TLDR; 4/5. An excellent co-op shooter that my friends and I can't stop playing.

Long Review:

Let's address the drawbacks first. The anti-cheat system, known as "Netprotect", has sparked controversy among players considering joining Helldivers 2 (HD2). This software, notorious for its intrusive nature and questionable effectiveness, deterred me initially due to privacy and stability concerns. However, a developer addressed community worries on Reddit, which alleviated some of my apprehensions and led me to purchase the game. Although there have been reports of instability, my experience has been mostly glitch-free, albeit with occasional restarts. Server-related issues have improved, yet crashes and connectivity problems persist.
Regarding gameplay, I find little to fault. While it can feel repetitive and simplistic, the core mechanics are well-executed. Grinding for better gear can be tedious, but not overly so. HD2 is best enjoyed with a full team; solo play or random groups on higher difficulties can be challenging. The community varies, with dedicated players alongside those who enforce "meta" builds or engage in disruptive behavior like team killing.
Developer balancing decisions have also garnered attention. While I understand the aim to diversify playstyles, some adjustments, such as nerfing the Railgun, seem questionable. While the overcharge mechanic attempts to balance high-level weapons, it may discourage progression and limit player's ability to reliably deliver anti-armor fires at higher difficulties.

On to the positives: HD2 is undeniably fun. Despite its repetition, the thrill of intense missions and narrow escapes is exhilarating. The diverse enemy types demand strategic mastery, especially on harder levels. The developers' intention to give each weapon and stratagem a unique role is evident, fostering diverse gameplay experiences. The meta-game, where player actions influence a galactic war, adds depth and a sense of collective effort.
The game's matchmaking system facilitates cooperative play, allowing friends to easily connect regardless of platform or experience level. Cooperation is key to success, enhancing the game's appeal.

Overall, HD2 is a worthwhile purchase despite its imperfections. As long as developers maintain community engagement and provide regular updates, I foresee continued enjoyment with my squad for months to come.


Edit:
It's over bros. It was been perfect. For a brief moment in time, I felt as though we'd finally reached a new era of gaming. Finally we had something to hold against the pervasive and infectious corporate greed of the modern world, but not anymore. They couldn't stand up to Sony in the end. The net protect BS was already enough to drive people away, but I was more forgiving. But now this? While I've already linked my accounts for various reasons, I can not, in good conscience, recommend this game for purchase to anyone who values their digital privacy or security. Vote with your wallet, and vote against these practices and these mega-corps who'd charge you to breathe if they could.

Edit: We're so back bros. They reversed the decision.

Edit: Wow the drama never ends with this studio, does it? So even though they reversed the mandatory PS linking update, Sony ended up de-listing the game in most countries without PSN anyways, so that effectively achieved nothing. On top of that, there have been some... questionable choices as far as updates and expansions are concerned. It feels like with each update they find something fun to nerf into obsolescence and have added very little to the game overall. The battlepasses are beginning to feel boring, repetitive, and just generally like they're being used as stand-ins for actual content. The newest updates bring more annoying and broken enemies (flyers) with basically no good counter since most of the "overpowered" weapons have been nerfed into the ground. A message to the devs, if they ever read this: making your game impossible and packing it to the brim with annoying enemies that you are hopelessly underqeuipped to fight does not make your game "fun". Making your game annoyingly difficult because "you're not supposed to be invincible" is not fun. You've made all of the weapons feel like ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ water guns while not really adding any new content to deal with the new enemies you keep filling the game with.

It's no wonder the game has lost so many players. The devs struck gold with this one but somehow keep finding new and exciting ways to ♥♥♥♥ it up. Sad to see. I was really hoping this would last longer than like six months, but everyone I used to coop with has moved on.

Final honest review: at least until the devs get their ♥♥♥♥ together and start adding actual content and find a better way to balance the game so it's actually... y'know... fun(?), avoid.

Edit # I lost count:
Well, I think I can say that the game has stabilized a little since all the drama. They've undone/redone a lot of the nerfs so that the game feels more balanced now. There are still issues, but I think the biggest drama has been fixed. I've been playing again recently and the game has a better feel than it did after the big nerfing. Additionally, they finally added the Illuminates, semi-urban environments, and vehicles, which have added some much-needed variety to the game. I hope that they continue expanding the game rather than just adding a bunch of battlepasses, but only time will tell how the game will develop. I don't think the game will ever reach the heights that it did upon release, but it seems like most people are at least favorable towards the changes being made, as the playercount has noticeably increased again. Overall, I think I can change my review (once more) to a recommendation.

TLDR; 4/5. An excellent co-op shooter that my friends and I can't stop playing. Long Review: Let's address the drawbacks first. The anti-cheat system, known as "Netprotect", has sparked controversy among players considering joining Helldivers 2 (HD2). This software, notorious for its intrusive nature and questionable effectiveness, deterred me initially due to privacy and stability concerns. However, a developer addressed community worries on [url=https://www.reddit.com/r/Helldivers/comments/19dp2qw/helldivers_2_nprotect_gameguard_anticheat/]Reddit[/url], which alleviated some of my apprehensions and led me to purchase the game. Although there have been reports of instability, my experience has been mostly glitch-free, albeit with occasional restarts. Server-related issues have improved, yet crashes and connectivity problems persist. Regarding gameplay, I find little to fault. While it can feel repetitive and simplistic, the core mechanics are well-executed. Grinding for better gear can be tedious, but not overly so. HD2 is best enjoyed with a full team; solo play or random groups on higher difficulties can be challenging. The community varies, with dedicated players alongside those who enforce "meta" builds or engage in disruptive behavior like team killing. Developer balancing decisions have also garnered attention. While I understand the aim to diversify playstyles, some adjustments, such as nerfing the Railgun, seem questionable. While the overcharge mechanic attempts to balance high-level weapons, it may discourage progression and limit player's ability to reliably deliver anti-armor fires at higher difficulties. On to the positives: HD2 is undeniably fun. Despite its repetition, the thrill of intense missions and narrow escapes is exhilarating. The diverse enemy types demand strategic mastery, especially on harder levels. The developers' intention to give each weapon and stratagem a unique role is evident, fostering diverse gameplay experiences. The meta-game, where player actions influence a galactic war, adds depth and a sense of collective effort. The game's matchmaking system facilitates cooperative play, allowing friends to easily connect regardless of platform or experience level. Cooperation is key to success, enhancing the game's appeal. Overall, HD2 is a worthwhile purchase despite its imperfections. As long as developers maintain community engagement and provide regular updates, I foresee continued enjoyment with my squad for months to come. Edit: It's over bros. It was been perfect. For a brief moment in time, I felt as though we'd finally reached a new era of gaming. Finally we had something to hold against the pervasive and infectious corporate greed of the modern world, but not anymore. They couldn't stand up to Sony in the end. The net protect BS was already enough to drive people away, but I was more forgiving. But now this? While I've already linked my accounts for various reasons, I can not, in good conscience, recommend this game for purchase to anyone who values their digital privacy or security. Vote with your wallet, and vote against these practices and these mega-corps who'd charge you to breathe if they could. Edit: We're so back bros. They reversed the decision. Edit: Wow the drama never ends with this studio, does it? So even though they reversed the mandatory PS linking update, Sony ended up de-listing the game in most countries without PSN anyways, so that effectively achieved nothing. On top of that, there have been some... questionable choices as far as updates and expansions are concerned. It feels like with each update they find something fun to nerf into obsolescence and have added very little to the game overall. The battlepasses are beginning to feel boring, repetitive, and just generally like they're being used as stand-ins for actual content. The newest updates bring more annoying and broken enemies (flyers) with basically no good counter since most of the "overpowered" weapons have been nerfed into the ground. A message to the devs, if they ever read this: making your game impossible and packing it to the brim with annoying enemies that you are hopelessly underqeuipped to fight does not make your game "fun". Making your game annoyingly difficult because "you're not supposed to be invincible" is not fun. You've made all of the weapons feel like fucking water guns while not really adding any new content to deal with the new enemies you keep filling the game with. [strike]It's no wonder the game has lost so many players. The devs struck gold with this one but somehow keep finding new and exciting ways to fuck it up. Sad to see. I was really hoping this would last longer than like six months, but everyone I used to coop with has moved on. Final honest review: at least until the devs get their shit together and start adding actual content and find a better way to balance the game so it's actually... y'know... fun(?), avoid.[/strike] Edit # I lost count: Well, I think I can say that the game has stabilized a little since all the drama. They've undone/redone a lot of the nerfs so that the game feels more balanced now. There are still issues, but I think the biggest drama has been fixed. I've been playing again recently and the game has a better feel than it did after the big nerfing. Additionally, they finally added the Illuminates, semi-urban environments, and vehicles, which have added some much-needed variety to the game. I hope that they continue expanding the game rather than just adding a bunch of battlepasses, but only time will tell how the game will develop. I don't think the game will ever reach the heights that it did upon release, but it seems like most people are at least favorable towards the changes being made, as the playercount has noticeably increased again. Overall, I think I can change my review (once more) to a recommendation.