I don’t know that many of us anticipated Helldivers 2 to be one of many greatest video games of the yr. Huge video games like Last Fantasy VII Rebirth, even Palworld, have come and gone in about the identical time, however everybody nonetheless appears to be enjoying Helldivers 2 months after launch. And for at the very least one individual, that ubiquity is leaking into actual life.
To be truthful, due to its reside service trappings, Helldivers 2 was all the time meant to be constantly performed, however Arrowhead Recreation Studios has turned that into impetus to ship a spellbinding struggle narrative and an ever-changing sandbox that’s enthralled quite a bit of gamers. And in the event that they haven’t been enjoying Helldivers 2, they’ve nearly definitely seen others play and speak about it throughout social media, the place clips of the sport’s comedic chops have typically gone viral. Hell, half of my job at this level is performing as a Helldivers 2 correspondent. It’s in all places you look.
This has apparently develop into very true for one Reddit consumer who claims that it’s all however taken over their city. In a put up to the Helldivers subreddit, the consumer—who goes by the username Kaleon—shares that they’ve ran into individuals speaking about Helldivers 2 in all places. They’ve overheard everybody from the native butcher to their barista speaking concerning the recreation, and apparently even seen a Helldivers bumper sticker within the wild. It’s like that clip of Henry Cavill instantly zeroing in on his Witcher castmate Joey Batey on the point out of Warhammer 40,000 throughout an interview. Of us are getting alongside nicely with others who’re entertaining their nerdy nonsense, and it’s an attractive sight.
The replies to the unique put up counsel that Helldivers 2’s immense unfold hasn’t stopped at that one small city both. One of the vital upvoted feedback is a narrative about two associates speaking about it on the bar when a random individual overhears them and shouts from throughout the bar, “ARE YOU GUYS TALKING ABOUT HELLDIVERS? THAT GAME IS FUCKING AWESOME!” Shocking nobody, the Helldivers group is boisterous and humorous even after they’re not roleplaying as galactic fascists.
Others point out putting up hour-long conversations with individuals after inferring that the sport they performed the earlier night time “with the boys” was Helldivers 2, and one more reply claims that they met somebody at a bar, chatted concerning the recreation, and now that individual is relationship the commenter’s pal. It seems love can bloom on (or I suppose on this case, adjoining to) the battlefield.
The replies are full of tales like this, and I hold coming throughout them whereas trying to find Helldivers 2 tales. The sport has an actual group, not simply a very concerned participant base that pumps out nice jokes on TikTok, loudly hates on facets of the sport, and shouts on the builders, although they’re wont to do this each every so often too. Video games have all the time managed to convey individuals collectively, whether or not it’s associates enjoying Pong on the identical sofa, or a squad of Helldivers 2 gamers waging a galactic struggle from distinct corners of the world. Different instances they evidently unite an entire city. Whatever the scale, it’s good to be often reminded of how far-reaching video games could be and the way intimately they will tie individuals collectively over one thing so simple as taking pictures bugs and killer robots.
