Helldivers 2 is now one of the most popular games on Steam. The co-op PvE shooter has become a new craze amongst fans for its fun gameplay and over-the-top moments. It’s become so popular that it has even dethroned another sensation that quickly rose to fame recently, Palworld. The Pokémon-inspired survival shooter, while it enjoyed its time in the sun, has now been overshadowed by the goliath that is Helldivers 2.
However, both games are inspired by previous media, and while Palworld was heavily criticized for this, Helldivers 2 is escaping this scrutiny. Well, now one gamer has pointed out the hypocrisy.
The inspiration that Palworld takes from Pokemon is no different to the inspiration that Helldivers 2 takes from Starship Troopers
The critique comes from X user @PatStaresAt, who seems upset at how Helldivers 2 is skating by on popularity alone whereas Palworld was crucified for the same crime. When you put the games beside their inspirations, it’s very easy to see the similarities. Many of Palworld’s creature designs closely resemble that of Pokémon, with some being almost carbon copies.
I feel like Helldivers insane success really shows how much of the plagiarism arguments about Palworld were specifically because it was Pokemon. Y'all that is just an unlicensed Starship Troopers game and no one bats an eye.
— Pat Stares At Best Baby Ever (@PatStaresAt) February 18, 2024
This was a major issue against the title for a while, with gamers speaking out about the lack of originality and even possible copyright infringement by the Palworld developers. It didn’t stop the game from being a hit, but it introduced some friction that the devs had to address. Carrying the moniker of “Pokémon with guns” also didn’t help their case much.
Helldivers 2, when placed next to Starship Troopers, falls into many of the same pitfalls. The game is a shooter based on an alien planet. The main enemies are giant bugs and the goal is to set up a colony and establish a presence on the planet. The insanity of the explosions and even the patriotism-heavy dialogues are reminiscent of the 1997 space parody classic.
Palworld and Helldivers 2 are shaking people’s faith in the value of creativity in gaming
A reply to PatStaresAt says “Those two games prove that (not surprisingly) games arent original”, a growing sentiment amongst gamers as we see many developers, both small and large, capitalizing on past glory. Palworld’s resemblance to Pokemon was so great that even the Pokemon Company responded to the claims of copyright.
While they stated they have not “granted any permission for the use of Pokémon intellectual property or assets in that game” they did not outright name Palworld in their statement. Still, being directly addressed by a franchise as large as Pokémon shows how widely that sentiment had spread, and that people were beginning to take notice of the lack of originality. It should be noted that Palworld did not infringe on any copyrighted material, despite what popular opinion online may state.
They say imitation is the best form of flattery, but it does get worrying when some of the biggest games in the space are copies of older media. But, do you feel games are becoming unoriginal? Be sure to let us know in the comments below.
