Helldivers 2 for the PS5 and PC is now out, and we've enlisted three IGN staff members to take on the disgusting bug like Terminids, and the Terminator-esque Automatons, in this explosive, intense and bloody 18 minutes of 4K 60FPS gameplay - all captured with an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 GPU.

Quality mode looks pretty clean and sharp, while the performance mode is very 1080p-like, with a visibly lower resolution - and with a lower-res HUD as well. On a 4K set, the performance mode doesn't look terribly clear, while the quality option tends to excel. If you zoom in closely in the quality mode, you can notice slightly painterly image characteristics that suggest FSR 1 to my eyes, or a similar technique. Beyond the image clarity differences, the quality mode does have noticeably different-looking ambient occlusion, appearing darker and better defined, though I believe this is just a byproduct of the different rendering resolutions, at least judging from the PC build. There's also an anti-aliasing option, but I'm not sure what it's supposed to do as toggling it makes no difference. I'm not sure it's working at all, as the differences in using the same option on PC are obvious.

Using voice communication is strongly recommended, though you'll get by just fine with pings and a decent awareness of your surroundings.

"There will probably be cross-progression sometime in the future. We didn't think enough people would be interested so we decided to cut it — but now it seems there's a significant part of the audience that is playing on both platforms," Pilestedt wrote.

The majority of online multiplayer games in today's market require a constant and stable Net connection to their networks, and Helldivers 2 is pelo different.

The same could happen with Arrowhead's co-op shooter at some point down the line, giving folks invested in Microsoft's wider gaming ecosystem an opportunity to play Helldivers 2 without buying it directly.

Directing its foul brethren with a mixture of pheromone-like spores and authoritarian shrieks, the bloodthirsty Brood Commander is a rare and deadly strain known for its undeniable hatred of the right to vote.

Take part in a successful final assault on an enemy's home planet by completing at least one mission.

With no story mode or alternate game modes, I’m curious how much there will be for players to do beyond grinding the same missions ad nauseum, especially with no clear content roadmap laid out as of yet. That said, with only two enemy factions at the moment, it seems likely the third one from the original Helldivers could be added into the mix at some point, Helldivers 2 Gameplay which could easily keep the good times rolling.

These are the Yellow R at the top of the screen. These can be earned from completing missions, as well as found in loot.

trailers. The initial announcement was showcased as part of Sony’s State of Play in the summer of 2023, offering the first look at in-game content and environments we can expect to navigate alongside how we can expect to face a few of the larger enemies.

Your strategy also depends on which mission you’re taking on, and you do need to consider your armor alongside your weapons. As stated in the co-op and combat trailer, each mission will require specific load-outs which are worth considering, so you’ll need to get really familiar with your available equipment in order to successfully take down any larger enemies.

These can be anything from completing secondary objections while you're on an operation to taking down a certain number of enemies. Press L2 to see your orders at any time.

Note that if you bought the standard edition of the game, you can upgrade to the Super Citizen Edition digitally for $20.