The game itself is great. Sony needs to keep its greedy, grubby little paws out of it. As of 10/3/2024 it seems like they're trying to force an acceptance of a new EULA that looks like a set up to eventually force through requiring a Playstion account, in order to play. Until Sony backs off, I don't think I'll be playing. I don't want or need a Sony Playstation account, and considering I bought and paid for this game, and I OWN a copy of it, they have no right to try and force me to get one. So until I know more, consider this a Review bomb.

I adore Helldivers 2. It's gameplay and its world-building is top-notch, and the bad business practices which have crept into video games over the last 20 years are much milder and better disguised than comparable titles.

As of early October 2024, the in-game microtransactions are the least obtrusive and onerous they can be while still including them. The Kernel-level anti-cheat doesn't bloat the system or over-tax your hardware. Roughly fifty hours of gameplay yields 1000 SuperCredits - enough to purchase one new Warbond. Forced mission type rotation is built into 3-mission "Operations" which contribute to the larger meta-story of the campaign map. 11 difficulty levels allow players to find the most rewarding difficulty for their skill level and squad size. And the game-play loop is addictive as all hell.

But I can't in good conscience actually recommend anyone actually purchase this game at this point. Tens of thousands of players who did so when this game was at its height of popularity are now unable to play the game they purchased after Sony pulled server support in their countries. Players who tried to get around this using VPNs had their Steam accounts banned by Valve. And now after a change to the laws in California, the EULA has been updated to make it 100% clear that players do not own copies of this game, but rather are buying licences to access an online service which can be changed or shut down at any time at the whims of the developer Arrowhead Studios or the publisher Sony Interactive Entertainment.

All signs point to a day some time in the future where this game will simply be pulled from service like so many MMOs and "games as services" before it. At best it's comparable to a theme park with lots of roller coasters but there's someone at the door waiting to confiscate your balloons and cotton candy.

Or, as Darth Vader famously said, "I am altering the deal, pray I do not alter it any further"

Please visit the "Stop Killing Games" campaign and lend your support. Hopefully we can drag this corrupt business model into the light and have it finally recognised as the illegal nonsense its been all along.

Sony just posted a new agreement that I MUST accept. I don't want to accept and I can no longer play the game. I can't get a refund so ... now what?

I feel like Darth Vader is telling me "I Am Altering the Deal, Pray I Don’t Alter It Any Further."