2024-05 summary

Across this period, Daniel produced a large series of Helldivers 2 gameplay and weapon-review content, testing loadouts and weapons on Helldive difficulty against both Automatons and Terminids. Recurring themes included stealth speed builds using Trailblazer Scout Armor and smoke strikes, heavy-weapon builds centered on the Spear, Airburst Rocket Launcher, and autocannon, and sentry and support-stratagem comparisons (laser cannon, flamethrower, Patriot mech). Missions frequently ended in partial success or failure due to enemy swarms, self-inflicted damage, signal jammers, and game bugs such as invisible weapons, stratagems landing on inaccessible terrain, and forced first-person view.

Daniel published multiple weapon stress-tests and rankings following an update and the Polar Patriots Warbond release, covering primary weapons (Eruptor, Tenderizer, Adjudicator, Purifier, exploding crossbow) and all secondary weapons and sentries. Several new or existing weapons—including the AR-61 Tenderizer, BR-14 Adjudicator, PLAS-101 Purifier, and CB-9 Exploding Crossbow—were rated around 6.2/10 or criticized for weak damage, slow handling, or poor performance compared to alternatives like the Blitzer shotgun or base Liberator rifle.

One video departed from Helldivers 2 content: Daniel reviewed the PC port of Ghost of Tsushima, praising its visuals but criticizing repetitive combat, stealth, and pacing compared to Sekiro, citing PC performance issues (memory leaks, crashes), disliking the price and protagonist, and giving it 6.2/10 while suggesting its release timing capitalized on the show Shogun's popularity.

Multiple solo Helldive attempts documented mixed outcomes: some stealth or sniper builds achieved near-zero-death runs and successful extractions with medals and samples, while aggressive or explosive loadouts (Breaker shotgun with anti-tank launcher, Airburst builds) frequently ended in mission failure after repeated deaths, exhausted reinforcements, or stratagem malfunctions, sometimes concluding with Daniel advising against certain builds.

Group-based Automaton missions using Spear- and autocannon-centered loadouts were shown clearing fabricators, tanks, and gunships, sometimes achieving full-objective clears and extraction with high medal counts, though marked by friendly fire deaths, jamming, and targeting inconsistencies.

Helldivers 2 solo and group Helldive-difficulty loadout testing against Automatons and Terminids, covering stealth, sniper, fire, and heavy-weapon builds.

Primary and secondary weapon stress-tests and tier rankings following game updates and the Polar Patriots Warbond, including the Eruptor, Tenderizer, Adjudicator, Purifier, and Exploding Crossbow.

Sentry and support-stratagem comparisons including autocannon, Gatling, machine gun, laser cannon, flamethrower, and Patriot mech.

Recurring in-game bugs and technical issues: invisible weapons, forced first-person view, stratagems stuck on terrain, signal jamming, and self-inflicted deaths.

Review of Ghost of Tsushima's PC port, comparing it unfavorably to Sekiro and noting performance problems and pricing concerns.

Daniel completed a solo speed-stealth Helldive mission against Automatons, destroying command bunkers and extracting with eight medals despite bugs.

A fire-based stratagem loadout (flamethrower, napalm, incendiary mines) was tested against Terminids across a defense mission and an ICBM mission on Helldive difficulty.

Daniel ranked all six secondary weapons in Helldivers 2, favoring the Senator and rating the Laz-7 Dagger lowest.

A solo Terminid Helldive mission aiming for zero deaths encountered heavy Bile Titan and Charger resistance, resulting in multiple deaths including one from a terminal interaction and self-inflicted airburst damage.

A group Automaton Helldive mission using an Airburst/Blitzer/500kg bomb loadout resulted in full main-objective clearance and extraction with fourteen medals despite friendly-fire and bomb-related deaths.

The R-36 Eruptor was tested against bugs and Automatons, destroying groups of small enemies and damaging a Bile Titan's underside, but rated 6.2/10 due to magazine and handling limitations.

Daniel ranked all six sentry stratagems across Automaton and Terminid defense missions, noting mountain-placement bugs and a teammate landing on him.

A flamethrower-and-jump-pack combo was tested against Chargers and a Bile Titan; a Patriot mech run destroyed roughly 40 enemies before exploding, and an Airburst Rocket Launcher shot killed a teammate.

A Spear-centered stealth loadout destroyed multiple Automaton fabricators from range on Mafark, with Daniel dying to friendly-fire from a 500kg bomb before the team completed the objective.

A solo stealth sniper Helldive mission retrieved two SSD drives and aligned a radar dish, but Daniel died near extraction after using an Airburst Strike and a 500kg bomb, respawning on his final life.

The AR-61 Tenderizer, BR-14 Adjudicator, PLAS-101 Purifier, and CB-9 Exploding Crossbow were each tested against Automatons/Terminids and rated around 6.2/10 or criticized as underperforming compared to alternatives.

A solo Helldiver-difficulty ICBM mission against Automatons using a stealth sniper loadout completed the first objective but ended in Daniel's death near a power-generator objective amid Hulks, tanks, and a chainsaw automaton.

Whether Eagle Smoke Strike provokes enemy aggro or is ignored remains untested.

Whether the Ghost of Tsushima series Shogun aired on Netflix or Apple TV is unclear, and whether reported PC memory leaks are confirmed beyond player accounts.

Whether the Enhanced Combustion ship module's 25% fire-damage buff functions correctly, and how effective the flamethrower truly is against Bile Titans, remains uncertain.

Whether the Grenade Pistol can seal Terminid bug holes is uncertain.

Whether the Airburst Rocket Launcher destroyed a targeted tank itself or an ally did is unconfirmed, as is whether it failed to fire due to a bug or incomplete reload.

Whether the AR-61 Tenderizer's armor penetration is mislabeled or bugged, and whether mechs were removed from the game, remain open questions.

Whether the Spear's lock-on failures stem from proximity issues, and whether it can target a static dropship structure, are unresolved.

Whether the 500kg bomb successfully destroyed specific targets (a factory, a Hulk, an extraction-site enemy) is uncertain across multiple missions due to unclear hit confirmation.

Whether the PLAS-101 Purifier deals increased damage when charged or can overcharge and explode like the railgun is unconfirmed.

Whether the CB-9 Exploding Crossbow offers any advantage over the Eruptor, and whether it can still destroy spore mushrooms after game fixes, remain uncertain.

Whether Napalm strikes or rocket launchers can destroy mushroom structures, and whether a distant object was actually a mushroom, are unresolved questions from mission footage.