Helldivers 2: Escalation of Freedom's Upcoming Mission Turns Bugs from Abhorrent to Adorable

Highlights

Helldivers 2’s latest update will be introducing a mission to escort a Terminid larva, and it could end up showing a softer side of the fearsome bugs.
The larva mission may trigger sympathy in players if the baby boasts a cute design, potentially showcasing a different perspective on the alien monsters.
Arrowhead Games Studios may expand on the larva mission to create more engaging content in Helldivers 2 going forward.

Helldivers 2 is full of missions that aim to test the skills and teamwork capabilities of every player. However, some players are less interested in difficulty and more intrigued by missions involving Terminids, as they allow for better planetary exploration. The upcoming update is exciting for fans of Terminid levels, as it will bring an addition that not only makes players engage more with the fearsome bugs and their environment, but also shows how the creatures have a somewhat charming side to them.

Though the Escalation of Freedom update for Helldivers 2 plans on providing many new additions that will improve the game, one of the most intriguing additions is a mission that involves escorting a Terminid larva back to the extraction point in the hopes of bringing it back for research. Although the mission will involve a lot of the fearsome bugs trying to stop the players from doing so, one cannot help but appreciate the appeal that the little insect-like creature brings. While most will still see the Terminid threat as an abomination, this larva shows the monsters from a different perspective, possibly changing how some people view them.

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How the Larva Mission Can Make the Terminids More Appealing

Players are usually focused on figuring out the best weapons for dealing with the Terminids, as the bugs are a huge threat to galactic democracy. But the adorable little larva that’s bound to come in the upcoming Escalation of Freedom update may provide more insight regarding the insect-like monsters, maybe even allowing some to sympathize with them. Here are a few ways the mission can manage to do that:

The adorable qualities of the little larva may result in triggering players’ paternal instincts, making them want to protect it the same way a mother protects a child.
The cries it emits could end up being adorable but also heart-wrenching to those who hear them, making some regret taking on the mission.
The way the Terminids are willing to throw countless swarms of their members in order to save the larva may show a more caring side to them.
The mature Terminids trying to save the newborns could be a sign of the creatures’ dwindling population, possibly making their actions more sympathetic.

While many currently don’t think twice before crafting the best build and loadouts for eradicating the Terminids, that could change if Arrowhead turns up the cuteness factor with the larva. While the level of damage the creatures have wrought against the defenders of Super Earth is insurmountable, perhaps it’s more of a fight for survival than anything else.

How the Larva Mission Can Affect Helldivers 2

The new mission type may help in showing a different side to the Terminids, but it can also be used to produce more content for the game. It could lead to even more assignments involving the adorable larva going forward, ones that can produce a meaningful and engaging plot that expounds on the insect-like monsters’ relation with Super Earth. For example, it could lead to a task that involves players having to destroy a nest full of larva to ensure that their population remains in a controlled state and have less chance of becoming an uncontrollable threat, though if the larva look innocent, the mission could leave gamers feeling conflicted about their actions. Helldivers 2 is sitting on a potential gold mine with the new mission type, and hopefully Arrowhead will seize the opportunity to take advantage of it.

Helldivers 2

Helldivers 2 is a third-person cooperative shooter developed by Arrowhead Games Studios for the PC and PlayStation 5 where players take control of a Helldiver set to protect the citizens of Super Earth by traveling to hostile alien worlds and destroying threats. Players undergo missions, defeat enemies, and use special items called Stratagems to help turn the tide of battle in this punishing release.

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