It’s been a rough week for players in Helldivers 2 who are simply trying to spread liberty and have fun with friends. First, the dastardly Illuminate sent the Meridian Singularity into a planet, destroying Angel’s Venture. The Singularity is now on a path towards Super Earth, but we don’t have any time to process that — the Terminids are causing problems, and the most infuriating enemy in the game has been buffed to ridiculous degrees. The Stalker is a thousand times worse, and I am begging, pleading, and throwing up for Arrowhead to show the poor Helldivers a little sympathy.
The Terminids are constantly evolving, and respond unpredictably to outside stimulus. When Super Earth tried to deploy a chemical called the Terminid Control System, it (ironically) caused the bugs to mutate out of control. Meridia turned into a Supercolony, a Terminid nest so deadly we had to pump it full of Dark Fluid and turn it into a Singularity. After that whole mess, part of the galaxy became blanketed in a heavy cloud of spores known as the Gloom.
When I logged in on Saturday, I was greeted with a new Major Order: to protect Fenris III, on which there’s a crucially important scientific site. If we’re going to stop the Singularity, we’re going to need that research on Fenris III. There was just one little problem. This new status alert:
“Predator Strain: A Gloom-enhanced strain of Terminids has been reported on this planet. SEAF patrols have been lured into ambushes, and picked off by unseen assailants. Every ounce of a Helldiver’s superior senses will be required to hunt down this dangerous threat.”
What do these new Predator Hunters and Stalkers look like in action? Not good!!
Hey, quick question for all of the talented and dedicated developers at Arrowhead: What the fuck? What did we do to deserve this?! I’m a nice person. I’m not mean to anybody.
We’ve seen a similar modifier in the past with the Automaton Jet Brigade, but I don’t feel like giving the robots a jet pack is anywhere near similar to taking the game’s most vicious enemy, pumping it full of spikes and mutations, multiplying them into voracious packs, and giving them the ability to summon bug breaches which brings more Stalkers.
Some players are delighted at the new challenge; after squashing bugs, smashing bots, and tearing through hordes of squids, these Helldivers have been wanting a new and more threatening foe. I respect this outlook, and based off a previous Polygon interview with Mikael Eriksson, game director on Helldivers 2, we can expect similar twists on familiar foes in the future. “As we go into the future, with all factions, we want to add special units or modifications to the factions to push them in different directions,” said Eriksson. This is certainly an exciting new direction, but it’s also quite terrifying.
Super Earth High Command, please save us. I’d rather fistfight the Singularity than tangle with these deadly Stalkers. As of Monday morning, the new Major Order is to dip our toes into the Gloom and get as much data as possible from Fori Prime. This is a world on the border on the Gloom, but it’s dim and difficult to navigate. As we venture further into the spores, in search of the E-710 we need to stop the Singularity, I expect more nasty surprises. Please, Arrowhead, stop buffing the Stalkers. I am so stupid and so scared.
The post Arrowhead unleashed big-ass nightmare bugs in Helldivers 2 this weekend appeared first on Polygon.
