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We've tallied the votes, and Helldivers 2 has won the Best Multiplayer Game prize at this year's Golden Joystick Awards.
While we often recognize games that excel in story or sound, this prize is for games that are simply at their best enjoyed with a few friends – or, in the case of Helldivers 2, an army's worth of soldiers committed to spilling oil and squashing bugs. Spreading managed democracy is a tough ol' job, but Helldivers 2 has done a wonderful job to beat out the likes of Sons Of The Forest and the Finals to take the prize. Here are all the nominees:
- Abiotic Factor
- EA Sports College Football 25
- Helldivers 2 (winner)
- Sons Of The Forest
- Tekken 8
- The Finals
Helldivers 2 is a squad-based shooter that comes with plenty of satirical bite. You enlist with the titular Helldivers to turn the tide of an intergalactic war as Earth works to rid the galaxy of robotic and alien threats. While plenty of games cast you as the star of the tale, here you're simply another marine doing their bit to ensure that the criteria to complete a major order is met, often involving dismantling robots and flattening bugs in very high numbers. Just don't look at the fine details of what we're doing here too much.
What really makes Helldivers 2 stand out, though, is the approach to story. The future remains ever uncertain as the ongoing narrative is shaped by our successes and failures in the galactic war effort. Over the past year, we've written plenty about the infamous Malevelon Creek and our recent efforts to see a space station built – even if we're still unsure whether it's on our side or not.
We're quite taken with the game ourselves. Our Helldivers 2 review gives the third-person shooter a four-star score, calling it "astonishing to behold" and "a fiercely challenging and visually breathtaking cooperative shooter where failure is funny and success feels magnificent."
It's no wonder Helldivers 2 is among the best co-op games you can play today.
