The fan-favorite co-op shooter of 2024 so far, Helldivers 2, throws players headfirst into a galactic war as pawns of a dystopian militaristic Earth. The game has continued to refine its brand of frantic action and squad-based mayhem since launch, but its wacky physics are one of its biggest draws.
Friendly fire being permanently on makes for some hilarious stratagem-squash moments, but developer Arrowhead Game Studios can take the comedy (and gameplay appeal) one step further by adding a very logical mechanic to the game: gravity modifiers for planets.
Bouncing Around In Low Gravity Is Never Not Fun
All of Helldivers 2‘s liberation missions takes place on different planets in the galaxy, so it’s only natural that they won’t have the same gravity levels throughout. Low-gravity environments also present unique gameplay opportunities and challenges that would be fun to navigate around.
The most obvious and immediate change would be player movement. Helldivers would be able to leap immense distances and perform extended zero-G glides.Throwables would travel further, requiring tactical adjustments, and even fall damage wouldn’t be as big of a concern. Projectile speed would be impacted, though, with bullets travelling slower and requiring close-quarter combat.
But low gravity wouldn’t just affect player movement. Enemy movement would also be impacted. Automatons and Terminids could jump high up to avoid fire, requiring sharper aim to take down. Bile Spewers could also leap off high vantage points to carpet bomb the battlefield with acid. As fun as low-G environments sound, enemies could get serious buffs according to the chosen difficulty.
Even the trusty jump pack, which is kind of underwhelming, would see a significant boost in lower gravity environments, allowing for longer and higher-altitude air time. This could make for new flanking opportunities and make scouting enemy positions easier.
High-Gravity Planets Would Dial Helldivers 2‘s Difficulty To 11
On the other side of the equation are high-gravity planets, which would substantially amp up the challenge, as well as the laughs. Stamina regeneration would be hit the hardest, requiring movement to be limited and strategically planned. Players could even have to crouch or go prone to restore their stamina quicker. Even enemies would move slower across the battlefield.
Fall damage would also be multiplied several times, with as much as a trip-and-fall costing you half your health bar. Bullet drops would be absurdly high as well, affecting gun range. However, shooting from a higher vantage point could increase damage-per-shot.
The funniest mechanic to be affected by far, though, would be throwables. Seeing a team member chucking a grenade, having it land 3 feet away from them, and then blowing up in their face, would no doubt make for an unforgettable memory. Another hilarious change would be the landing impact of drop pods, which could come down fast enough to take down a Factory Strider.
The inclusion of gravity modifiers, then, would make Helldivers 2 a much more challenging, varied gameplay experience, as well as bringing it slightly closer to reality. The game’s bizarre physics are already one of its highlights, so why not expand upon them with varying gravity levels on planets?
Not only would they require different strategic approaches with existing weapons and enhance their functionality, but players would no doubt appreciate the hearty fun of seeing one of their teammates go splat on the ground after accidentally running off a ledge on a high-gravity planet.
