Zanobard Reviews

Wilbert Roget II’s thunderously militaristic score for Helldivers 2 has finally been released, and with it surges that unwaveringly heroic main theme – featured best in Standout Cue “A Cup of Liber-tea” – leading a fist-pumpingly dramatic and indeed fittingly Starship Troopers-esque battle charge all across this enjoyably action-heavy album.

It was the main theme of this game score that really caught my ear and ultimately got me to write this review, if I’m being completely honest. It powers triumphantly along throughout the entire album really but is best showcased in Standout Cue “A Cup Of Liber-tea (Helldivers 2 Theme)”, and so it’s there that this soundtrack review shall begin. Tense, fast-paced strings and moody brass open the piece before at the fifteen second mark an additional, dramatically thunderous charge of brass then suddenly bursts into centre stage, and the aforementioned main theme takes the reigns. It’s a surgingly and unbendingly heroic theme overall, pretty perfectly representing the pseudo-Starship Troopers-esque aesthetic of the game itself in being both fist-pumpingly epic and dramatically militaristic in style, and just being slightly over the top to boot (which is not a bad thing). Interestingly, this theme also takes elements from Johan Lindgren’s main theme from the first Helldivers game but stands apart with its own stylings and updated notes, making for a sort of hybrid but also modernised and unique motif overall. Said theme thunders emphatically through for the first ninety seconds or so of this track before quietening somewhat with gentle strings, and then building dramatically back up to close out the cue.

With the main theme firmly established, “Ode To Liberty” (the actual start to the album) opens almost pensively with singular brass notes until a loud crash of drums and additional brass then kick a tense pace into gear, and before long the unbendingly-heroic main theme strides triumphantly into centre stage. The volume and intensity increases dramatically as the two minute cue continues, with the main theme building to higher and higher emphatic heights until finally crashing to a finishing crescendo. “Welcome To The Fight” then continues in much a similar vein, with tense electronics and strings starting things off until the noble main theme powers into the fray on grandiose brass. The orchestra rises and falls to spellbinding effect throughout this two and a half minute piece, with another thunderous crescendo being reached before it fades to a gentle close. The main theme then reprises in more withdrawn, pensive style at the start of “The Super Destroyer”, with moody electronic ambience occupying much of the track’s remaining runtime. With hope however now rising, “Hellpods Primed” opens with an enthusiastic pace on electronic beats, and the main theme then powers heroically in from around a minute onward.

The emphatic tone dramatically vanishes for the five minute “The Terminid Horde”, the first of the dedicated enemy setpieces on the album. Eerie woodwinds and tense drums open the track, with a moodily malevolent repeating motif then rising ominously throughout the next few minutes. With orchestra and tensions building in both volume and intensity, aggressive brass and frenetic strings take prominence and this malevolent sea of instrumentation then builds to a loudly villainous crescendo a few minutes later to close out the cue. The surging heroism of the main theme then rockets back into centre stage in “The Right Side Of History” but this time in more anxious action form, with rapid strings and drums occupying the background as brass leads a grandiose charge. Things then simmer down for “Mission Review” as quietly thoughtful strings and electronics take over with gentle brassy interspersions of the main theme. The seven minute “The Automaton Legion” is then the other enemy setpiece of the score, an eerily distorted electronic-heavy track to represent the titular Automatons, which much like the Terminids cue then builds in dramatic intensity throughout its runtime to some particularly unnerving results overall.

With only three tracks remaining, “No Diver Left Behind” gives the main theme one last fist-pumpingly epic orchestral playthrough for three wondrous minutes, with frenetic strings and drums pounding along as the theme charges through on its dedicated heroic brass. The final two cues are then vocal pieces by Ross Tregenza, with the first – “March Of The Helldivers” being a proud, victorious march of sorts – very fitting with the mockingly militaristic aesthetic of the game – with an increasingly intense orchestra livening up the background. “Super Earth National Anthem” then continues in much a similar vein, with some very anthem-esque chanting vocals occupying centre stage and a thunderous orchestra in tow until a proudly triumphant finishing crescendo closes out the soundtrack.

Overall, Wilbert Roget II’s quasi-militaristic and impeccably over-the-top soundtrack for Helldivers 2 not only pretty perfectly fits with the mockingly Starship Troopers-esque combat aesthestic of the titular videogame, but with its unapologetically and indeed unwaveringly heroic main theme it’s actually really enjoyable musically on its own too. Said main theme is an excellent love letter to Johan Lindgren’s theme from the first Helldivers while also very much forging its own loudly triumphant path, and it features throughout the entire album with its best performances found of course in Standout Cue “A Cup Of Liber-tea (Helldivers 2 Main Theme)”, the frenetically fist-pumping “No Diver Left Behind” and the happily inspirational “Ode To Liberty”. Inbetween the optimistic ambience of other cues are then the moodily malevolent enemy setpieces, with the distorted electronics for the Automatons being quite entertaining in “The Automaton Legion” as well as the ever-frenetic orchestral crashing of “The Terminid Horde”. So all-in there’s a lot to like here, and the stellar main theme is an absolute inspiration – so hit play below.

Score: 7.5/10

Standout Cue: A Cup Of Liber-tea (Helldivers 2 Main Theme)

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