Being a Helldiver is a tumultuous time. Not only do the cowardly Illuminati return after a hundred-year disappearance, but they kidnap the citizens of Super Earth and turn them into terrifying monsters called the Voiceless. This doesn’t even begin to cover the plans of the other two factions: the Automatons, who are closing in on Super Earth, and the Terminids, who are generating tons of mysterious, evolution-inspiring spores. But the worst part of all this is that I’m pretty sure we can’t trust anything Super Earth tells us. I think they may be talking some nonsense.
The Illuminati appeared immediately after The Game Awards ended in a surprise drop, and the Helldivers traveled to the planet Calypso to fight them. This one world was under siege by the Illuminati, and players managed to complete the Master Order in the last few minutes of the campaign.
Super Earth later posted a compact status update that reads:
A compact cell phone? Well, that sounds reassuring. The Illuminati disappeared for the day after Operation Ancient Vengeance on Calypso, and the Helldivers saw signs of relief. But then we got a fresh set of marching orders in Operation Squid. This time the Illuminati are attacking many planets, the most essential of which is the world of Genesis Prime. Super Earth explained this in the mission text, which reads:
It is unknown how they escaped detection in the previous century; however, their ability to do so indicates circumscribed cell size. Their number is circumscribed. This attack is an opportunity to completely eliminate this xenophobic threat and once again secure the galaxy.
While playing against the Illuminati, I can’t assist but notice something disturbing. They have a much smaller squad than the other two factions, but there is no equivalent to the Bile Titans or Factory Striders. No matter what difficulty you play on, you’ll get the same players: the Voiceless, the Overseers, and the Reapers. It seems quite likely that we will see more squid emerge. If you mark the rows of Illuminations from the first one Helldiversthere are some terrifying possibilities: The Obelisk, the Illusionist, and the Big Eye may appear in one form or another.
Super Earth seems pretty cold about this whole thing, but I can’t emphasize enough that I think they might be wrong. Helldivers 2 it’s full of narrative surprises, and I don’t see that changing. If you think walking Reapers are evil, hold your asses: I guarantee the Illuminati will be even more terrifying.
