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Helldivers 2 would be so much better as an SP game

No, no and no. Core of the game is messing everything up for your teammates and generating emergent gameplay moments in the process. This game is unique even on MP landscape.

HD2 is perfect the way it already is, for SP crowds there are things like Space Marine 2 with optional co-op already on the market.
 
This is a pretty good bait. Seems earnest and coming from a well-meaning place while overlooking the very obvious you could nevertheless be forgiven for given the tone (that alternatives are aplenty for single player games). It loses points at the end for the 'couch co-op' bit - The author sees the multiplayer appeal and has to address it but the response is a fumble in our age of discord, teamspeak, etc.
 
the first game had an offline mode, which was removed from the sequel.

It did, and It's a shame they went multiplayer only with the sequel. I think a majority of multiplayer games should have both. At minimum an offline mode with bots.

It would be great for game preservation.
 
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Maybe it's time for me to buy Helldivers 2.
 
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Same for Marathon.

Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain already provided the perfect blueprint for a singleplayer live-service. More games should look into replicating that magic.
 
The massive fun of this game comes from playing with friends and laughing at the absolute chaos that ensues. I've never not had a good time playing it because we're all dying laughing half the time. It's all the emergent nonsense that makes the game as popular and addictive imo.

Don't be a party pooper

Sad Fred Savage GIF by What Just Happened??!
 
I bought this game from the bargain bin a few weeks ago on PS5, is it still worth playing today?
Better than ever.

No, no and no. Core of the game is messing everything up for your teammates and generating emergent gameplay moments in the process. This game is unique even on MP landscape.

HD2 is perfect the way it already is, for SP crowds there are things like Space Marine 2 with optional co-op already on the market.
Disagree that the game is about griefing. Although it can be fun to a degree, the game is at its best when you're running a smooth operation with competent players. I'm only ever on the highest difficulty, and I've learned that most players complaining right now are just terrible at the game. I don't run any meta builds. I cycle in the next weapon and armor every mission. But I can still complete the (currently) hardest planets/operations at 100% without dying. But doing that with a team that average 8 deaths each, while dropping barrages on top of me, is fucking ass.

But other than that I agree. The emergent gameplay is what gets you hooked.
 
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I enjoy it for what it is but I see what you mean OP. A tightly crafted co-op story mode with scripted set pieces would be fun too and make for a great tutorial as a way to show you how some of the more obscure weapons work.
 
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Helldivers 2 is a great game, carried largely by its fire and explosions.

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The worst part of it is the gameplay loop, namely it's repetitive and lacks story. You're constantly dropping into a limited amount of samey worlds where you get limited objectives and are constantly tied to a ticking clock.

It's fun for a while but overall it lacks the replay-ability you'd find in a well-made single player game that offers greater purpose to playing.

If this had a local co-op SP mode that made winning worth a damn it could be so much better.
While I disagree with your opinion of the gameplay, I 100% agree that a more traditional single player mode with a story behind it would be pure tits. It's the only thing keeping the game from being a 10/10 all time classic IMHO.

Like damn, get a couple decent writers and put a team together with a budget and make some Starship Troopers-like Campaign Mode. You don't need fully rendered cutscenes, just use comic strip panels to tell the story like the OG Max Payne games did.
 
SP begging is a new low
Actually it's fairly old. It started back in the PS360 era when classic SP games got a mp mode slapped on. Back then people were already complaining about the wasted resources that should've rather spent to improve the SP campaign.

Is HD2 on PS5 still active? Might wanna look into it.
 
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