Helldivers 2 - Insert Bug Pun Here (Review) | Jimquisition

Jim Sterling writes: “The state of mainstream games is just fucking pathetic.

Helldivers 2 has been out for well over a week and yet it still suffers from the kind of connection issues that would be (and were) unacceptable by launch day standards, let alone days later.”

[helicoptergirl]

Lol nice one Jim. But people have already been playing the game for a while now. The people know what they have here and it turns out... they absolutely LOVE IT. The devs are also really passionate. The gamers love the experience and that same experience is only going to get better and better. Thanks for your input though Jim

[-Foxtrot]

It’s just their opinion

If it has bugs, it has bugs and they clearly decided to call them out more for it than the rest

It’s not personal to them, they are harsh about this sort of stuff for everything

[Crows90]

Who are you talking about? Who is them?

Jim just sounds like he dislikes the success a game with typical online connectivity problems is having. Diablo 4..same issue. Pretty much any online game has had connectivity issues at launch. Perfectly normal. Cant think of a single game that has launched with online multiplayer and no issues.

[repsahj]

I like Arrowhead now! Last night, after the patch, PS5 players couldn't log in. Then players call out to Arrowhead and immediately post that they're working on it. After an hour or two, they fixed it right away. Great job!!!

[jwillj2k4]

@repsahj

I understand this may seem like a good thing, but it’s actually pretty terrible. It means they aren’t testing their defect fixes properly, rolling them out with no regresssion testing.

[blackblades]

Its Jim.... we all know his BS so stop with the its their opinion crap.

[badz149]

@jwillj2k4

I'm not gonna defend any game for launching with issues but the main issue with HD2 is the fact that its server capacity was not planned for this number of players. their limit is around the half mil mark which it easily reach almost every day now. no one expected this game to be doing THIS well, so can't really blame them for getting caught off-guard. let's give them time to sort things out

[-Foxtrot]

Look if you guys want to get so offended fine but my point was they do this for every game…it’s not “I’ve hated this game from the start”

That’s it

[NoFanBoy]

Not them IT!

[1Victor]

I wonder what was this writer inside full opinion on sea of thieves and other non Sony franchises 🤨

[Asplundh]

He likes to go against popular opinion for attention, it's not just Playstation games.

[GamerRN]

Why do people always deflect to games on "the other platform"?

If one guy doesn't like the game, who cares?! If you like the game, that's all that matters. Every single review is just the opinion of one guy.

[1Victor]

@gamer: ”Why do people always deflect to games on "the other platform"?”
. I’m not reflecting I’m jus curious as I’m not going to waste my time or click on a obvious click bait article 🤷🏿

[1Victor]

@Asplundh: “He likes to go against popular opinion for attention, it's not just Playstation games.”
.
Thank you for answering my question 👍👍

[darthv72]

...guess this isnt the kind of game for Stephanie.

[Angyobangyo]

A lot of game aren't for Stephanie since going full-on off the edge. OG Jim was entertaining to watch, the last few years...not so much.

[Kaii]

Gives suicide squad 65 but this 35 (Insert mind blown meme)

[Crows90]

When something isnt too exploitative he feels more violated. Not sure the reasoning. read his review and just sounds like pure ranting.

[Petebloodyonion]

Funny cause Suicide Squads do have a Story mode
What happened to game Live service games getting slammed for crappy single mode or lack of mode?
I'm pretty sure that COD MW3 a great multiplayer live service game got lots of 5/10 because the Single player part sucks
And How many games got slammed because of connectivity issues
Surely Halo Collection got 9/10 all over the place for the potential of the game the great singles-player collection
Oh I forgot it got 6/10 because of matchmaking issues at the launch
https://www.gamespot.com/re...

[Ironmike]

In helldivers u create ur own story

[Crows90]

I can clearly tell you didn't think much about the fundamental differences.

Helldivers 2 is designed as a co op only game with solo mode available.

It also has a campaign focused on the co op aspect. Liberating planets is the story.

The whole game was intelligently put together.

Most of your other games were either online multiplayer titles that started as single player games and got their fame from the combination or they are games from far bigger IP that have been nailing online connectivity for generations...yet they still launch with issues.

This small dev team manages to actually integrate their entire game into what they set out to do ...and it makes sense.

Halo dropping campaign wouldn't make sense...same with cod.

Helldivers had no real hype until after launch they reinvented themselves to success.

[Doomeduk]

@ironmike it does have a story mode to me and it starts with the opening cinematic of someone sitting there watching going "Fk yeah " and signing up and then I take over the story by dropping in to what I thought was a quiet drop point to load up and and as I descend I can make out 2 chargers and a bile spew and I was landing slap in the middle of them I managed to get out "Say hello to Democracy" a second or two later I got melted like butter
That grunts mother would have been so proud

[Realms]

This is why so many people don't take reviews seriously anymore, I for one I'm glad the game has found it's audience and is making that community happy. Even though live service games aren't my thing, why would I go out of my way to crap on something that others enjoy just because it's not my cup of tea.

[P_Bomb]

“Oh, and it’s grindy as all hell to unlock upgrades and cosmetics.”

No it isn’t.

“This is compounded by several objectives in which you have to literally sit patiently while a timer counts down for ages and enemies barely spawn.”

Play on higher difficulties. You’ll be overwhelmed immediately upon entry.

“ It’s amazing to me that this game throws in multiple outfits that make you look like a medic, but they took the fucking medicine out.”

Not true. My medic comes with two extra stims, and anybody can heal anybody so long as you have them.

[thorstein]

He lies all the time. Always has. That's why Destructoid fired him. Cost people tons of money for it. He's utter garbage as a human being and always was.

[Crows90]

Agree, but I like to think people always have tomorrow to redeem themselves. Yet some ar hell bent in sticking to their sickening behavior.

Haven't looked into what Jim has been up to until recently and geez...glad I stopped paying attention.

[victorMaje]

I understand getting frustrated with not being able to play especially that it’s an online game, & maybe Stephanie has had really bad luck with connecting.
Afaic it’s down to a 5/10. Can’t recommend a game that can only be played 5 out of 10 tries (latest attempt was last night).

The worst times are when it does work & it crashes a few minutes before extraction & you lose all rewards you would’ve gotten.

Would the devs, which I like to think are doing everything they can find it acceptable to return the money spent until the issues are fixed? If they’re asking me to wait to play, can I ask them to wait to get paid?
Bottom line I paid for a game I only were able to properly play the first few days.

[Eonjay]

For the last couple of days after the last update I have had no issues getting in at tall.

[Crows90]

If a product comes to market and it has issues and you still pay to get access...you have no one to blame but yourself if you have problems because of those same issues affecting you.

I don't understand this sentiment that it should work simply because you paid money even when there was evidence suggesting some things don't work well...

[victorMaje]

What? What evidence? This was a day 1 purchase for me. I paid money before the evidence was there to suggest anything. What am I clairvoyant?

[Huey_My_D_Long]

Lol accurate review

[Whitey2k]

I think jimbo doesn't like the fact that the game is a success. Alot of live service games will have problems because alot of these developers wouldn't have a scooby on how well these games will sell. I'm positive due the very positive reviews and the player ccu I'm sure these guys are working hard with the servers

[Armyofdarkness]

This clown

[monkey602]

Jim shouldn't be reviewing games. They clearly don't enjoy them.There was a time I used to follow Jim and actually enjoy the content. I laughed when he took on Randy pitchford or when he seemed to have a vendetta against Ubisoft. But that attitude wore thin. Jim is clearly just looking for any behind scenes drama they can start to make themself relevant again.
And the worst bit is that Jim likes to blame their loss of viewership on the transition, but in reality, it's their shit attitude and constant negativity towards everything that drives people away.

[Christopher]

***it's their shit attitude and constant negativity towards everything that drives people away. ***

Facts.

[Seraphim]

I find that on occasion takes like his can be funny and warranted. However when you build a brand on negativity and shit, yeah, it's only a matter of time before people grow tired of that bs. It just comes off as wholly unreasonable and pathetic over time. Another hater out to hate on a hobby they proclaim to love. We need less bs and more reasonable and subjective based reviews, not hate and clickbait.

[BillyCrystals]

Just because Jim/Stephanie is a total babe now doesn't mean I trust his/her opinion.

[InUrFoxHole]

7/10

[BlackDoomAx]

Despite all the bugs and connections issues, that's the game in all of my big backlog that i wanted to play. I waited like 5/10 min each time to log in, but worth the wait. Played without getting rewards, didn't care because the game is fun. I'm currently stuck at medium difficulty, sent a ticket and i help lower levels while they adress it. Any other game would have discouraged me to play it, but not this one. Game is fun, challenging, not p2w for a gaas, you can earn all the currencies while playing. The developers are doing their best to fix it all the most quickly possible. They released almost one patch a day. Since yesterday the login problems were gone for me. So sure it would have better better without all these bugs/problems, but this game is surely not a 3.5/10.

[Bathyj]

Look at the bright side.
You'll never meet this jerk in your squad.

[Scissorman]

While everyone is certainty entitled to their opinion, it's not professional of him to say that he refuses to reevaluate the game post bug fixes/server capacity cap increases. To simply brush it off and say no, I'm reviewing the game I paid for at launch and that's that, is a bit unfair, especially considering the amount of work the developers have put in recently.

[mkis007]

Who cares, this entity can't stop the train that is managed democracy! Just another bile titan to rain down freedom on.

[generic-user-name]

Been a long time since Jimithy popped up in my YT feed. Anyway, HD1 had like 6k max concurrent on Steam and HD2 has over 400k regularly. Expecting the game devs to be prepared for that kind of uptake by paying for way more capacity for a sequel doesn't seem fair. I at least hope he updates the review once the game is running as intended.

[bigfish]

For democracy!

[SoloGamer1]

😂😂😂 this review.... 🤣🤣🤣
29315;

[TwoPicklesGood]

I’m all for opinions but rating this a 3.5/10 just seems like click bait. The server/login issues and gameplay bugs are a problem but the game is still great and doesn’t deserve such a low score.

[Tedakin]

Why does Metacritic allow Jim on there? I've been playing the crap out of Helldivers 2. Server issues aside, the game is an 8.5/9 minimum. Probably one of the best online shooters I can remember playing in the last several years.

[Doomeduk]

Since MAG and BF2 before it there has been no game since that did squad co-op so good until HD2 dropped
MAG did the factions so well that the opening video still gives me chills of how good gaming used to be and helldivers restores an old chaps happiness

[Ninver]

This guy has lost his marbles and credibility all for the sake of website views. Way to go Jimbo.

[kayoss]

"Enemies barely spawn". Are we playing the same game. I find myself bombarded constantly with enemies and im always having to resupply because i cant go more than 50 yards without getting attacked by bugs or a terminator.

[MetroidFREAK21]

Who is this?

[DOMination-]

Jim has and always will be a troll. Amazing how so many people here are upset and taking it so seriously.

[Christopher]

I wouldn't say a troll so much as hyperactive and prone to hyperbolize one temporary issue to death for review sake. Much like Angry Joe, he's putting on a performance.

[MIDGETonSTILTS17]

Clearly somebody couldn’t find time to wait in a queue AND have fun playing the game.

They exceeded sale’s expectations. Try forgiving them for doing their best to scale up their architecture or whatever.

[Hereandthere]

Pathetic is this reviewer

[Doomeduk]

The big fat bug spewing shit was a bit close to home maybe ? But some good news coming in the Bug is recieving medication and although it's still early days the vet said he should be able to handle the comparison to Jim much better going forward

[thejigisup]

"Helldivers 2’s aesthetic is rubbish."
planets offer a wide variety of settings like dense jungles, rocky planets, icy terrain, lakes, rivers, bogs, etc and the dynamic day and night cycle, dynamic weather events I have to disagree.
"This is largely thanks to the fact cosmetics are now exploitatively monetized with a rotating shop and microtransactions, because of course they are. "
You can easily earn premium currency by playing the game. You don't need to spend a dime to earn these cosmetics in the rotating shop. To me, it means you haven't spent any meaningful time with the game before your review to see just how consumer friendly the paid store is.
"Its amazing to me that this game throws in multiple outfits that make you look like a medic, but they took the fucking medicine out. "
Ok, false. The method to heal is performed by using stimpacks. There are various pieces of armor that grant you extra stimpacks that you can use on yourself or injured allies. There are also strategems that help you ply a support role.
"There is so much time spent just… jogging. Jogging from one landmark to another, all while a pointless stamina bar makes the slog evermore tiresome."
this isn't the average player experience. Instead of just jogging to landmarks it sounds like you should be looking out not just for landmarks but medals, requisition slips, or collectable samples all of which can upgrade your ship and earn you more strategems. More importantly if microtransactions are an issue for you, you should be looking for super credits, the premium currency of the game. How many games give you the premium currency they offer for purchase every time you play?

[thejigisup]

" soloing a game balanced exclusively around four-player teams is one of the least enjoyable things in the world. Such ludicrous swarms of enemies are simply too overwhelming on all but the easiest difficulties, and several objectives become far harder since they’re meant to be tackled cooperatively. "
You are landing on a hostile planet filled with enemies. In any game, if you know there are going to be a ton of enemies are you going to choose a load out that consists of single target weapons like a sniper rifle or a six shooter, or light ordinance? No! You gear up because you know it's going to require taking out a large number of enemies. The game requires strategy and some thought into your load out. It asks that you pay attention to the lay of the land and create strategies on the fly.

This review feels more like the author couldn't play very much and they only focused on that fact. It prevented them from actually reviewing the game and they had to put something out there and we got this "review".
Is the game a 10/10? no. It's certainly not a 3, 4, 5, or 6. It took about 2 weeks for the server capacity issues to be resolved and you can and should hold the dev accountable for the issues. They lacked the foresight that there would ever be over 400k people attempting to play the game at any given time. That being said in the two weeks is been out this is the most fun I've had with a game the last few years. I've climbed to level 34 and have spent over 80 hours playing all difficulty levels. The issues noted in the review about gameplay don't ever mention which difficulty level is being played and that's very important to note. I can't take this reviewer seriously, especially after

" I’m not gonna entertain any “but have you played it since the update?” comments. I reviewed what I played, which is the game they sold me.]"
Many people wait for reviews to make a decision to purchase a game. However i have had 0 wait time since the patch on 2/22/2024.

Tldr, the reviewer had connection issues which prevented him from playing so he never really got a chance to experience what the game has to offer and this is why the score is low. If you buy the game now and play you will have fun and that's what matters.

[gigoran8]

List of bugs

1. The game is too popular so the servers are full.

end of bugs list

wow, if anyone could find a way to write a story bashing one of the most popular recent games because of 1 bug, it's this fool. And it's not ever a bug!

[Angyobangyo]

This is the same person who argues for difficulty modes in Souls games because learning how to get good is far too much for their stubby fingers.

[Spenok]

Lol, Jim has become a joke.