Helldivers 2 aims to channel ‘immersive’ quality of Dungeons & Dragons, says game director

CEO of Arrowhead Games Studios and game Director on Helldiverse 2Johan Pilestedt talked about his approach to playful sci-fi shooter design.

In a interview with our sister site PC GamerPilestedt explained how he was inspired by tabletop role-playing games (TTRPGs) like Dungeons & Dragons.

“We all imagine it together, and then we talk about it like it’s real life,” Pilestedt said, speaking about his experiences with TTRPGs. “We can joke about it decades later: ‘Remember when you blasted me with that spell?’

“In [Helldivers 2…] it’s still the same kind of tight-knit group that has had the shared experience and it’s going to be something that connects these four [players] who were there at a very special time.

Pilestedt refers to the emerging storytelling possibilities offered by Helldiverse 2Co-op sci-fi action from. The third-person shooter’s missions are procedurally generated, ensuring that each deployment has the opportunity to feel fresh and unique. What else, Helldiverse 2The open physics engine provides plenty of chances for weird and wacky things to happen. Kind of like a solid game of Dungeons & Dragons, Helldiverse 2 manages to have an almost improvised quality.

The game director fondly recalled one such moment with his team where he hit a ragdoll with a heavy anti-tank weapon, causing it to fly into the sky. “We’re going to be able to tell this over and over again when we’re drinking beers.”

This is partly due to the varied design of the weapons offered in Helldiverse 2. “We tried to be at least authentic, if not realistic, and celebrate the differences in weapon systems, in the way things can be done,” Pilestedt offered.

“We think that when we do that, things will inevitably become cinematic and immersive, rather than locking them behind a cutscene. Let the player do the action and you’ll see what happens.”

In other good news from Pilestedt, the CEO spoke out against petty video game feuds, urging fans not to start a “rivalry” with the Halo games and, instead, “just let players love and enjoy both.”

We think Helldivers 2 is one of best cooperative games there, but if you’re looking for a change of pace, try our list of best single player gamesinstead.