Helldivers 2 has taken the gaming world by storm thanks to its gripping and chaotic action, fun co-op, and plethora of content. When comparing Helldivers 2 to MW3 Zombies – a similar sort of co-op experience but with a AAA budget – the differences are stark.
The most common complaint about MW3 Zombies (which is half-way through its second season) is its content deficiency.
Eyebrows were raised about the mode (dubbed “Modern Warfare Zombies“) immediately following its announcement. With 2022’s DMZ extraction mode failing to live up to Activision’s expectations, it was dropped and replaced with an “all-new” and “open-world” Zombies experience.
But it wasn’t all-new at all. It was obvious to everyone that MWZ was just DMZ featuring the undead.
I should note that this wasn’t inherently a bad thing – DMZ had tremendous potential. But to brand it is a revolutionary step forward for the time-tested and widely-adored CoD Zombies formula was simply unwise and inaccurate.
And then it launched. While the mode was enticing at first, it quickly grew tiresome thanks to its grindy and repetitive story missions. Once you were done with them, there was little to reason to continue playing – and post-launch support for the mode has been lacking to say the least.
With the arrival and resounding success of Helldivers 2, MW3 Zombies’ problems have never been more apparent. Below are the reasons we think it’s SO MUCH better. Here’s hoping Activision learn a thing or two from Helldivers 2…
Four-player co-op
If you haven’t played MW3 Zombies, you probably think it supports squads of up to four players. After all, Zombies has always accommodated four people.
Well, it doesn’t. MW3 Zombies only allows three players to join a squad. “Why?” I hear you ask. It’s because the DMZ mode it’s built on only supported three-player squads. And, for some reason, no one thought to up this to four.
This is a baffling oversight that simply defies belief. While a relatively small thing, it is significant nonetheless.
Many CoD players have a group of four they play Warzone with. Likewise, many people have been playing with the same group of friends since Zombies was first introduced way back in 2008.
Now, players are forced to exclude a friend if they want to fight the undead in Urzikstan. With that being said, there’s no better reason to make the switch to Helldivers 2.
You can enjoy similar action – facing off against hordes of supernatural enemies – with all of your pals. No one has to feel left out for the sake of an illogical oversight. This is a co-op experience that truly understands what it means to game with friends and recognises how important these bonds are to us.
Map and mission variety
MW3 Zombies has one map. It takes place in Warzone‘s Urzikstan. That’s it.
You will play the same rinse and repeat missions and objectives over and over again, visiting the same locations and fighting the same enemies. Nothing changes – but you are expected to grind for hours if you want to unlock anything meaningful.
Its story missions are somewhat addictive, but you’ll soon realise they’re all very similar with only slight differences between them.
While Helldivers 2‘s missions remain largely the same throughout (although there are plenty of different objectives to complete), things stay interesting and exciting thanks to its difficulty settings.
There are nine – yes, nine – difficulty levels to choose from. Each one ups the ante and breathes new life into missions you’ve already played.
Rewards and unlocks also scale with the difficulty level, meaning there’s always a reason to keep playing. Helldivers 2 rewards you for your time, dedication, and skill – and that what keeps players coming back.
Even better still, the backdrops for the game’s missions are always changing. Set across a variety of planets and maps within those planets, missions feel fresh when experienced in new environments.
The promise of new content
Arguably the most significant advantage Helldivers 2 has over MW3 Zombies is its promise of new content.
Zombies received a single new story mission in Season 1 and just one Warlord was added. When Season 2 began, fans were disappointed to learn no more new content would arrive until the mid-season Reloaded update.
When that content was fully detailed, it was just more of the same. One more new mission and one more Warlord. Who cares?
In contrast, plenty of new content for Helldivers 2 has already been confirmed or leaked out. For example, we now know that mechs and vehicles are on the way.
Similarly, new missions and enemy types are heavily rumoured – and we aren’t even a full month removed from the game’s release.
Fans are already speculating about what the future holds for Helldivers 2 and its content, and it’s looking very bright indeed.
A meaningful narrative
MW3 Zombies’ storyline is absolutely nothing special. It features a formulaic and generic CoD Zombies plot that’s largely incomprehensible to anyone other than the most hardcore Zombies fans.
To make matters worse, players can reasonably expect only a handful of new story missions before support ends for the mode completely.
At the rate of one new mission per season, there may be just five more missions still to come – and can anyone really see the storyline significantly improving if that’s all there is?
Helldivers 2, on the other hand, sees players participating in a galactic war to preserve the future of democracy and humanity.
Its story progression appears endless, with game master Joel hard at work devising new developments in its narrative.
This is all fuelled by the roles each and every player has in the war, with completed missions and operations all furthering the cause and driving the plot forward.
It may just be a few lines of text on the mission select screen – but it all feels meaningful and important. And that’s what really matters.
Do you agree that Helldivers 2 is a better overall co-op experience than MW3 Zombies? Let us know in the comment section below and don’t forget to check out our other gaming articles…
