Summary
Traversing the map inHelldivers 2has become absolute chaos, especially onharder difficulty missionswhere time is of the essence and an unexpected bot drop can set your squad back five minutes. Fighting on the right side of history was never supposed to be easy, but it could be easier if we could use vehicles.
I don’t care if it’s through stratagems or if I have to check the map for a POI that might be useful, I just need something to help me across the map faster. Thedriveable APC leakis exciting, but it’s also not what I want. A large, clunky Tesla Cybertruck is not what I had in mind for space exploration, and it’s not what you should be looking for either.
It can be argued that larger maps and movement speed are designed to increase the difficulty for Helldivers, and while that’s all well and good, there’s also plenty to be said for how punishing higher difficulties can be. One wrong move can spell doom for a Helldiver squad. While that’s a reality of war, the other side is that these longer missions can be discouraging to soldiers who aren’t hard-core players.
The lack of stealth-build options is also discouraging to players like me who enjoy this style of play, though understandable.
Still, adding more mobile options to gameplay would supplement this and diversify the squad more.
Getting all the side objectives done can be almost impossible unless working with a well-coordinated squad that operates as essentially four solo soldiers. ATVs provide an efficient and quick way to get around and spread democracy on planets that have yet to taste freedom. Larger, clunkier vehicles only match the enemy’s forces rather than outpacing them. What better way to bring down Factory Striders than to implement faster and more lightweight technology that can outmaneuver it?
While there are larger issues at play, like alack of coordinated effortin deciding which planets to defend or liberate first, decreasing how much time a squad is on-world for an operation can increase how many missions they complete.
Not everyone can set aside multiple hours to fight for Democracy, but it’s essential that we all do our part. Adding lightweight and mobile vehicles would encourage this – which is why I suggest we add ATVs to the mix instead of heavy tanks or APCs.
It’s the perfect solution. You could call an ATV down like a mech and navigate the landscape much faster. You could also use your one-handed weapon to attack while driving, though this would greatly decrease accuracy. If you’re lucky, you might even be able to fit a second Helldiver on the back of the ATV with you to encourage cooperative play and have someone cover the driver.
I’m influenced by fond memories of playing ATV Offroad Fury 3 as a kid. Speeding through the forest on a four-wheeler and performing tricks felt exhilarating, the same way making a last stand in Helldivers while trying to extract your squad feels. Why not combine both of these for a whole new level of gameplay? I already challenge my fellow Helldivers to race me back to extract, but they’d have a fighting chance with an ATV.
The number of times that a member of the squad has died and dropped their gear halfway across the map is infuriating, especially when it’s me and I need the Quasar to take out the dropships about to unleash Factory Striders on my squad. I don’t have time to trek all the way back and grab my gear and samples, let alone anyone else’s when we’re being pursued by Bile Titans. While I’m a hell of a shot, I’m not a miracle worker.
However, an ATV could change all that. Imagine fighting bugs on the back of an ATV and zooming between the legs of a Bile Titan instead of being trampled. You could speed away from danger to get the perfect shot as a sniper, or drop off your squadmates near different points of interest to divide and conquer.
It’s not just the practical reasons that make me want ATVs. You can’t tell me it wouldn’t be fun to perform tricks on them or to use the Jump Pack to launch yourself into the air at full speed and gun down bugs like an archangel descending upon the surface. It’s already proven thatHelldivers hate bugswith a passion, so why not amp it up to 11 and let them smash bugs in style?
You could also customize the ATV with different skins and decals, much like the player cards and capes we’ve grown so fond of.
Also,who needs melee weaponswhen you can run over the threats with an ATV? Traitors to the squad are fair game, too. All is fair in love and war, and the Helldivers love the war for democracy.
War is hell, and planets that are typically avoided,like the dreaded Hellmire, might actually be liberated again. Those nasty fire tornados can be avoided while racing across the planet’s surface if you have a way to get through those operations quickly. And, on the off chance that we everlose control of Super Earth, who’s to say we wouldn’t find some ATVs lying around to bring into combat?
Forget the APCs and give me ATVs. I want the freedom and mobility to maneuver around the enemy and take them out with style. Let me go out in a blaze of glory on a four wheeler while my squadmates extract from the mission.
