Helldivers 2 continues to receive love for its bombastic and funny action, a major part of which is the always-on friendly fire. Arrowhead Studios’ CEO & Creative Head, Johan Pilestedt holds the same opinion.
In a recent interview with PlayStation Blog, Pilestedt spoke at length about the studio’s approach to the sequel. Striking conversation about the game’s friendly fire feature that cannot be turned off, he said:
“The most important thing when we make games is believability.”
According to the studio head, this philosophy is why friendly fire is permanent in Helldivers 2. He revealed that the team aimed for consistency across the game world when it came to bullet logic.
Pilestedt explained:
“If your bullets can kill enemies, and the enemies can kill you, then logic dictates that your bullets must also be able to kill your friends.”
The CEO clarified that this design logic is systematic, and the rule set applies to almost every element of the game. He added that the permanent friendly fire keeps the experience consistent, logical, and challenging.
Don’t Miss: Helldivers 2 Review – A Benchmark For Co-Op
Helldivers 2 devs clearly wanted to add complexity to the combat. It encourages players to think twice before pulling the trigger and demands tactical thinking in tight situations. What this also leads to is unintended but funny chaos, making for a more enjoyable and wholesome co-op experience.
Pilestedt’s statement echoed this opinion, as he said:
“Also, the chuckles that happen when you accidentally carpet bomb your friends allows for a playfulness that in reality would be a tragedy – but within the self bounds of games we can explore the dark humor of these situations.”
The player consensus is that Helldivers 2 is all the better for its friendly fire, which extends to enemies as well. This allows players to trick two enemies into each other’s line of fire. It’s a pretty neat trick and a lesson for all devs implementing friendly fire in future titles.
