Helldivers 2 Developers added this to make you feel guilty

[@nicklashansson]

I'm the mocap performer who did these. The developers are awesome and let me be very creative with it. 😁

[@Seeeyog]

@@nicklashansson Thank you for your great work!✨ Also, Happy new year!

[@ledfloyd9035]

Mourn who they were, not what they've become. Focus your rage and show the squids no mercy.

[@karankenZ]

Kratos

[@ellugerdelacruz2555]

Every Voteless that salutes you is giving you a "Thank you".😭

[@RobZombii]

​@@ellugerdelacruz2555 they would rather die than live to be a puppet of the enemy.

[@FreakTesticals]

They would have wanted to be taken to super Heaven🫡

[@Alex-xi4bg]

This squids are tough still need them meta loadout videos eruptor feels good but I don’t know what secondary to use with it I wanna use a supply pack to help with ammo and I’m using the new armor that gives bonus to primary reserves

[@joshuasmyth3115]

Imagine being turned into one, linked up to the hive mind where your mind has been suppressed to the point where you think your just floating in nothingness until, suddenly, a raging ripple of electricity jolts you out of your sleep. Before you, is a team of Helldivers. As you feel your heart give out from the electric shock of a Arc Blitzer, you look down at yourself and see what youve become. The helldiver raises their Verdict, a high-caliber round chambered as they take aim at your head, and as you have no way to ever communicate your thanks, you salute. And with that, as fast as your waking nightmare began, the helldivers delivered you the ultimate mercy. Allowing you to be free from the illuminates shackles, free from your torment.. .. at last.

[@minecraftender8105]

The Emperor's mercy Democracy's Peace

[@iamsquid2223]

And that is our duty as helldivers. To make sure everyone that is controlled by the squids receives mercy

[@Josh6nika]

🫡😢

[@ULTIMATZEKROM]

Or worse. That, at least some, are fully aware of that they're doing, and yet have no control over their bodies. Little more than a prisoner in one's own body.

[@Kaiserin_Emmeline]

​@@ULTIMATZEKROMprivate jenkins moment. Speaking of which, I never particularly got why nobody ever liked that book. Halo the flood was lit

[@avluey3889]

Just saw a Voteless have their arms in the air jumping up like a child wanting their toy while I was in a mech, I didn't enjoy stomping on that one...

[@KingInBlack69]

When they do that i thought they were flailing in horror in a moment of clarity.

[@hydro-ol2fi]

Sound like treason to me

[@leviathanstream]

the ministry of truth will be investigating you shortly

[@jacoblinuxwindowsmac]

@@hydro-ol2fi No, those are super earth citizens after all. it can be hard on some of our troops.

[@hydro-ol2fi]

@jacoblinuxwindowsmac *those were Also that sound like treason to me

[@PhantomOc3lot]

considering the illuminate used nanomachines for control in the first game i wonder if the damage to their heads almost gives them a moment of clarity, neutralizing the machines for a final moment. could be what that blue goop is inside them

[@ROFLproductionsCORP]

I think you’re right. Arc damage fries it, and head trauma breaks it. But only with a fatal amount of either.

[@chkn_boy]

@@ROFLproductionsCORP Our poor citizens, brains held hostage by these ruthless bastards.

[@HER0_]

“Nanomachines, son!”

[@ovencake523]

@@HER0_"They harden in response to physical trauma!"

[@gonggonglive]

@@ovencake523that explains why the overseers have that thick armor

[@therandomcommenter6629]

"Our responsibility to them is clear, we must free them from their tortured existence" *:the democracy officer*

[@michaeltsang1748]

Bugs want to devour freedom, while Robots want to replace it. However, the illuminate...enslaves freedom.

[@steveishere8808]

At least the Bugs and Bots had the decency to simply kill their victims, the Illuminates have no such honor.

[@Rune-Thief]

Meanwhile from their perspective, terminids want to escape from our slavery, Atomatons want to rescue their makers from our Slavery, and the Illuminids want their home back and revange for kicking them out of their homes and almost going extinct.

[@MPFX-99_Gundam_Astray]

The Illuminate gave you a chance to be peaceful however you have now severely pissed them off

[@faeruune]

@@MPFX-99_Gundam_Astray We have no room for alien sympathizers HERE

[@joaquin-7-v3j]

@@MPFX-99_Gundam_Astray no peace for the squid

[@torifin755]

Guilty? no, Horrified? yes. this invokes that same feeling of the headcrab zombies where you can HEAR them screaming, only its in reverse

[@kabob0077]

@@torifin755 Or Jenkins from CE, remember that poor SOB's fate?

[@sawritall4292]

Its amazing how Arrowhead can make the protagonist faction not seem like the most ideal, but then make all the enemy factions 20x worse.

[@PandaPelley]

Emotions are useless to Super Earth, do better.

[@Aqua311]

@@kabob0077 Why'd you have to remind me? I read the book. That poor bastard was semi-lucid.

[@Eviljackson]

all we can do its make them rest

[@spartain555]

Indeed. Best we can do is give them they're freedom even if it only for a few seconds they chose to remain loyal to super earth in they're final moments. Best we can do give them freedom before they do damage to others.

[@Josh6nika]

What we can do is finally let them rest in peace. What we do is considered mercy as they are now free from tyranny and are in the loving embrace of Lady Liberty 😢

[@Eviljackson]

@@spartain555 they are loyal even in pain

[@TheEspada420]

Yes let’s destroy thes squids once more

[@JoseMolina-jz9hh]

RIMD Rest In Managed Democracy

[@LionOfTawhid]

I love how the illuminate came back and went from a peaceful fish race with weapons strong enough to destroy planets in seconds to an alien race most likely facing near extinction and having lost most of their technology having to rely on psychopathic means to fight in the war

[@averageeughenjoyer6429]

I thought these are just the vanguard

[@alexletiny5155]

​@@averageeughenjoyer6429 we have yet to feast our sights uppon the great eye...

[@JayadeepShanmugam]

@@averageeughenjoyer6429 Doesn’t change the fact that ‘near extinct’ will soon become ‘extinct’.

[@ethanduncan1646]

The illuminate becoming the brutal and merciless monsters that they are going with fits so well. They were genocided despite being peaceful and their only crime being extremely advanced technologically. They have become even worse than the most vile super Earth propaganda had about them previously just so they can get revenge on the people who so brutally tried to exterminate them.

[@matejk1889]

It is​@@averageeughenjoyer6429

[@quinncykaluzniak5429]

they decided to cast one final vote. and we shall deliver the results, no matter the cost

[@Anthony_Cika]

NGL that line goes hard as fuck!

[@ricekrispies4994]

Someone should make this a democracy officer line

[@ivanleon6164]

one final vote of trust before reaching the eternal freedom.

[@quinncykaluzniak5429]

@ivanleon6164 aye. Lightning lead and lazers

[@baltakatei]

Ah, good old 2024. Good times...

[@Alazure_]

0:59 he’s getting down on his knee with his hands in the air, poor guy was afraid and confused in his last moments…

[@Seeeyog]

tragic🥲

[@purpleguy5226]

and noticed how he was facing AWAY from the helldiver cowering before the illuminates nice detail

[@UT_SWAT]

definitly looks like in there last moment the mind control falters, some know what was happening and some have no idea, brutal

[@resdoesstuff]

this is more than brutal, it's absolutely heart wrenching. Can't imagine being a citizen of one, you see a news where your abducted parents or kids might just be one of those ill turned husks now. This is a catastrophe much more larger and threatening than what we've had past months on the galactic war

[@KalashVodka175]

@@resdoesstuff Its funny as fuck to me that SuperEarth is supposed to be tongue in-cheek orwellian nightmare dystopia pretending to be the nice guys... But it doesn't really work when you see the absolute horror of both the automatons (see: torture camps for civilians with cages etc and possibly forced cybernetization) and the Illuminate (horrific forceful mutation + mind control of civilians)

[@enzoponce1881]

​@@KalashVodka175it's blood paid back with blood, all the factions are monsters of super earth's making, lore wise, the illuminate are not different

[@resdoesstuff]

@@KalashVodka175 it’s a moral grey area. SE is the necessary evil we all partake in.

[@sadflix8754]

@@KalashVodka175some warhammer 40k type shit, *no ones* the good guy Except for the salamanders of course, they’ve never ever done anything wrong

[@villanex3708]

Imagine zombie apocalypses irl and as you kill a zombie you hear weak voice from the zombie "Thank you" its exactly like that human psyche trapped inside a body with 0 control. Terrifying

[@ULTIMATZEKROM]

>without mercy We are granting mercy. The only mercy we can give them at this point.

[@xm214-aminigun9]

The squids scare me. We're supposed to be the bad guys, they're competing and they're ahead.

[@ULTIMATZEKROM]

@@xm214-aminigun9 Seeing as the bots are ahead of us too in that regard, and the bugs are just animals at best, I don't think we're the bad guys lol

[@kukuki5000]

The mercy of being free again. FOR FREEDOM!

[@andreasmaurstad7227]

At 750 mercies per minute

[@dragonrider1736]

The emperor's mercy

[@leastworstgamer]

It was such a a good idea to add the Voteless, they really add a lot to the combat with the Illuminate and let us rip and tear with automatic weapons.

[@therandomcommenter6629]

It makes perfect sense the illuminate are meant to be special in fact one of the people at arrowhead even compared them to demigods it wouldn't make sense if they were the chaff both from the fact that they're not that weak and also just from a numbers standpoint I mean super earth has believed that they were extinct for 100 years super Earth went full genocide on them and the survivors only had a single century to recover there is probably not as many of them as there are automatons or bugs not only because of that but also bugs and automatons can be mass-produced/breeded

[@jordanwebb1543]

It’s our duty to give them sweet Liberty’s mercy

[@dizzyheads]

There's no doubt anymore about the fight being fought

[@Muffled83]

The idea that the electric shock must have allowed their brain to function normal for a few more seconds is actually horrifying. Especially being the one to look at what they've become or being confused at what is happening, you see the reality battle you were forced into before your final moment.

[@kmplays7468]

Now thats horror done well. Doesn’t always have to be jump scares.

[@Spirultima]

The best horror is one where it gets worse the more you think on it. Like SOMA.

[@EchoObserver9]

Yehh... The automatons equally horrified me. There is a reason "Soulless machines" keeps being broadcasted as the "truth" from super earth. But we see the automaton troopers have marching songs and symbols and language and humanoids PILOTING machines which makes no sense! Then you see the "processing plants" aka the camps where they harvest the super earth people... THEN you hear the berserkers... Their distorted sounds and screams seem familiar... Go and look up "slowed down automaton berserker sounds" YEH you will figure it out... What the berserkers are made from and what they are FORCED to be and do... Now THAT IS HORROR! They did the whole forced conversion thing way before the Illuminate did...

[@Wulfjager]

its funny that the best horror ive ever seen is always done by media that isnt labelled as horror

[@Inherical]

Nanomachines, son

[@agentdash8999]

​@@EchoObserver9 Ehhhh, that's still a theory and considering all the lore we've had up to this point I don't believe it. I personally think that they were created from the last imprints of the last cyborgs that left the galaxy after the first war, they built an autonomous factory planet in the far away and imprinted upon it their minds and hatred for Super Earth then when they were built up enough and ready they descended upon us. The idea of an autonomous nigh-infinite legion of robots that can constantly churn out new bodies is terrifying, the concept of pure machines that know nothing but hatred for us is so cool! Like the Cyborgs in the first game were trying to be independent, they had dreams and ambitions and they lost and all they left to their tools of revenge is enough of a mind to get the job done and pure hatred. Also the Illuminate kinda confirm my lack of belief because I doubt AH would be so boring as to make both of the intelligent factions use an enslaved human power base. The Termanids are a natural plague, the Automatons are unlimited machines using oil and steel to destroy our flesh and blood and the Illuminate are turning our own people into mindless monsters to kill us

[@harryguidotti3815]

I saw one saluting when I was using the Blitzer. I swore I was imagining things.

[@clonexg1018]

whats sick is that we have both a covenant like faction as well as a flood like faction into one

[@midwestrebel2]

Then bugs because who doesn't hate bugs , it's a universal commonality 🤣

[@graylindblad1261]

@@midwestrebel2add in socialists for the satire

[@cesarlozano1209]

Yo bro im a little dumb. Can you explain what you mean?

[@Prefizful]

When I saw the new Illuminated, it remind me of Halo and the tall walker is like War of the World.

[@afunkymonke]

I'd say it's more war of the world's crossed over with the flood, the shock troops don't give elite vibes so much besides the helmet shape.

[@JMAC8028]

R.I.P. Uncle Bob he made the best Super Turkeys on Liberty-giving day

[@sirjazz1268]

You want one reason to run arc only, you have it here : arc therapy as it is may be fatal, and mutations of civilians to deep to backtrack . . . But you give them a chance to die, FREE. This is what we do best : we bring & protect Freedom. To the heart and mind of every citizen. So do not hesitate my sisters & brothers : For Super Earth... FREE THEM ALL !

[@ZackShark1]

Yeah idk if I'm doing something wrong but I tried the arc thrower against them and it's ASS

[@kaijuslayer3334]

@ZackShark1You probably did something wrong because that thing can tear through hordes and stun lock almost every enemy it hits, including the overseers and harvesters.

[@whelp1382]

@@kaijuslayer3334 kept bouncing onto my teammate D: Else very effective.

[@JC-eo2qe]

That and the Arc Thrower is amazing for destroying those pesky flying drones that summons Illuminate backup.

[@purpleguy5226]

@@kaijuslayer3334 fr arc thrower is like playing on easy imho

[@vynashe4442]

It's not to make you feel guilty. Its to let you know they're greatful that you've released them from the clutches of the undemocratic squids.

[@williamjames7293]

0:32 thats a salute? thought they were flipping me off before they died lol

[@Jawmax]

Best the guys could do because you know... claws.

[@ricekrispies4994]

Hilarious, but nah you can see their bodies straighten up like when you do the salute emote

[@pantheracheaxb747]

@@ricekrispies4994 More so clear when they are balancing their body that is second left till complete death instead of falling down. Squeezing the lastest strength as you die.

[@foxtrot570]

Thanks now I can't unsee it 😂

[@storyshiftchara8672]

Theory fact: those who salute are the last civilians defend against Illuminate army or some police and military or worse..... fellow Helldivers

[@midwestrebel2]

I love the baton , it's really effective against the Squids ! Seeing 160,000 divers on one planet again brings me joy 💯😎

[@JerichoYeet]

I wonder if they'll add like a SEAF Trooper or Helldiver Voteless and have their animation feel like they were shooting, bashing, or turning to you and salute you before kneeling over and die.

[@acezero8132]

imagine if said Helldiver Voteless could call in your own offensive stratagems that you selected against you...

[@burninggames9587]

@@acezero8132 that would be so messed up, I LOVE IT!!!

[@JerichoYeet]

@acezero8132 Or better yet. When you roam around an Iluminate controlled/contested planet. You'll see a name popped up above yours on the bottom left, thinking it maybe a player joining your session. But, mission control didn't tell you a friendly Destroyer has joined squadron, meaning that's not a player, but rather a Voteless Helldiver. That's gonna be rad and erie if they add that in the game.

[@justanormaldilo.249]

@@JerichoYeet I second that.

[@seantaggart7382]

​@@JerichoYeet ID LOVE THAT! like special Weather Events? Like "Voteless Helldivers?"

[@a.j.6832]

I think in-lore the Voteless regain control over themselves in their final moments and these animations are depicting how different people react when they come to and realize they are mutated and attacking helldivers

[@Vespyr_]

Being able to free them one last time to a conscious state may be considered a mercy to some, one final moment where they get to die with some humanity. Yet for others it may be cruel, while at one point they were blissfully unaware of their fate, only to awaken into the horror they have become. A moral quandary when using arc weapons against them.

[@UnknownSquid]

Super Earth would take this moment to remind Helldivers that they are not qualified to engage in moral quandaries, and that such behaviour is treason. All matters of morality are the sole responsibility of the Ministry of Truth, and citizens may reference their citizens handbook to ensure their thoughts and actions are inline with official Super Earth (mandatory) guidelines.

[@ChaosLemonVIII]

Regardless the blitzer is too good to pass up against squids

[@kaijuslayer3334]

There is ambient animations and sounds that suggest they are struggling and in some kind of disturbing state beforehand. I think there’s a degree of awareness that is always present. And that means death is really the most merciful thing that can be done.

[@failurextreme7084]

I love the ones that salute. Its like they recognized in their last moment what happened to them and what you had to do, and there is no regret there.

[@Xenyr_The_Fool]

Alright, no electric weapons, no existential dread…, got it…

[@HGScout]

headshots seem to cause this as well, so no guard dog or general competency as well.

[@cusowski6432]

I will be specifically going for headshots now

[@c1borgen]

practically, do not release the war crime weapon on former citizens

[@emgee2807]

They're thanking you, when faced with a fate worse than death.. granting death is a mercy.

[@acowthatjumpedoverthemoon3038]

Imagine that, being thrown into that.. hell, being forced to attack your saviors. And in your final moments your chains are broken and your mind is freed by your saviors. I’m sorry citizens of calypso..

[@Youtubecensormydick]

We must fight for super earth and to defeat the evil of wakanda

[@saltyhero8698]

I swear I saw one brush back non-existent hair like a woman would. The illuminates must pay…

[@Aldritch9183]

If you pay close attention, especially when they come out of the ships, the Voteless have an animation where they look at their hands and suddenly make a small gesture, clutching their heads in pain.

[@Im_a_rock764]

“I fear nothing, but whatever those squids are doing, it scares me.

[@thedreamscripter4002]

Should have expected that. After all, Super-Earth has genocided majority of Illuminati race (without any real reason to do that, except for sheer greed of Super-Earth ruling elites), and those Illuminati who have survived... They hid for a century, restored their potential, and want their revenge to be truly horrific.

[@Meow_1992]

Dayam, that first part with the baton reminded me of Officer Uncle Ruckus.

[@smallestgoober9399]

It's like that Metal Gear Phantom Pain quarantine mission with high honor.

[@bryanc4054]

I cried for three days and never forgave myself. Illuminate are about to find out.

[@thatonefpsgamer1339]

​@@bryanc4054I won't scatter their ashes to a heartless sea

[@thatonefpsgamer1339]

​@@bryanc4054I won't scatter their ashes to a heartless sea

[@nagiaoe2434]

Boss

[@rRevilo64]

"We live and die by your orders boss" o7

[@Vulgarth1]

Note that on a headshot or arc damage kill, the neck-mouth collar/rebreather thing disappears. You can see it in the trailer and during gameplay, every Voteless - even the tentacle-faced ones - have one of these devices. Poor bastards!

[@TomoyaOkazaki13]

the salutes get me man 😢 loyal to the nation to the very end

[@Barkugou420]

Its like being shocked breaks them out of the hive minds grip juuuust before they die...damn

[@arravadin]

If you want to see something freaky, get close to the monolith in "destroy the monolith" sub-objectives. When you get really close, your screen goes weird and it lets you touch it.

[@FunkyGhostHD]

What do you mean let's you touch it? There is a prompt to do so and an animation?

[@arravadin]

@@FunkyGhostHD Yes

[@FunkyGhostHD]

@@arravadin Damn, might try that

[@mobilmaksimusprim]

And what's happen after touching monolith? It's like touching grass or something?

[@arravadin]

@@mobilmaksimusprim Similar result, you explode violently.

[@tuachixiong5232]

By the Empe- I mean Super Earth's Embrace, you shall have mercy!

[@JonselytheGreat]

Feels like the old Mass Effect 3 multiplayer, but with huge maps and some XCOM elements too. Helldivers just became so much better

[@smallestgoober9399]

I'm dying to see urban combat with the bots. I hope Cyberstan comes back with the city tileset.

[@hikigayamurakamo9340]

​​@@smallestgoober9399and you knew it's gonna a Star Wars moment when they made a drop on city.

[@derpsterYT]

I havent played helldivers before, but i think there was something like this in dying light. Zombies that weren't fully monsters yet, and when they took damage they would be scared. It's rare that a game can portray such emotion with the players like this.

[@Spartan536]

The Illuminate is like some unholy mixture of the Mass Effect Reapers in regards to the Husks, the HALO Flood, and War of the Worlds with the Walkers.

[@watch.v-dQw4w9WgXcQ]

also the Advent from SOSE

[@tommysalami420]

They remind me of the Combine from half life. Both use body horror and the striders are extremely similar to the walkers

[@geronimo5537]

its a great theme. I hope they stick to it. as a bug player I very much enjoy the change the illuminate bring in theme and difficulty.

[@MasterBrut]

The ones Who fly reminds me of the Jetpack Monsters from Duke nukem

[@tdpuuhailee8222]

Here is something Arrowhead should ad to Voteless. Multiple body types (slim, bulky, thin, fat) and different heigths. This would make them more varied and portray better that they are bunch of everyday civiliance.

[@oakleaves3605]

And im pretty sure they have voicelines too, like human speech, but distorted, such an amazing enemy

[@ghuttsmckenzie4269]

Is it just me, or do they sound like helldivers? Might be my imagination... I hope.

[@ligmaguy521]

@@ghuttsmckenzie4269 I dont know if my game is bugged but im like 99% sure the voteless just reuse automaton voicelines? Idk but i can hear automatons when im on the illuminate map

[@Max200012]

@@ligmaguy521 yeah i think you're right. They sound exactly like automatons to me as well

[@CappyK]

@@Max200012 Now is that just some corner cutting from the devs... or... Are automatons and illuminates working together...?

[@graycatsaderow]

Dude istg i heard the overseers say "Thawkh Thuah"

[@KatsuPancake]

billions must die for the glory of super earth

[@horrorfan117]

Do not feel sad for the Voteless you slay Helldivers. You are putting an end to their suffering.

[@P.H691]

I feel angry at the squids for putting these people through this. They’ll taste my wrath and my bullets.

[@IceFire1800]

in death they will vote again

[@TheSurvivor637]

My best guess is that severe head damage can temporarily sever the connection to the Illumanite, and allow the human consciousness to surface. However due to the nature of said injuries, most die shortly after regaining their humanity.

[@Blake_weetly]

It's incredibly impressive how they managed to create these zombies and add all the little animations while shooting them. Reminds me of how valve made left 4 dead

[@Oculous-88]

For a setting that is as ostensibly silly as Helldivers is, the Illuminate are straight up War of the Worlds tier alien horror, which is probably why it's even more effective at heebin' the jeebies. Kudos to Arrowhead, for sure.

[@theman13532]

i'd argue this is worse than the automatons using human brains theory, considering this is actually canon. poor civvies

[@josephdanejackson]

Automatons using human brains isn't a theory. That's a fact. Difference is, the automatons use their own brains, from when they were human. They first became cyborgs, then full borg, stripping themselves of any and all flesh. At most, their old brains have been uploaded into a mainframe, where they are preserved and retrofitted in their fabricators.

[@mgut5635]

At least automatons have some consciousness and the feeling of loyalty and respect amongst other automatons, and once turned into bots I think they don’t feel any pain. But the voteless… they are just mindless canon fodder, expendable and disgusting in the eyes of the Illuminate, can still feel pain and in their last moments of life they gain consciousness for just enough time to know in what kind of things they have become and that they are dying. This is way worse than automatons, who at least have dignity and even a sense of joy with their new comrades.

[@viysnjor4811]

@@mgut5635 That's a good point, the automatons as you said care about other automatons, and as despicable as it is.. their goal is assimilation of humans into more automatons, while the illuminate just twist them into still-living meat shields with 0 intention of actually giving them any further purpose.

[@Azorees-oj5zr]

Unfortunately people take that human brain theory as fact, even though it’s anything but fact.

[@Aurilion44]

Well, some automaton straight up say "I can't fight it" when around you. Very likely that there are some original cyborgs around them, but also a lot of them are harvested civilians and, well, Seaf Troopers and Helldivers

[@MrDykstra2108]

I noticed that their running animation looks like the citizens run to escape what if they see the world differently because of the iullminate and think the helldivers are saving them and there fore running to them but they end up attacking

[@Jawmax]

They were civilians... The squids must pay for this!

[@Ghost_chaaaos]

I think those animations is when we kill whatever is controlling them and the citizens end up coming back for a shot period of time and they knew what happened to them. So we see the citizen coming back from a short period of time. Some are confused, some are scared and some want to give a finale salute to democracy

[@ShnobyWalker]

I know that first game sort of made us look like the bad guys but this… nah chief. Super Earth till the day I die.

[@AlecTheMayor]

Exactly. How can we be the bad guy in this situation 😭. Edit: People, I am in no way saying that super earth is innocent. I understand that the super earth has done some heinous things. I am up to date with the lore. With that being said what the illuminate are doing to super earth citizens is downright cruel considering that they are also victims of super earth. Given the circumstances super earth's retaliation is fully justified here as the illuminates are literally torturing civilians mentally holding them hostage in their own body. Keeping in mind there was no communication (as far as we know) before they decided to go attack some poor, low class, super earth civilians which never had it good in the first place. My problem isn't with illuminate waging war on super earth, they had it coming but, their attack on civilians is downright horrifying.

[@sadgallington7850]

??????? So... Be a dumbfuck cause wars everywhere you go in order to conquist everything then complain when you get the same level of brutality back?. This aint no different than the brainwashing super earth already does to its citizens lmao.

[@C4MG1RL]

@@AlecTheMayor Yes, let's kindly ignore that we attacked them first in the first game and tried to space genocide them, continue to enslave the cyborgs, and continue to cultivate and cull the bugs for space oil. Both parties in a situation can be evil lol.

[@aar219g7]

I know that we are kinda the bad guys, but we just enslaved the cyborgs and make them work till death, farmed the bugs for oil, nearly exterminate the iluminate and robbed their technology.......maybe we desserve what happened 🗿

[@steveishere8808]

We’re just bad guys facing worse guys… And if one side is worse, that automatically makes the other side good by comparison. Therefore, Super Earth is still the good side! *This study was paid for by the Ministry of Truth

[@faasnuhind8578]

Reminds me of a wh40k book where the inhabitants of a planet were being taken over by an illness, and thru a chain of events they realize the infected are trying to die defending the emperor

[@Mystyx-Sama]

I only noticed the last two in game, but that's an amazing attention to detail that I imagine most would never even notice.

[@theabyssaldemon]

I didn't notice. Ignorance is bliss because now I actually do feel guilty for when they come back and we have to do this again.

[@CyberSonic-V3.0]

Something I noticed about these cities is how undamaged they are before Helldivers go into them. The walls have breaches in them but the cars are in the streets and aren’t damaged along with the buildings and the SAM sites and SEAF artillery emplacements are left untouched with no visible sign they took out any illuminate ships. This to me says that the squids likely landed their troops outside of SAM site range and breached the walls and once they were inside the city they converted the entire population with little resistance outside of the machine guns and other weapons we can see. They hit hard and hit fast turning the entire population into voteless leaving no human presence behind and were so effective that the only civilans we see are left are in evacuation bunkers. The bot and bug front we at least see moments of human defiance in corpses but on the squids there are no humans left.

[@NinjahDuk]

My favourite part of the level design, that I noticed after a good 3 operations, is that outposts located in the outskirts of cities are actually objective areas from other mission types. I hot-dropped our team into one and it was an E-710 pumping station, complete with a squirting oil pipe and landing pad.

[@boy50]

These squids will pay for this. I'm boiling with rage...

[@kabob0077]

Only blood can amend this...

[@CrabSpu]

wait until you learn why they are doing this in the first place

[@John_necron]

It is as we do to the flayed. Once great warriors of the dynasties now reduced to monsters. We trim their numbers and mourn who they once were.

[@SinbadNaiver]

they basicly do the super earth salute to thank you for freeing them and ending their suffering.

[@Thuperdude2]

Stealthily by their patrols last night, noticed the overseers both randomly attack the voteless until they dropped on or two of them. Then made them march again. Was actually a little sad.

[@jagermantis]

Guilty? No. Furious? Yes.

[@MajorWhite]

Lets just be grateful its not head crabs. You don't want to hear the inverted screams of a person still alive and kicking yet in agonizing pain with zero control but full awareness.

[@shajajzhzshakksngs]

My gameplay with shock baton. “Stop resisting! Stop resisting! Why are you resisting! Stop resisting!” And so on……

[@theabyssaldemon]

lol

[@mistertwister2000]

“Wow, that’s a dark detail!” Half-Life: *Pathetic.*

[@lluminatea]

The salute is terrifying.. more than any enemies of Democracy, absolutely twisted stuff

[@vcqrsfdwc1987]

that blue light in their eyes is an indicator for squid's mind control when light goes off control shattered freedom redeemed

[@sampy901]

As the Mind control breaks, they salute Super Earth and the Helldivers one last time.

[@felipeaugusto2600]

I thought they were giving me the finger, now i feel bad

[@UwUelite]

This makes me sick... Those were civilians of super earth, and these illuminate assholes turn them into mindless zombies... Disgusting, quick helldiver's, put an end to this madness.

[@dracoindustires3979]

I hope this brings a new mission type since they added "Invasion levels" like bugs using people for bio mass or bot taking people to well make cyborgs basically not full automations.

[@BitrateBilly]

the town levels seem to be a thing that'll be added to every faction eventually, but i feel like the invasion campaign is an illuminate exclusive, since their gimmick seems to be hiding from super earth

[@dracoindustires3979]

@BitrateBilly well if you look at the bug planet that still has a defensive campaign it says "Invasion level 18" so I'm sure it's gotta be new mechanic for defensive campaigns

[@alejandrobgaytan1865]

Invasion level has been on the game since day 1, it’s just that they added it on the ui this update

[@TheREPPIX]

We will avenge them... we will make the squids pay for this

[@daydsly]

I hear some of them say things like “”free me”” I haven’t heard it yet

[@MrCovi2955]

They're confused about what's really happening.... because if you watch them when they're not agro'd they stare at their hands, not sure of what's going on, and then up at the sky, waiting for the Helldivers to come save them. "Why would a Helldiver shoot me" they're asking as they fall down dead.

[@EJGarza]

Wish there was a way to save them. Illuminate, it's time we show you what happen when you mess with Super Earth and their people.

[@P.H691]

Super earth likely has some voteless held in labs. Testing various things on them to see if the damage can be undone. But outside of that assumption, we have to fight to prevent more people from falling victim

[@theabyssaldemon]

this could be a very interesting gameplay mechanic

[@trentfagan5154]

i was also looking back at a clip i saved and saw one stop running and looked at himself kind of like the death animation but after it was done it went right back to running

[@drunkenpeasant4809]

thats some left 4 dead levels of detail good job arrowhead !

[@GARfearfak]

if they die saluting, then because they realised that a helldiver has saved them from being used as a weapon against democracy. and so with the a moment on clarity at the very end, they salute to express their eternal gratitude and allegiance to superearth

[@Raymundo_2112]

Damn... This is tragic

[@exoticbutters4212]

If this doesn't instill a deep hatred for the illuminate then I don't know what will

[@NoEditNarrator]

That’s so messed up. I love it

[@clippedwings225]

That's incredible. Reminds me of the zombies in Peter Watts' Blindsight/Echopraxia universe. People surrender themselves to be controlled as "zombies", controlled by whoever hired them for money, and in their final moments if they are killed are woken up confused and in pain before they die of their injuries.

[@shoulderpyro]

"Their charge came at three hours and sixteen minutes before dawn. The Squids have no use for stealth or discipline. They send the chaff; the weak and the ill first as fodder. My helmet displayed a count of 4240 human normal forms. They screamed as they ran towards us.They ran for four miles through barbed wire, plunge traps, spike-filled trenches and HMG fire. The SEAF troops standing with us knew the truth; These were people like them. Either corrupted or tortured into becoming mindless barbarians. They learned quickly that each killed Voteless was a blessing. A way to free their former comrades in arms. As my fury, and the fury of my fellow Confessors grew; so did the soldiers'. How noble they were.. ..barely 200 mutants made our lines. Most were injured, putting them down was no work. They were wretches.. SEAF was forced to focus on them, our limited firepower being soaked up by their horde. Before the last mutants fell, the squids were upon us. I take no pride in living when I've seen such heroes as these troopers. None flinched or paused at the sight of the aliens crashing towards them." ~personal log, Infernus 01 - Infernus Company.

[@BrisketSurge]

I love the subtle storytelling cause the Super Earth broadcast states they no longer retain their former selves when clearly they do.

[@swaaaarts4]

I knew it, I was not imagining things, they sometimes salute after removing their head.

[@aihereplia]

"Let the boss decides!" "We live and die by your order, boss!"

[@fulcrum6760]

I like how Super Earth is propped up as the bad guys but the Automatons and Illuminates are legit no better. Illuminates are basically alien Super Earth given that they “peacefully” conquer worlds.

[@MKfan888]

Everything the Automatons and Illuminate do is in retaliation to the conflict that Super Earth started. War is hell and no one is really the "good guy" by participating, but the "bad guy" is usually the initiator of the conflict

[@therandomcommenter6629]

I mean think about this scenario exactly these are the everyday citizens of super Earth not *class A and above* and as they are rapidly dying, in this moment they have no need to fear execution at the hands of the ministry of truth not at all it is truly in that final moment they are as free as they could ever be and yet in their final breath they still choose democracy and even make sure that it's known what does that say?

[@fulcrum6760]

@ Oh yeah I know. It brings a whole new level of grim dark that’s on par with Warhammer. Like choose the totalitarian state, the people who will cut you up and turn you into some mechanical abomination or the aliens who will mind control you and turn you into some zombie?

[@viysnjor4811]

@@therandomcommenter6629 "My home may be rotten, but its still MY home, xenos scum"

[@averageeughenjoyer6429]

In war everyone is evil

[@LordPandaLad]

Brings back the memories of the flood from halo, except more gruesome because there’s still some fragment of the people left that’s quite literally shocked back to reality for a brief moment that gets to see what happened before death.

[@jstar3382]

Feel guilty? No, that we saved them

[@cyberbug578]

It’s like they get a few moments it control back right when they die. Crazy to think that they might be totally conscious just not in control of their body

[@trolled152]

they are to be given liberty's peace, and peace it shall be.

[@sillyputtyisfun7567]

One of my favorite quotes in fiction is from Kreia in Kotor 2 and it speaks volumes here. "It is such a quiet thing to fall, but far more terrible to admit it." When the voteless realize their situation, they are in the throws of death but are made to suffer the knowledge that they were forced to murder and kill their fellows in the name of some unknowable scourge. Understanding and acknowledging your fall from what you once were is a terrible feeling indeed.

[@cjwat1118]

The dead, they’ve settled their debts. It’s up to the living to pay the tab. Help these citizens find rest (and save the ones left trapped in the colonies).

[@Xenoscoutknight]

Its better to die free than live in misery.

[@lizdenisthemenace1719]

At least they manage to take a bow to democracy one last time

[@Flyingclam]

Some will surrender to you if they are the last one left. Had it happen to me twice