Game news You don’t know this game, but it laid the foundations for the most played title of the last two months!
In 2024, a game has become, in just a few months, a must-have co-op shooter. But did you know that it took its inspiration from one of the studio’s first titles? A look back at a project that never stops getting talked about, in our JV Legends.
A game has achieved the feat, in just a few months, of establishing itself as a TPS juggernaut. While it continues to delight PC and PlayStation users, the success of the title is far from being due to chance. The culmination of a proven formula, Helldivers 2 offers a shooter in fun coop which has something to appeal to as many players as possible. But if the space adventure always attracts more players, it arises from a project that has nothing to do with it! Focus on the game that continues to spread democracy across the galaxy in this JV Legends.
The funny little magicians
If it is best known today for the Helldivers license, Arrowhead Games is at the origin other games that are just as interesting ! Originally a student, Johan Pilestedt and four of his classmates already had ideas, and it was in 2008 that they released their first project: Magicka. If this name doesn’t mean anything to you, yet it contains part of what will make Helldivers successful. No galactic soldiers or heavy weapons here. In Magickayou play funny little magicians in a world inspired by Nordic myths.
If the connection still escapes you, everything actually happens in terms of Magicka’s gameplay. This is based on key combinations which each correspond to an elemental spell. For example, if you press earth-earth-fire-fire-fire successively, a huge molten rock will come out of your wand and crash where you want it. Playable up to 4 in co-op, the game can quickly turn into a gigantic mess as soon as someone makes a mistake in their combinations. The key in Magickait’s from knowing how to adapt quickly, think quickly and come up with the right combinations without making a mistake. This probably reminds you of the 2024 game, right?
The providential zombie
After the release of Magicka who made noise (and won a prize), the studio will experience a little crossing of the desert with two titles that don’t really work. Firstly, The Showdown Effect in 2013, a kind of improbable mix between Golden Eye and Super Smash Bros (yes yes), which received decent ratings, but sold much less than Magicka. Then comes Gauntlet in 2014, a hack and slash which, despite good ratings, won’t sell hugely, just like its predecessor. It was in 2015 that the studio finally makes its big comeback. It is with a new original license from Sony, Helldiverse, that Arrowhead created a real hit. The studio sees its game surpass the 80/100 on Metacriticand takes advantage of the power of the Japanese publisher to see it be highlighted on all of the company’s consoles.
According to the developers, in addition to Magickaone of the major inspirations for Helldivers lies in a small independent game that the developers regularly played during their work on their 2008 title. Replying to the name of I Made a Game With Zombies in Itplayers must survive, alone or up to 4 in cooperation, facing hordes of undead, using various power ups, until the end of the game’s only music which lasts precisely 13 minutes and 37 seconds. Here too, the inspirations ofHelldiverse are clear: a comical cooperative shooter with different bonuses to recover on the ground, all against hordes of enemies for a given time. It’s literally the same principle. To learn more about Helldiverse 2 and all its secrets, Don’t hesitate to take a look at our JV Legends!