With the recent release of the first Legendary Warbond for Helldivers 2 in honor of the Xbox cross-platform launch, we old-school Halo fans have had the opportunity to try out this new gear.
"ODST" was redefined from Orbital Drop Shock Troopers in Halo to Obedient Democracy Support Troopers here to fit the tongue-in-cheek hyper-patriotic universe of Helldivers 2. Weapons and armor are quite faithful to the old Bungie designs, and include many easter eggs fans have discovered. Still, some folks online will never be satisfied.
All things considered, I think this is a decent homage with some good in-game functionality. Here are my personal pro and con takes on these items and the overall perspective.
Warbonds are like season rewards in other games, except they never expire and can be unlocked in any order. Previously, all players had access to a free warbond with loads of goodies and gradually-released Premium Warbonds for 1,000 Super Credits apiece. Super Credits are the in-game premium currency, and can be purchased as a microtransaction or found by just playing the game and exploring various points of interest on the map. Premium warbonds also include 300 Super Credits which can be unlocked to start earning the next as well.
This is the first Legendary Warbond, and it carries a premium at 1,500 Super Credits, or about $15 USD. Again, this is in a token which players can earn just by playing the game, though. The price also reflects the likely expenses of legal fees and licensing to use the intellectual property of Microsoft. I really don't think this is a big deal.
Based on its success, there is hope for future crossover Legendary Warbonds, and perhaps they will figure out how to revisit the botched Killzone crossover from before I started.
This warbond includes no Super Credits or emotes, but it has weapons, armor, and cosmetic upgrades in keeping with the Halo theme.
A-9 Helljumper and A-35 Recon are both medium armor with standard stats and the new Feet First armor passive to promote stealth and exploration. It reduces movement noise, expands Point of Interest detection range, and prevents leg injuries from affecting movement. This is not bad at all from a gameplay perspective, and the look is perfect.
Player banners shown in the loadout screen and capes worn by Helldivers were released with new Eye of the Clandestine and Honored Heirloom patterns depicting insignia of UNSC factions. This has no in-game benefit, but who cares? We not only fight for Managed Democracy, we do so in style!
We also get the Mean Green color scheme for our Fast Recon Vehicle, exosuits, hellpods, and shuttles. Again, this does not affect gameplay, but it's also the first time I've switched from the safety orange in the Freedom's Flame warbond for anything else long-term.
Finally, the last cosmetic option is the "Rookie" player title in honor of the unnamed player character in Halo 3: ODST. There are a lot of high-level rookies in Helldivers 2 already, many of whom probably used the basic "cadet" title ironically before.
The weapons are where things really got contentious in online discussions, though.
On page 1, the MA5C Assault Rifle is... OK. Not great, not terrible, just... OK. That's a sin in the eyes of some fans. On the plus side, it has medium armor penetration and decent accuracy. It has the digital ammo counter and compass from the source material, it is held like in HALO even in the first-person aiming view, and if I am not mistaken, the melee animation is very familiar. Its stats put it in between the other two rifles with this AP value instead of making it stand out. I understand why they didn't give it the 60-round capacity and low accuracy of the original Halo: Combat Evolved version, so my personal complaint is just the lack of spare magazines to keep it topped off. It's ammo-hungry, and less than ideal versus hordes of lightly-armored enemies. Then again, that's not its job anyway.
Page 2 is another matter entirely. The M7S submachine gun might be the best SMG in the game at this point. It has good damage, low recoil, a high rate of fire, and decent capacity. I don't have the Killzone StA-11 for comparison because I didn't have Helldivers 2 during that crossover event, but this is at worst a sidegrade to the other core options. It's also quieter thanks to its integral suppressor. Enemies do try to find out who is shooting at them, but with enough distance and concealment, you can be more effective without breaking stealth. Since it's a one-handed weapon, it can also be used while carrying many objective items or using a shield. It's a solid option all around.
Finally, on page 3, we get two more guns: the M90A shotgun and the M6C SOCOM pistol.
The former is a beast with massive damage output and low magazine capacity as seen in Halo 3: ODST, but with better Helldivers range. Since it can be topped off as it is fired, the capacity is not a big concern, and the damage is top-tier. It even has a hippo on the spent shells like in Halo!
The latter is a solid pistol, somewhere in between the existing Warrant and Verdict models. It only has light armor penetration, but good damage and capacity, plus it has an integral suppressor, flashlight, and laser sight. These do work in-game, and aren't just for show. It's far superior to the base Peacemaker and a worthy backup weapon until higher difficulty levels. Maybe it should have medium armor penetration based on source lore? I'm not sure.
Again, I hope this will bring a revival of the single limited-time crossover they tried with Killzone, and it opens the door for other franchises. What would you want to see added from other games or even films?
If these weapons were clearly superior to everything else, hardcore Halo fans would be happy, but it would make Helldivers 2 feel like pay-to-win, and that isn't the developer philosophy. Instead, the weapons and armor fit within the universe as viable, but not mandatory, options. That's how crossovers should be. Besides, they can adjust the stats as needed if the balance doesn't work out quite right. This warbond expands on stealth potential, but doesn't change the game significantly, and I think that is the right design philosophy.
Should you spend your hard-earned Super Credits on this? Absolutely, if you're a Halo fan. If not, it's up to you. I still suggest other premium warbonds like Democratic Detonation, Freedom's Flame, and Steeled Veterans first though. Besides, the base stratagems and free warbond unlockables are still all viable in high-level games, so there should never be pressure to spend real money to catch up. Just have fun and keep diving!
Images are from the Helldivers wiki. My previous Helldivers 2 posts are linked below.
Helldivers 2: an Intro for Xbox Players (and Everyone Else)
Helldivers 2: Stratagems, or How We Spread Democracy!
Helldivers 2: Your First Warbond
Helldivers 2 X Halo ODST Crossover Announcement!
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