Why Helldivers 2 Makes Me Forget The FOMO Of Destiny 2

I’ve been an avid Destiny 2 player ever since the time of the Dark Below DLC back on D1 on the PS4, going as far as to call myself a veteran fan of the franchise. And while Destiny 2 has had a mixed reception as of late, I can’t help but painfully state how the game has become a chore to play, not just for casual but hardcore audiences, too.

While I certainly had a great time reviewing the base game and its DLCs released prior to Lightfall, the latter expansion was the nail in the coffin for me to take a break completely until the Final Shape. Despite how many amazing single-player games and JRPGs have kept me occupied since then, what I least expected was how I’d be dropping nuclear warheads on space bugs and battling bloodthirsty robots in Helldivers 2.

Destiny 2’s Disengagement And Fall From Grace

Before I gush about how much I love everything about Helldivers 2, I want you to understand the rollercoaster state of Destiny 2 and how it got to where it is right now. Aside from the fact that the game’s PvP sandbox had seen little to no updates or the community’s negative feedback towards the Final Shape previews, the most surprising revelation came from the employee layoffs at Bungie.

The Final Shape is terribly marketed
byu/kaylenze inDestinyTheGame

Now, I know these layoffs were happening everywhere in the big leagues of the gaming industry at that time, but going as far as firing your most loyal soundtrack composer ever since the days of Halo? That’s just plain and utter disrespect to Salvatori and his esteemed work. Bungie, be better.

Bungie seemingly laid off Destiny's lead composer… that's some really deep cut backs. :/ https://t.co/n7HlgsQiJ4

— Jez (@JezCorden) October 31, 2023

Now, with the Final Shape DLC finally on the horizon for its release after a heavy delay, I often wonder if the game will ever feel like I’m not constantly burning myself out on doing time-gated activities or chasing after meaningless goals. Don’t get me wrong; I loved the idea of Guardian Ranks and Seals, especially given how much they contribute to the bragging rights and completionist goals for your overall in-game career.

Destiny has lost it’s most important aspect… Charm
byu/EmoMcNugget inDestinyTheGame

Regardless, while I respect Bungie and its developers always striving to create incentivizing elements in its expansions or updates, such as the raids, which are the pinnacle of the franchise, it just heavily suffers from accommodating new players no matter what, and the entire progression cycle of ritual plus the seasonal activities is way past its prime.

For The Glory Of Super Earth And Democracy!

There’s a saying that pretty much sums up my experience about Helldivers 2 and playing it for the first time, and that’s how “All’s fair in love and war.” To go into more detail, Helldivers 2 is a game where each mission is your playground to cause destruction and mayhem in the name of Liberty, even if it annihilates your fellow teammate.

But hey, if you do find yourself being a massive fan of this game already, I’d highly recommend checking out Earth Defense Force 5 (or the sequel set to launch later this summer if it doesn’t get any more delays.) because it’s just as chaotic to play with friends using its different classes and extensive weapon variety.

I’d go as far as to say that one of my favorite moments so far was how the game let me channel my inner Ripley from Aliens (1986) by using a flamethrower and incinerating a horde of Terminids, and possibly my buddies at the same time (But we don’t talk about that.)

I am instantly infatuated with this game and I want to gush.
byu/Shirokuma_Max inHelldivers

The seemingly endless ways to complete your objectives in missions and correlate attacks on enemies via your stratagems make the enjoyability factor for Helldivers 2 extremely rich. While sure this game has its own battle pass to complete, at least I can safely focus on dishing out a cup of Liber-Tea with the boys instead of having an underlying anxiety of FOMO creep up on me.

Discovering Liberation In Helldivers 2 Amid Franchise Fatigue

I know Helldivers 2 and Destiny 2 are live-service titles that are quite different in their progression mechanics and gameplay elements. However, I still can’t help but feel that Destiny 2 has lost the fun factor for me and my other friends, who have been veteran fans since the beginning of release.

Understandably, Bungie has shifted to the MMO treadmill style, but all it really boils down to is making your efforts or grind feel like a minor dent in the iceberg of their Seasonal Content model.

For that reason, I find myself heavily invested in a game such as Helldivers 2, where creativity and joy are unlimited, whether you’re playing solo or with friends. Even experimenting and trying out new load-outs create a similar power-fantasy synergy that I found in Destiny 2’s complex six-player raids.

Until Bungie can reel me back in again to see the Final Shape DLC through to its end or somehow find a way to keep me invested in its gameplay loop for the long haul, I think I’m happy being in a place where I can run and gun without worrying about a numeric value attached to my character or in general, power creeping when new content launches.