Helldivers 2 Devs Explain Why the Game Is in Third-Person

Since launching a few weeks ago, Helldivers 2 has become a major hit for developer Arrowhead Studios. Part of that success is due to the game launching simultaneously on PlayStation 5 and PC via Steam, but there’s at least one other reason the game has been blowing up the sales charts. Unlike the original, which used a top-down perspective, Helldivers 2 switches to a third-person perspective, making it much more palatable for the core gaming audience. Of course, that choice wasn’t totally based on bringing in more players. In a recent interview, the creative director at Arrowhead Studios dove deep into the reasons behind the switch.

Why Is Helldivers 2 in Third-Person?

In an interview with PlayStation Blog, CEO and creative director of Arrowhead Studios Johna Pilestedt talked about all the success Helldivers 2 has had. One of the broached topics was the switch to third-person and Pilestedt mentioned that the team was “overwhelmed and ecstatic” with the fan’s response to the change. With how copies are flying off the shelf, it’s easy to see why the team would feel that way.

Pilestedt then dove deep into how the change came about. “After the successful launch of the original Helldivers, we knew we wanted to test the game design philosophy in first- or third-person,” he said. “Our stance has never been about ‘only top-down.’ However, a lot of the things we are aiming for when we make games lend themselves to perspectives that are a bit more “removed” from play, such as our commitment to draw inspiration from real life and pop culture. We tried this by pulling down the camera in Helldivers. We wound up feeling really excited by the viscerality of the combat, which made us committed to exploring what Helldivers would be like in third-person.”

Pilestedt continued, “Maintaining the sense of chaos was one of the largest challenges we had in creating Helldivers 2. In a top-down perspective, everyone knows what the team members are doing and shares the same reality. But in Helldivers 2, each player has their own perception of events that have unfolded. You gain some and lose some from both approaches.”  

Clearly, the team at Arrowhead carefully considered the effect this change would have on the game. In particular, the team wanted to make sure Helldivers 2 would continue to have that sense of camaraderie the original game had in co-op. With the switch, the team introduced what it calls “the watering hole,” which are areas on the map where players naturally group up. Because the enemies are so deadly, you’re naturally finding ways to stick with your teammates and several stratagems help reinforce that feeling. It’s a delicate balance, but for the most part, Arrowhead has done a great job threading the needle.

Helldivers 2 is available now on PlayStation 5 and PC. Recently, the game added mechs, and the first post-release Warbond drops on March 14th.