Summary
An eagle-eyed player has spotted a deepMass EffectEaster egg inHelldivers 2, one that might put a smile on the face of anyone with fond memories of shopping in the Citadel. Earlier this month, Arrowhead Game Studios released the sequel to its 2015 top-down shooterHelldiverson PlayStation 5 and PC.Helldivers 2shifts the camera to an over-the-shoulder third-person perspective, but it retains the same premise: as one of the titular Helldivers, the player must travel to alien worlds to defend the Super Earth government from various extraterrestrial threats.
TheHelldiversseries borrows some of its sci-fi aesthetics from classic works likeStar Wars, Alien, andStarship Troopers, but it could also draw comparisons toBioWare’s acclaimed RPG seriesMass Effect. Like inHelldivers 2, theMass Effectgames put players in the role of a futuristic space solider tasked with taking down an ancient alien menace, and the gameplay is even presented from the same third-person view asHelldivers 2.
The developers behindHelldivers 2might just be aware of the similarities between their game andMass Effect, as a Reddit user named QueenSparks recently shared a screenshot from the former on r/Helldivers that calls back toMass Effect 2. In the game’s Super Store, players can read item reviews while purchasing weapons and cosmetic items usingHelldivers 2’s in-game currency, and one message that can come up reads “I’m [redacted] and this is my favorite product in the acquisition center.” This is nearly an exact match for a phrase Shepard uses inMass Effect 2: “I’m Commander Shepard and this is my favorite store on the Citadel."
Helldivers 2 References One Of Mass Effect 2’s Most Popular Memes
InMass Effect 2, Commander Shepard and their new crew return to the Citadel, the capital of the Milky Way Galaxy, to prepare for the impending battle against the Collectors. In the Citadel’s Zakera Ward lies various shops where Shepard can purchase weapons and other various items, and players who choose to followMass Effect’s more altruistic Paragon character pathcan gain discounts by recording an endorsement message. This message is identical in every store, and the player will periodically hear the message play on the loudspeakers as they return to the Citadel shops. Because of this, the phrase itself has become a popular meme amongMass Effectfans.
It seems that Commander Shepard’s viral Citadel endorsement message has spread beyond theMass Effectuniverse, as it is now being used by random shoppers inHelldivers 2’s Super Store. Even better, the user who left this in-game review is named Specctrei, itself a clear shout-out to theSpectre program that Shepard joinedat the beginning ofMass Effect. This discovery has prompted fans to start joking about how the Reapers would have fared against the overwhelming armies ofHelldivers 2’s more militaristic Super Earth government and wonder if there are any more interesting Easter eggs to find.
Helldivers 2
WHERE TO PLAY
Do you believe in freedom? Can you stand in the face of oppression – and defend the defenceless? Wage war for peace. Die for democracy.Join forces with up to three friends and wreak havoc on an alien scourge threatening the safety of your home planet, Super Earth, in this multiplayer co-op shooter for PS5 and PC from Arrowhead Game Studios.Step into the boots of the Helldivers, an elite class of soldiers whose mission is to spread peace, liberty and Managed Democracy using the biggest, baddest and most explosive tools in the galaxy.Helldivers don’t go planet side without proper backup, but it’s up to you to decide how and when to call it in. Not only do you have a host of superpowered primary weapons and customizable loadouts, you also have the ability to call on stratagems during play.Helldivers 2 features Arrowhead’s best cooperative gameplay yet. Collaboration will be vital: Teams will synergize on loadouts, strategize their approach for each mission and complete objectives together.1Enlist in Super Earth’s premier military peacekeeping force today. We are heroes… we are legends… WE ARE HELLDIVERS.
