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Helldivers 2 is the better default for genuinely relaxed co-op with friends. Its four-player missions are structured around shared objectives, coordinated loadouts and predictable enemy pressure. You still need to communicate because friendly fire is always enabled, but the squad is not competing with other teams for the same extraction.
Choose ARC Raiders instead if “relaxed” means unhurried exploration and scavenging, with the excitement of never knowing whether another player will change the run. It is a PvPvE extraction adventure: you gather resources on a dangerous surface, manage your inventory and attempt to extract while ARC machines and other Raiders can threaten the outcome. A limited PvE test running October 13–20, 2026 removes player-to-player damage, but that is a dated test rather than a permanent promise.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
![PlayStation Helldivers 2 [ 5]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51ioRcoq-PL._SL160_.jpg)
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PlayStation Helldivers 2 [ 5] | $44.40 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
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Ghostrunner 2 - PlayStation 5 | $17.87 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
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Hell Let Loose: Vietnam - PlayStation 5 | $39.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| 4 |
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Deep Rock Galactic SE - PlayStation 5 | $12.18 | Buy on Amazon |
Quick verdict: which game is more chill?
For an after-work session where everyone wants to join, play a few missions and avoid hostile-player surprises, pick Helldivers 2. It supports squads of up to four online players, gives the team a clear mission structure and lets you plan around known objectives, enemy waves and stratagem cooldowns. The main source of friction is inside the squad: a badly placed orbital strike or an accidental shot can kill a teammate because friendly fire never turns off.
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ARC Raiders is the better choice for players who find scavenging, discovery and uncertainty relaxing. Its extraction format lets you play solo or with two or three players, and cooperation can involve fighting, avoiding or negotiating with other Raiders. That freedom is also the reason a quiet run can become tense without warning. If another squad contests your route or extraction, your evening is no longer fully under your control.
#1 Best Overall
- Join the Helldivers and fight with friends for freedom:
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Neither game has an authoritative “average session length” figure, so it would be misleading to promise that one always fits a particular number of minutes. The practical difference is predictability: Helldivers 2 lets you select a mission and understand its shape before deploying, while ARC Raiders asks you to decide when the loot is worth the risk of staying longer.
What you actually do in each game
Helldivers 2: a planned four-player PvE operation
Helldivers 2 is a cooperative third-person shooter built around strategic missions. PlayStation describes a squad joining forces with up to three friends, completing objectives, calling in stratagems and upgrading a ship and arsenal. The pressure comes from enemy surges, the mission timer and mistakes made while moving through the objective area.
Before deployment, players choose equipment and stratagems. During the mission, those choices determine how the team handles groups of enemies, armored targets and defensive situations. The format gives the squad a shared plan: reach the objective, complete it, manage reinforcements and extract. You can improvise, but the game does not require you to search for a valuable loadout or decide whether another human team will ambush you.
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ARC Raiders is described officially as a multiplayer extraction adventure. Its Steam listing identifies PvP, PvE, online co-op, crafting, inventory management and open-world combat. You enter the surface, collect resources, deal with ARC machines and choose how much longer to remain before attempting extraction.
Other players are part of the normal risk. A run can stay quiet, become a fight with machines, or turn into a confrontation with another Raider group. You may try to avoid contact, communicate or engage, but the possibility of player interference remains central to the format. The objective is not simply to defeat enemies; it is to leave with the value you collected.
Where the pressure comes from
| Question | Helldivers 2 | ARC Raiders |
|---|---|---|
| Primary threats | Enemy waves, mission objectives and friendly-fire mistakes inside a cooperative mission. | ARC machines, environmental danger, extraction risk and other player-controlled Raiders. |
| How predictable is a run? | Relatively predictable: select a mission, review its objectives and coordinate a loadout before deployment. | Less predictable: a scavenging route can change when another squad appears or extraction becomes contested. |
| What does “success” mean? | Complete strategic objectives and extract as a squad. | Collect useful resources, survive the surface and successfully extract with the run’s rewards. |
| What makes it stressful? | Enemy surges, limited resources, stratagem mistakes and always-on friendly fire. | Uncertainty about other players, the decision to keep looting and the possibility that an extraction attempt fails. |
Helldivers 2 therefore provides controlled pressure. The enemies can be intense, but the team knows the rules of the mission and is not fighting over the same loot with another squad. ARC Raiders provides variable pressure. Avoiding a fight may be the smartest move, yet you cannot guarantee that another player will let the run remain quiet.
Rank #2
- Blood will run in this post-apocalyptic cyberpunk future that takes place after the fall of the Keymaster, a tyrant who ruled over Dharma Tower, the last refuge of humanity.
- The player has the power to shape the future of humanity and take on the violent cyber ninja AI cult that has taken shape outside Dharma Tower, making for a truly epic and unforgettable experience.
- The game introduces new skills, allowing players to be more creative and take on even the most demanding encounters with greater accessibility.
- The player progression system has been completely redone, providing opportunities to experiment and customize gameplay.
- The game is a must-play for fans of the original Ghostrunner and anyone looking for an intense and immersive action experience.
Squad size, solo play and availability
Helldivers 2 group requirements
Helldivers 2 supports up to four online players: you plus as many as three friends. It has no offline or single-player mode. If your regular group is unavailable, you can still join online teammates, but the game is fundamentally designed around shared missions rather than solo progression in an offline environment.
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ARC Raiders group options
ARC Raiders supports solo play and teams of two or three. That makes it the more flexible option when your group size changes or you want to play while friends are offline. Solo play does not remove the game’s core uncertainty, however; other Raiders can still be part of the surface unless you are in a mode that specifically disables player-to-player damage.
If your definition of relaxed includes “I can launch the game alone without waiting for a full party,” ARC Raiders has the advantage. If it means “everyone has a defined role in a four-person team,” Helldivers 2 is the closer match.
How cooperation feels in practice
Helldivers 2 rewards coordination, but punishes distraction
Cooperation in Helldivers 2 is explicit. Players share equipment choices, combine stratagems and decide how to approach objectives. One player’s support weapon or defensive stratagem can make another player’s job easier, and a coordinated squad can recover from a difficult wave more reliably than four people acting independently.
The trade-off is friendly fire. PlayStation’s warning is exact: Be warned though: for maximum challenge and collaboration, friendly fire is always on.
This creates a distinctive kind of relaxed play. Experienced friends may laugh when someone calls a strike too close to the squad, but a distracted or inexperienced group can repeatedly lose reinforcements to its own attacks. Stay aware of firing lines, announce area attacks and avoid dropping stratagems on a teammate who is reviving someone.
ARC Raiders leaves more room for social judgment
ARC Raiders’ small-team cooperation is less scripted. Your group can divide scavenging tasks, watch for machines, decide whether to risk one more building and choose how to respond when another Raider appears. Avoidance and negotiation are possible approaches alongside combat, so communication is often about reading a situation rather than executing a fixed plan.
Rank #3
- Fight in epic 50 vs 50 multiplayer battles. Play as the North Vietnamese Army or the US Armed Forces.
- Immersive jungle warfare recreates the real-world intensity of the battle. 6 distinct game modes: Offensive, Warfare and 4 alternative new game modes.
- 6 large-scale maps – all with lighting and weather variants and extreme terrain. Emergent gameplay encourages the use of the chain of command to build teamwork and deploy a unique set of tactics and weapons for each battle.
- Multiple vehicles including helicopters and patrol boats. Build tunnels as the NVA and deploy your forces in stealth to ambush the US Armed Forces.
- Enhanced player movement improves in-battle functionality. Revamped tutorial and player onboarding. Updated interface and user experience.
That social uncertainty is a feature for extraction-shooter fans. It can also be tiring after a long day because the squad must repeatedly assess whether a stranger is friendly, neutral or preparing to attack. The game gives you more freedom, but freedom means more decisions and fewer guarantees.
Failure, extraction and the cost of a bad run
In Helldivers 2, a failed mission is primarily a cooperative setback. Enemy pressure, an incomplete objective or a chain of friendly-fire mistakes can end the operation before the squad achieves what it planned. Because missions are selected from a clear menu and do not depend on another team’s behavior, it is easier to reset mentally and queue another attempt.
ARC Raiders makes the extraction decision itself part of the tension. Resources gathered during a run matter only if you can complete the trip and leave the surface. Staying longer may produce better materials, but it also creates more opportunities to meet ARC machines or another squad. A failed extraction therefore threatens the value of the entire run, not just the completion of a single objective.
This difference matters for relaxed sessions. Helldivers 2 can be loud and chaotic while still feeling bounded: the mission has a known start and a recognizable end state. ARC Raiders can be calm for a long period and then demand a high-stakes decision in the final minutes. Players who enjoy that rise in tension may call it exciting rather than stressful; players seeking dependable downtime may find it exhausting.
Progression and monetization
| Area | Helldivers 2 | ARC Raiders |
|---|---|---|
| Core progression | Medals, ship upgrades and expansion of the arsenal through Warbond catalogues. | Scavenged resources, crafting, inventory management and rewards from successful extraction. |
| How play feeds progression | Complete missions and objectives, earn medals and improve the ship and equipment available to the squad. | Bring resources out of the surface, use them for crafting and build up the value of future runs. |
| Optional purchases | The standard listing shows optional in-game purchases. The U.S. PlayStation listing showed a $39.99 standard price at the time it was checked; current regional pricing can differ. | Storefront information shows optional purchase elements such as Raider Tokens in edition materials. Current price, edition contents and live-service terms should be checked before buying. |
Both games have ongoing progression rather than a one-and-done campaign structure. Helldivers 2 makes the upgrade path easier to understand for a casual group because medals, ship improvements and Warbond catalogues are tied to mission activity. ARC Raiders ties advancement to the risk-and-reward economy of extraction: crafting and inventory decisions matter because the resources must first be recovered.
Do not treat the listed Helldivers 2 price as a universal current price. The $39.99 figure is for the U.S. standard listing at the time of the search, not a guarantee for every platform, region or date. Likewise, ARC Raiders’ optional purchase elements can vary by edition and live-service terms.
Rank #4
- Play cooperatively with up to 4 players online
- Choose one of 4 unique customizable classes
- Explore procedurally generated cave systems with fully destructible environments
- Eweild tons of high-tech gadgets and weapons
- Bonus content: 4 premium art cards, Double-sided fold out poster, Welcome letter from Mission Control, Includes Dark Future Pack and Mega Corp Pack
Which is less stressful after work?
Pick Helldivers 2 when you want dependable co-op
- Your group usually has three or four players.
- You prefer fighting computer-controlled enemies instead of negotiating with strangers.
- You want to choose a mission, coordinate a loadout and start without planning an extraction route around other squads.
- You enjoy teamwork challenges but can accept occasional deaths caused by friendly fire.
- You want progression through medals, ship upgrades and Warbonds that is easy to discuss between missions.
Helldivers 2 is not a quiet game. Enemy waves and airstrikes can be frantic, and friendly fire means the squad must stay alert. Its advantage is that the intensity is legible: the team knows what it is trying to accomplish and who can interfere.
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- You often play alone or with one or two friends.
- You enjoy exploring, sorting inventory, crafting and deciding when to extract.
- You like stories created by encounters with other players, including avoidance or negotiation.
- You accept that a promising run can become dangerous shortly before extraction.
- You want a session where the group’s choices, rather than a fixed mission script, determine the pace.
ARC Raiders is “relaxed” only if you find vigilance and risk management satisfying. A peaceful scavenging run can feel more meditative than a Helldivers 2 firefight, but the possibility of another squad contesting your route prevents it from being reliably low-stress.
The October 2026 PvE test: useful, but temporary
Embark is testing a PvE toggle from October 13 through October 20, 2026. The announcement says this experience has zero player-to-player damage and focuses cooperation on fighting ARC machines. During that test, ARC Raiders becomes much closer to the kind of low-conflict co-op some Helldivers 2 players want.
The toggle changes one important source of pressure, not the entire extraction structure. You still enter the surface, gather resources, manage your inventory and need to extract. Because the test has a stated end date, do not assume that the setting will remain available or that future modes will use the same rules. Treat it as a time-limited opportunity to try a more approachable version of ARC Raiders.
Relaxed-session setup tips
For a calmer Helldivers 2 evening
- Agree on the mission goal before launching. Decide whether the group is focusing on completing objectives, collecting resources or simply trying a new loadout.
- Explain area attacks out loud. Call out orbital strikes, sentries and other stratagems before deploying them so teammates have time to move.
- Use complementary equipment. Combine tools that cover different threats instead of having every player bring the same type of weapon or support option.
- Leave room for mistakes. Friendly fire is always on, so a relaxed group should treat accidental deaths as part of the game rather than as a reason to blame one player.
- Set a stopping point. Because missions have a defined objective structure, agree in advance to stop after a mission or difficulty tier rather than escalating indefinitely.
For a calmer ARC Raiders evening
- Decide your risk tolerance before deploying. Tell the group whether the priority is basic materials, a specific crafting resource or a high-value haul.
- Keep the inventory manageable. Inventory management is part of the game, so avoid turning every run into an attempt to carry everything possible.
- Choose an extraction plan early. Identify a likely exit route and leave enough time to reach it instead of treating extraction as an afterthought.
- Use information rather than chasing every encounter. Another Raider does not have to become a fight; avoidance can preserve a relaxed run.
- Call the run when the reward is sufficient. The most reliable way to reduce stress is to stop adding risk once the group has collected what it needs.
A simple decision framework
Ask these questions in order:
- Do you need solo access? If yes, ARC Raiders is the fit because Helldivers 2 has no offline or single-player mode.
- Do you want four-player co-op? If yes, Helldivers 2 supports you plus three friends; ARC Raiders’ listed teams are solo, two or three.
- Would hostile players ruin the evening? Choose Helldivers 2. In standard ARC Raiders, other Raiders can affect whether your extraction succeeds.
- Is scavenging and uncertainty the point? Choose ARC Raiders, provided the extraction risk sounds enjoyable rather than burdensome.
- Can your group handle friendly fire? If not, Helldivers 2 may feel frustrating despite its predictable PvE structure.
Bottom line
Choose Helldivers 2 for dependable, structured co-op: up to four players, shared objectives, coordinated stratagems and no hostile team waiting to disrupt the run. Its always-on friendly fire keeps communication important, but the pressure remains inside a mission the squad can understand and plan.
Choose ARC Raiders for exploratory scavenging, crafting and the possibility that another player changes the story of your extraction. It is more flexible for solo play and smaller groups, but standard PvPvE rules make it a less reliable choice when “relaxed” means consistently low stress. The October 13–20, 2026 PvE toggle temporarily narrows that gap; it should be treated as a test, not a permanent guarantee.
Quick Recap
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