Helldivers 2 followers (a demographic that encompasses 68% of the planet as far as I can inform) are feeling the spirit of Massive Boss. Particularly, they’ve observed that the sport’s motion and various of its animations bear a hanging resemblance to 2014’s Metallic Gear Stable: Floor Zeroes and its follow-up The Phantom Ache. And you already know what? They could not be happier about it.
Initially highlighted in a TikTok video from AnthonyCSN, the similarities between the motion animations in Helldivers 2 and MGS5 are inconceivable to disregard while you put the video games side-by-side. From sprinting, to crouch-walking, to diving—there is a little bit of Kojima in each step you’re taking as you unfold Managed Democracy all through the cosmos.
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However AnthonyCSN wasn’t placing Helldivers on blast. “This appears like Metallic Gear Stable 5,” mentioned the TikToker, “and that is a great factor.” He added that “[MGS5] had the most effective gameplay that the [Metal Gear] sequence ever had… for Helldivers to even be paying homage to that’s nice, I like it.” That assertion earned a democratic “ooh-rah!” from the neighborhood, however it’s drawn the attention of recreation devs too, and so they all agree: Good artists borrow, nice artists steal.
“I am not kidding once I say extra video games ought to simply immediately copy stuff that feels good from video games they like and riff from there,” wrote Obsidian studio design director Josh Sawyer on Twitter. “The act of copying one thing requires you to do a number of essential evaluation, and it is extraordinarily informative even if you happen to scrap all the things and begin over.”
As an RPG veteran, Sawyer would definitely know. Tease aside any traditional roleplaying recreation and you will find a mish-mash of narrative and mechanical inspirations from all types of forebears, whether or not it is D&D and Tolkien or Renaissance artwork and literature. Heck, the identical goes for any style. As soon as upon a time we referred to as each FPS a “Doom clone.”
Different devs had been fast to agree with Sawyer, and even identified the mechanics they’d yoinked for their very own video games. Pacific Drive’s Seth Rosen commented that “You’ll be able to thank Return of the Obra Dinn for the best way the quirk analysis system works in Pacific Drive.”
One other dev, Timberline Video games’ Nathaniel Chapman, replied that “The truth is you are in all probability both the trade chief in one thing… otherwise you’re not and you may be taught 10x as a lot copying a grasp as you’ll fumbling round in the dead of night.”
“Totally different shouldn’t be all the time greatest,” agreed Tim Spencer of TT Video games.
And so forth. Merely put, followers and devs have been united—rightfully, if you happen to ask me—in lauding Arrowhead for being prepared to do what works even when it is not 100% distinctive, and inspiring different builders to do the identical.
Effectively, there was one level of competition. A good few onlookers identified that reactions weren’t fairly as glowing when Palworld launched final month to a refrain of individuals loudly questioning when Nintendo’s legal professionals would launch a full-scale armed assault on Pocketpair’s workplaces.
However Palworld’s use of Pokémon-style mechanics and aesthetics was much more liberal than the weather of MGS5 in Helldivers’ motion. I do not suppose that makes the damaging reactions—or the spurious AI accusations—right, however I can perceive why it led to some sharpened pitchforks.
Nintendo can also be legendarily litigious, and I feel a number of the discourse round Palworld was nearly questioning if the company would react quite than declaring that it ought to. Maybe the well-known saying ought to be amended: Good artists borrow, nice artists steal, and the most effective artists do each in a approach that does not give Doug Bowser trigger to sue you into an early grave.