If you’re looking for a game that will challenge your skills, test your patience, and make you question your sanity, look no further than Helldivers 2. This sequel to the original twin-stick top-down shooter is a masterpiece of mayhem, chaos, and friendly fire.

Helldivers 2 takes you to a dystopian future where humanity is at war with two alien races: the Terminids and the Automations. You play as a Helldiver, an elite soldier who drops from orbit to various planets and completes objectives while fighting off hordes of enemies. Sounds simple enough, right? Wrong.

This is not a game for the faint of heart. It is brutally hard, unforgiving, and hilarious. You will die. A lot. And most of the time, it will be your own fault… or your teammates’. The many weapons and stratagems (think air strikes) are prone to friendly fire, which means you can accidentally (or intentionally) shoot, stab, burn, crush, or explode your fellow Helldivers. And they can do the same to you, a lot. Did I mention the co-op also allows you to join a session of random people at almost any time?

But that’s part of the fun. Helldivers 2 is a game that rewards teamwork, coordination, and communication. You have to work together to survive, and you have to be careful with your weapons and equipment. The game also features a difficulty system that starts at easy and ends at impossibly hard. Which usually means the more Helldivers on a mission, the harder it gets. And the harder it gets, the more fun it is.

Helldivers 2 also offers a lot of variety and replay value. You can customize your Helldiver with different weapons, armor, perks, and stratagems. You can also choose from different planets with different environments, enemies, and objectives. All of your battles are part of a global war effort by contributing to the community campaigns that determine the fate of each alien race. All under the guise of spreading “liberty” and something keeps being uttered about “super earth”. The plot doesn’t stick with me too much but like any good piece of adult entertainment, you aren’t really here for the story so much as the action.

This is a game that will make you laugh, cry, rage, and cheer – sometimes all at once. It can make you feel like a hero one moment and a fool the next.

Helldivers 2 is a game that deserves your attention. If it was still early in the year, I might pin it as a contender for game of the year. Did I mention it doesn’t even have a full AAA price tag? $40 bucks and this bad boy is all yours! It’s also expected to receive plenty of updates in the future, including a new faction and your typical spread of weapons, cosmetics, and battlepass type system which rewards players who play too much.