Wake up, Helldiver, Democracy* needs you! Helldivers 2 – a bombastic, over-the-top co-op shooter that I can confirm is very fun – hit the ground running and never stopped, with the notable exception of its now-infamous PSN blunder. Still, there's been a constant stream of new updates, the most notable of which was the one that added honest-to-God mech suits for even more visceral bug-squishing. The Galactic Emergency update that launched just today, though, handily dethrones it.
The headliner is a new enemy faction that moves along the game's meta-story, which evolves in real time based on player campaigns and orders sent out by Helldivers HQ (i.e. the developers). While the spooky, eldritch Illuminate have popped up in skirmishes before, this update marks their entry as a full-fledged faction, requiring different approaches than the other enemies of democracy you've been squaring up with before now.
Luckily, the other highlight is a brand-new weapon customization system, allowing you to kit out your favorite guns to your liking as you gain experience with them (no microtransactions required!). There's never been a better time to hop in and save Democracy – honestly, despite its stumbles, Helldivers 2 is one of the better games out there in terms of bang for your buck right now, and naturally, it's even better with friends.
*Democracy not guaranteed. Or even alluded to.
