[ The decision has been reversed by Sony: https://bsky.app/profile/iboudreau.bsky.social/post/3krs6wk7rh22p ]

I've officially put 40+ hours into this game, I paid full price for this, and I have absolutely no regrets. Yes, this game has bugs but the fun factor has pushed me more towards enjoying the game 9 times out of 10.

The rouge-lite elements of the maps combined with it's missions and sandbox makes coming back a joy. It doesn't feel like it's nickle and diming as several of the rewards on the maps feed into your character progression. There are elements of other games, but one that sticks the close to me is Section 8 with how you deploy stratigems like sentries. My go to is a Mortar Sentry with the Lazer Guard Dog. My go to is the Automatons as I really like fighting against them and not the bugs (Malevilon Creek is what got me to purchase the game). I play a good mission or two before I start the day because the loop feels so good, and the missions can be long. One of the little touches that I love is how they took Starship Trooper's Political Undertones and pushed it to the extreme. I often kept saying to myself "Are We The Baddies?" but they give the world so much more weight!

Yes, there are bugs, frustrating ones, annoying ones, and ones that make the game a little more silly. One of the more frustrating ones is the Pelican bugging to the point where me and my squad could not exfill. There is also an issue friending people via Crossplay, it's been hard when long-time friends can't play because I'm PC and they are PlayStation. In any other game, I would swear to the high moon to hate this game but with the circumstances around the game, I can't stay mad. This is a AA Game offering with a developer using an engine that is no longer available for sale and even no longer supported by the original company months ago. I do hope the changes get iron out, sooner than later of course, but I understand if it'll take weeks or months to fix.

Right now, I can not recommend the game enough. I did play the OG Helldivers but only for about 4 hours to get a feel. It was a fun Twin-Stick shooter, but this just didn't hook me compared to this game has done. Major props to the Devs and I'm excited to see what the future holds!