Helldivers 2 released in February to huge success, and despite the game looking incredible in pre-release trailers, I'm sure that Sony and Arrowhead Studios are surprised by the overnight hit the shooter has become. However, while I'm enjoying my time with the game, it proves that one game could become the king of a galactic-scale war - Planetside 3.
Released back in 2012 to great amounts of success, Planetside 2 was a brilliant MMOFPS that has received years of content. Unfortunately, the game has started to show its age, and become a shadow of its former self. It's nothing to be ashamed of, but it's certainly seen better days.
Since 2012, hundreds of impressive games have came and went, like a blur. But Helldivers 2 truly stands out. While the core gameplay loop is fairly simple - completing different objectives while surviving onslaughts of Bugs or Automatons - the scale is what is truly impressive. Players take part in a Galactic War, that evolves as players try to dominate or defend planets in the system.
Planetside had something similar, but instead of being controlled by a Game Master like Helldivers 2, the war on each server was determined by three factions. I always felt like I was a part of this huge ever-changing war on two fronts, and whenever I'd log in to play for a few hours, there was no telling as to what happened while I was offline.
Considering how far gaming has come since how far technology has come, with some of the best graphics cards and best gaming monitors being absolutely overkill for the early 2010s title, a Planetside 3 could truly be what the series needs now. But the best part is that, improved technology could truly define what a Planetside 3 is capable of.
Imagine a huge scale war between players on numerous planets, with more factions or more individuals constantly fighting. Better and more modern systems could make the game look even better, as if the sci-fi world war was real, an actual event happening in our universe, somewhere.
Maybe it's a difficult task, but Planetside 2 filled me with hundreds of hours of joy, and while it's a janky experience now, it was a sign of what the future of games entailed. Hopefully, Helldivers 2's success proves that a modern and exciting Planetside game could be a huge hit.