Helldivers 2 received an unexpected update with new weapon customizations and more enemy types, just in time for the Illuminate to come roaring out of a black hole with their sights set on Super Earth. “In a sudden, completely unprovoked offensive, they emerged. Nothing is safe, not even the heart of democracy itself,” the announcer shouts, exaggerated gravitas in his voice. “Liberty’s darkest hour approaches. Super Earth needs you.”
The update lands with all of the tongue-in-cheek humor that Helldivers 2 brings to the table, but it also introduces new Illuminate enemy types, including the jetfighter-like Stingray and the Crescent Overseer, a foe that can launch attacks over cover. Then there’s the Fleshmob, described as “a Frankenstein’s monster of Voteless parts” that is reminiscent of Flood Carriers from Halo. The PlayStation Blog post hints at other, as-yet-unannounced enemies.
Helldivers can now customize their weapons, too. Most primary weapons have levels that can be raised by completing specific missions, and players can unlock different attachments that tweak everything from handling to ammo capacity. The update allows players to fine-tune their favorite gun to suit their playstyle by adjusting stats like recoil, reload time, and more. There are also new skins to pick from for each weapon, too.
Helldiver 2‘s Superstore is also getting a boost. You don’t have to wait for things to come back into rotation; instead, you can browse through the entire library of items and purchase the ones you want with Super Credits, the game’s premium currency (but it can also be found in missions, so you don’t have to spend any realm money.)
Finally, the update also tosses in a few new patterns for the Fast Recon Vehicle in several existing Warbonds, including Viper Commandos, Freedom’s Flame, Chemical Agents, and Truth Enforcers. The patterns unlock on May 15, coinciding with the launch of the new Masters of Ceremony Warbond.
Google Play is borrowing one of the Nintendo Switch’s most useful little tricks. A new Sidekick tool called Playbacks captures a short clip after something interesting has already happened, sparing players from running a screen recorder throughout an entire game.
Playbacks is part of Google Play Store v53.8 and keeps saved clips on the phone. Google first announced it earlier this month, but the new Play Store update marks its arrival for players. Anyone who has watched a perfect win vanish because the record button came too late already understands the appeal.
Imagine tapping a Zelda icon on your iPhone and jumping straight into Hyrule. A new open-source project called nxnative makes that possible by repackaging Switch games you’ve bought into apps for iPhone, iPad, and Mac, with no emulator in the middle.
Why does this run so well on Apple devices?