It’s a damn fine day for managed democracy, folks. The sun is shining, the birds are chirping, and the Helldivers 2 soundtrack is now available to stream. Now, wherever you go, liberty can follow closely behind you. You can take it on the road, on the train, at the gym, or blast it from the comfort of your own room, as I’m likely to do. It brings a tear to my eye.
The soundtrack, containing multiple orchestral and pulsing electronic bangers from the hit co-op shooter, was unceremoniously dropped on streaming services earlier today by Arrowhead Studios. The score, composed by Wilbert Roget, II, is absolutely filled with pomp. Everything is here, from the main theme that I’ve grown used to hearing while my screen idles to tracks that play while you’re fighting against either the Terminids or Automatons, Helldivers’ enemy forces.
Listening through the soundtrack has been a great reminder of how essential Helldivers 2’s score is to the fantasy it’s successfully portrayed since it was released this February. For example, I’ve always taken for granted how lowkey and tech-y the music in your starship is, which feels like the right call for an area that gradually gets upgraded and fleshed out as you advance through the ranks and unlock new stratagems, buffs, and weapons. It stands in stark contrast to the triumphant music that plays as you jump into a pod and are dropped onto the surface of a planet as part of a “liberation” effort. The score is great at instilling a false sense of pride—which is perfectly in-line with the game’s Starship Troopers influence—as you take on hellish missions in the name of a clearly fascist regime and get ragdolled and eviscerated over and over again by enemies.
Though, I’d like to bring particular attention to the track titled “Super-Earth National Anthem” because why the hell is it so good? I’ve played Helldivers 2 quite a bit, and covered it even more than that, but I had never heard this thing until today, despite evidence suggesting players found it in-game a long time ago. Here’s just a sample of the batshit propaganda Super-Earth passes for an anthem:
“Freedom must reign over every last star, through citizen’s blood spilled in our righteous wars / Honor their deaths, do your part for the cause
Steadfast support of our regime is how humankind will reign supreme / No questions or doubts shall be allowed, tractors will all be disavowed”
Now imagine that being sung by a beaming choir. Or worse, picture kids singing that every morning before class, or at their graduation ceremonies. I’m no fan of the American national anthem, but at least we aren’t made to explicitly sing about “citizen’s blood spilled in our righteous wars.” I need a documentary about life in the Super-Earth colonies immediately, this is truly horrifying stuff. On the bright side, you can now air music like this from your car every Fourth of July if you so choose. Ain’t democracy grand?