Helldivers 2 was a tremendous success for Arrowhead Game Studios and Sony Interactive Entertainment. Reaching a million copies sold in the first three days alone, the developers were unprepared for the positive reception which is rightfully deserved. Fans have spent hours and hours fighting aliens, space bugs, and more that threaten Earth, it is the ultimate sci-fi shooter any gamer could ask for.
The original Helldivers was released in 2015, the developers did everything a perfect follow-up should, also changing things up a bit like being a third-person shooter rather than top-down, and then some.
For a game that tackles combat and uncontrolled mayhem, destruction should be also over the top. Built on a discontinued engine known as the Autodesk Stingray, players begin to wonder if their request for realism is too big of an ask for the game’s engine.
Helldivers 2 Was Built on a Discontinued Engine
Sometimes the game’s look can be a life or death situation for players, nowadays if it looks dated it would be disregarded. Fortunately, Helldivers 2 was well-optimized on the PlayStation 5 and took full advantage of the power of the hardware, the same goes for PCs with decent specs. The visuals can keep players in awe with the environmental changes, however, fans want a more destructive world to feel the effects of war on a more realistic note.
The engine is discontinued for a reason, a sad one too. Unreal Engine has become the standard in game development, and more developers use it because of how efficient and effective it is This could be a major problem for the game in the future if developers were to add new content like the highly requested destructible towns and other interactive structures that can be affected by physics.
The Physics of Helldivers 2 Could Be More Realistic
Originally called Bitsquid, a handful of games were built on this engine, and it was efficient in creating beautiful worlds with a simple architecture. Modern games have become more realistic, not just in the character models but the virtual world they also roam in. Red Dead Redemption 2 was built with Rockstar Games’ in-house engine called the Rockstar Advanced Game Engine, or RAGE, and was a technical marvel. Players are still in awe of the beauty of the game, especially with the destructible environments even if it is turning 6 this year.
Another good example of how realistic environments enhance the gameplay is Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End with the destructive covers. The Last of Us Part II and the infamous remake of the original titled The Last of Us Part I share the same in-house Naughty Dog engine, both were universally praised as works of art. If Helldivers 2 has the capability for destructible towns and more, the players will be far more immersed than they ever were. Are you a fan of Helldivers 2? Let us know in the comments below!