Helldivers 2 is the best co-op shooter since Left 4 Dead. As someone who played the original on and off over the years, Helldivers 2 is essentially a high budget makeover of the first title, with the overarching mechanics and gameplay loop remaining identical. (The switch to 3rd person is welcomed).

The game can be a little overwhelming at first and really is only fun with atleast 2 other people, but that's a blessing in disguise as its not trying to appeal to everyone, like most modern AAA games. This is a cooperative shooter that emphasises teamwork beyond the surface level.

In a single mission you will be delegating side tasks, coordinating drone strikes and yelling at your friend for accidentally melting you with a flamethrower. Communication is actually important here, and since its PvE, the vibe is actually positive and not toxic.

Helldivers 2 kicks ass as a coop game, a sequel and a live service. For 40 dollars you're getting your money's worth and more. Just make sure you have a couple friends willing to dive with you.

Anno Mutationem isn't very good, but its not that bad either. The incredible pixel art can't make up for an entirely predictable and derivative story (SCP in a cyberpunk setting but we kind of forget by the end and go generic sci-fi), horribly floaty and unsatisfying combat and a generic feeling of bugginess to everything.

It's not really a useful benchmark as its kind of obscure, but Cris Tales reminds me a lot of this game, where an indie team is made up of incredible artists that are let down by the rest of the team. Anno clearly doesn't feel like the product of a trained writer, and the gameplay feels like a student project. But damn if they can't make some nice screenshots. It is also playable front to back with decent pacing, has some fun side quest narratives and feels like someones directorial vision, as derivative as it is.