this video, but failed to mention mass effect in your cooperative shooter list
Can you even play ME3's multiplayer anymore??
@@QuestMarker I don’t even know. So I mean if you meant current competition you may have a point, but I thought you mentioned other old titles that may or may not be able to be played anymore like left 4 dead, so I figured mass effect was also fair game, I just had to mention it because of all the music. Lovely video tho!
Ohhh gotcha! Yeah, L4D 1 and 2 you can still play AND I think are still the games casting the longest shadow over this genre. Which is why I mentioned them! ...I really was hoping ME3 Multiplayer might've returned with the Legendary Edition (and thank you!)
Love this video! I actually love all your videos (especially your ACIII one). Great editing, nice voice to listen to, and your script is always insightful. One of the most underrated channels on the platform in my opinion.
Really nice perspective in this video. Helldivers 2 is really unique in how it's almost diametrically opposite to the way narrative is traditionally handled in games. I've recently played through Suicide Squad, and the narrative is so front and centre, and you play as very personality-driven characters, it's hard for me to feel properly immersed in the narrative the way the game wants me to be if I'm also chatting to my friends and goofing around at the same time. The consequence-free nature of the characters you play as in Helldivers 2 ironically makes me feel a lot more connected to my role in the game since just goofing with my friends fits into the world so much better. For me, the narrative and the gameplay synergise in a way that most multiplayer games in general do not.
This is a really lovely comment - thank you so much!
"synergise in a way that most multiplayer games in general do not" is an excellent summation. I couldn't agree more!
I think some ARGs had this 'global objective' thing before. Like you are in the game version of the Illuminati, so you do some puzzle or code on your phone at a point in the real-game world and get 0.01% dominance for your faction at that location (or something like that).
Warframe has some events that have small amounts of progress contributed to by multiple players, either as a clan, or for the people of the solar system collectively.
I do think that Helldivers has intergated this idea fairly well though.
ARGs are probably a really good comparator to that global idea - the communal aspect of the early days of Pokémon GO does feel similar.
I'm really surprised so few non-mobile games have taken the route. I think it's really because we circle back to the idea of every person is Special and a Named Hero, which makes it hard to integrate into a shared narrative.
Brilliant video - subscribed!
Thanks for the sub! (Does anyone say that on TH-cam anymore lol)
And thanks for the praise, you're too kind!
This is awesome content. TH-cam algorithm, blow this up!
Let's goooooo!
Bruh if my mission timer sudenly got cut in half Id uninstall. fuck that noise.
Haha the sudden randomness can be awesome!
@@QuestMarker So long as its not that big of a fuck you, it can indeed
Great video pal
appreciate u
So this game is special because you are not.
100%!