Helldivers 2

Play it on: PS5, Windows (Steam Deck: YMMV)
Buy it from: Humble Bundle
Current goal: Level up for the first time in months, probably

I’ve been covering Helldivers 2 since I first landed at Kotaku some months ago, at which point it basically became my beat. I’ve written several dozen articles about the game since, and I love much of the early coverage I provided of the near-daily upheaval that occurred within the game. However, the truth is that covering the game that extensively also turned me off to playing it all that much, and I peaked real early.

Now that things have kind of settled down, and the developers seem to be taking their time cranking out updates and rolling out new surprises and plot developments, it seems like a perfect time to jump back in. I think I’ve also been grasping for new casual multiplayer games to play with my usual group of friends, and Helldivers 2 kind of fits that bill. We played it a bunch in the first few weeks, and then sharply dropped off, but recently there’s been some interest in returning. I think we’re going to bite the bullet and do it. —Moises Taveras