Helldivers 2 is a wildly popular third-person shooter where players drop onto planets to complete missions. Some of its mechanics are different from other shooters and may take some time for new players to adjust to.
Best Games Like Helldivers 2
Helldivers 2 has been a stand-out third-person shooting experience since its launch. Here are some games that replicate elements of its success.
There are many things to master ranging from simple, habitual things like reloading to big-picture strategizing about balancing load-outs between players in the squad. These skills are vital to a player's progression through the game as they gain experience by fighting increasingly difficult enemies and completing increasingly complex mission objectives. By avoiding the most common beginner mistakes, new players can help keep Super Earth safe from the menace of both the automatons and terminids.
10 Not Calling In Support Weapons At The Very Beginning Of A Mission
Getting Prepped At The Start Of A Mission Is Important
- Support Weapons are powerful, specialized weapons that most players tend to equip
- Taking advantage of the relatively peaceful drop site is key to starting the mission fully prepared
Missions in Helldivers 2 tend to be nearly non-stop. Players spend the mission running around the map, finding enemies, completing objectives, and being ambushed. Unless the initial drop was chosen poorly or just very unlucky, players tend to have at least a minute or so without being attacked as soon as they drop onto the planet's surface.
Players should take advantage of this relatively quiet time to call in whichever support weapon they plan on using for the mission. It is better to have it too early than to not have it when it's needed most.
9 Not Adjusting Weapons
Use First-Person View And Adjust Weapon Settings
- First-person view is key for using precision weapons
- Different weapons have adjustable settings
Experimenting with different loadouts is a key part of mastering Helldivers 2. In addition to finding the right weapons and stratagems for different combat scenarios, many weapons have settings that can be adjusted for individualized fine-tuning. The Grenade Launcher, for example, can be toggled between fully automatic and semi-automatic firing. With some trial and error, players who favor the Grenade Launcher can make sure that they can use it exactly how they prefer.
The other overlooked aspect of weaponry in the game is the first-person mode. Some weapons, like the Anti-Material Rifle, cannot truly reach their potential without this mode. For others, like an assault rifle, first-person mode comes down to personal preference. In any case, adjusting weapons as they see fit can keep a player alive.
8 Not Checking Map And Radar
The Map Shows More Than Just Objective Locations
- Checking the map keeps players from getting lost
- Using the radar can help players avoid unnecessary combat
For most missions, the objectives are shown in orange, which allows players to easily figure out where they need to go. All players and their lines of sight are also indicated, with the player character showing up on the map as a yellow circle and cone of vision. Frequently checking the map for these things can keep players together and headed in the right direction.
Helldivers 2: 10 Tips For Solo Players
Helldivers 2 is centered around squads of up to four players fighting against alien threats. Going alone requires extra preparation.
A function that new players tend to overlook is that nearby enemy patrols appear on the map when the radar pings every few seconds. They show up as red circles near the player (without the red striped background unless there is an enemy lair there as well), and players can watch them move with each new radar ping. Keeping an eye on patrols can help players avoid running into them and starting combat that would not progress the mission.
7 Initiating Combat Too Often
Needlessly Attacking Enemies Can Endanger The Mission
- Avoid patrols when possible
- Initiate combat only when it serves the mission
The game's exciting combat is fast-paced and fun, but that does not mean that players should engage enemies whenever they come across them. There are enough enemies to be found at objective sites and places where they spawn. Since there is no reward for simply killing enemies, fighting enemies unnecessarily is a risky proposition with no real reward.
Instead, players should use the radar to locate patrols and avoid them unless if possible. This saves ammo and keeps players from risking their lives in pointless fighting.
6 Being Stingy With Resources
Stims And Grenades Should Not Be Hoarded
- Using resources strategically wins fights and keeps helldivers alive
- The Resupply Strategem restocks resources
By default, players can have up to four grenades and four stims although some armors increase this capacity. Grenades are very useful for clearing Bug Nests and Automaton Fabricators when Strategems like Orbital Precision Strike are still on cooldown. They can also clear groups of enemies very quickly.
Players use stims to heal themselves or wounded allies. Using a stim when bleeding or in between taking hits can keep a helldiver alive when they would have died otherwise. Both stims and grenades should be used when needed rather than hoarded for the entire mission since the Resupply Strategem adds both back to the player's inventory.
5 Not Using Stratagems
Strategems Turn The Tide Of Battle In Favor Of The Helldivers
- Most stratagems can be used multiple times
- Waiting until the perfect time to use Strategems poses risks
Many players have a tendency to hoard items in video games, always thinking that there will be more dire situations later on. New players in Helldivers 2 need to break this habit when it comes to Strategems. Many Strategems like the Gatling Sentry have cooldown timers but are otherwise unlimited-use abilities. Others, like the Eagle Airstrike, only have a couple of uses, but players can add more by using the Eagle Rearm Strategem and waiting for its cooldown timer.
In short, if there is a strategy that would help with whatever situation the squad is currently in — attacking a Heavy Fabricator, evacuating civilians, etc — it should be used. Holding onto an ability that can help out only endangers the mission.
4 Not Staying Aware Of Friendly Fire
Players Can Hurt Each Other With Weapons And Strategies
- Players need to stay aware of where sentries are placed
- Being mindful of Mine Fields, Tesla Towers, and other sources of friendly fire is key
Sentries fire whenever they detect enemies, even if a player is in the way. Tesla Towers fire indiscriminately at anything in the area (unless the player is prone). Rovers can fire if a player gets between them and their targets, and even just accidentally walking in front of another player's line of fire can cause death.
Knowing which strategies the other players have and are using is vital to staying alive and keeping all that firepower focused on the enemies of Super Earth.
3 Having An Unbalanced Loadout
Players Need To Be Prepared For Many Different Situations
- Only bring one support weapon and one backpack on a mission
- Bring orbitals and emplacements to be prepared for different situations
Players can equip up to four Strategems and one Booster to missions. Making sure that this limited number of equipment, emplacements, and attacks can handle all the various possibilities that the coming mission might throw at their squad is crucial to succeeding as a Helldiver.
Players can only equip one Support Weapon and only have one Backpack slot, so players should not equip more than one of each to make sure that all their Strategems are in use. Having Area of Effect Strategems like Orbital Precision Strike or Eagle Airstrike can save players from being overwhelmed by mobs of enemies, while the Orbital Railcannon can take out imposing foes like Hulks and Bile Titans. The key is to make sure that each Strategem fills a unique role in surviving the mission.
2 Not Exploring Enough
New Players Easily Miss Out On Optional Rewards By Extracting Too Soon
- Players can find Super Credits, Requisition Slips, and more around the map
- Completing secondary objectives increases a mission's payout
Many unique things can be discovered while exploring the map. Pods with blinking beacons indicate locations where players can likely find Super Credits, Requisition Slips, and Samples. Other locations can bring tactical advantages like SEAF Artillery sites and radar stations.
By exploring the map, players can also increase their mission rewards by finding and completing Secondary Objectives. Players hoping to level up quickly should do this as much as possible to maximize their rewards for each mission.
1 Reloading Too Often
Conserve Ammo By Reloading Only When Needed
- Most guns are reloaded a whole clip at a time
- Reloading prematurely wastes ammo
Many players instinctively reload guns in between combat to ensure that they don't run out of bullets the next time they face the enemy. However, most of the guns in Helldivers 2 use a system for reloading that differs from other games. Most primary weapons in the game use clips for ammo. If there are still bullets in the clip when the player reloads, those bullets are gone.
New players need to learn to wait to reload until there are no bullets left in order to conserve ammo. Even just losing a few bullets per reload can be enough to be in a dire situation before the next Resupply can be called in, so it is better to switch to a sidearm or support weapon than to lose bullets from reloading too soon.
