Ever since its release, Helldivers 2 has focused on fighting three alien races: the Automatons, the Terminids, and the Illuminate. While these three races have their own homeworlds, the terrain or biome there is very similar to what one would commonly see on Earth.
While a hypothetical alien race doesn’t necessarily need its own planet in a video game, having one would definitely improve immersion, something other games have successfully pulled off. Arrowhead’s creation is a very immersive experience and a satirical take on governance, but it falls short by missing one small aspect: biomes.
Helldivers 2 Desperately Needs More Alien Biomes
For a game that features three different alien races, the lack of dedicated alien biomes is rather disappointing. Yes, the Terminid home world features a more swamp-like environment, but it’s not something that is otherworldly. This area could have been more toxic and featured equally dangerous terrain, rather than resembling what things look like on Earth.
In fact, Arrowhead had ample scope to incorporate these elements into their game, and they have every reason to do so. This would add a new layer to combat and survivability, and give these alien races a deeper identity. For example, the Automatons could have something like Cybertron from Transformers, because at the end of the day, the Automatons are nothing but robots.
And there’s a considerable amount of inspiration available for Helldivers 2 to draw on when designing these biomes. No Man’s Sky is a wonderful place to start, and ironically, so is Fortnite. Both of these games have beautiful world designs and always have a unique flair.
Can we get some Biomes that actually look Alien, instead of just… Earth-like.
by u/NizzyDeniro in Helldivers
The inclusion of Fortnite here could seem slightly out of place because, at the end of the day, it’s still on Earth. But the way the map evolves resonates with the overall theme of the ongoing season, and the game did have an invasion-themed one where the alien biome took over, so it’s definitely a good place to start with.
No Man’s Sky, on the other hand, is an exploration game, and almost every planet in the game has a very unique identity. This uniqueness adds more personality to the planets, making them worth exploring.
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Helldivers 2’s Setup Could Be What’s Holding the Game Back From Having Biome Diversity
The only potential reason the game might not feature diverse alien geology is its design. As pointed out in a Reddit post discussing alien biomes, the reason for having Earth-like terrain is that the government plans to colonize these planets. And it wouldn’t be wise to try to colonize a planet that, ideally, can’t support human life.
While that argument makes sense, it also suggests that the developers are trying to avoid introducing any unique terrain here. As another individual pointed out, features such as protruding gemstones or even basalt pillars could form the foundations of other alien planets.
Rather than just improving immersion, these planets could give more depth to the alien life forms and make them a bit more relevant. For example, the lava planets became relevant only after the Automatons established industrial facilities there to mine them for resources.
Helldivers 2 breaks the fourth wall to a considerable extent, but adds minor touches, such as biomes, that could improve the overall experience. But, just like some stratagem concepts, this nuance is something that Arrowhead will never add, probably because it isn’t exactly that important from a gameplay perspective. Hopefully, as the game progresses and player engagement increases, the developers will incorporate new biomes. But until then, it’s best if we keep pushing forward and culling those enemy hordes in the name of democracy!
