Greetings, Helldiver! Welcome to Helldivers 2! If you read our review and bought the game, but have no idea how to do your part in our mission of spreading democracy throughout the galaxy, fear not. I will be your guide! Here I will explain what you need to know about Helldivers 2’s systems, and inform you on some key pointers that will help not just your fireteam, but help the prevailing glory of Super Earth. Enough preambles, the clock is ticking.
1. Do The Tutorial
Not the step with the most pizazz, I know. However, this is a fantastic way to get a glimpse of the game’s basic mechanics, which is what a tutorial should do. What helps is the whimsical nature of General Brasch, which makes this tutorial feel more exciting than most. Just do what you’re told; run over the obstacles, avoid turret fire by going prone, close up bug holes with grenades, call down your Stratagems, and hold your ground. Be warned, this tutorial does not tell you everything. Helldivers 2 has some tricks up its sleeve.
2. Selecting a Mission
Now that you’re back on the ship, it’s time to select your destination. Weapon selection is going to be rather limited at the start so don’t worry too much about your arsenal. Let’s instead head straight to the War Table to deploy. Here, you’ll see our fight throughout the entire galaxy. Helldivers 2 has players liberating planets in real time, and you can see where most efforts are going. You can go wherever you please, but if you need some guidance head towards a planet with an ongoing fight to guarantee support/liberation. There you can see what missions are available so you have a clear indication for what your main objective is. Once you know where you’re going, what you’re doing, and who you’re doing it with (that being randoms online or your friends), it’s time for the real thing. Going forward these tips are going to become less uniform. But you’ve done your training, you have what it takes to adapt!
3. Your Weapons Have Options. Use Them.
The tutorial does not tell you that you can aim down the sights of your weapons, and that your weapons have slight alterations. When aiming, press down the right stick of your controller or the middle mouse button to start looking through the weapon’s scope or iron sights. You can also reload your weapons while in this first person perspective to ensure you always stay on target—so long as you’re holding your aim button, that is. Also, if your weapon does have options, holding down your reload button (Square for DualSense, R for keyboards) will change them here. This can include just checking the amount of bullets in your magazine, changing magnification or the fire rate, and turning on your flashlight to illuminate those darker planets. As you keep unlocking or even find new weapons, check out their sights and potential attachments to make your retaliation that much more potent. But remember, reloading your weapon while ammo rests in your magazine is a loss of bullets, so hold the button, don’t tap it.
4. Explore, Explore, Explore
While you have your primary objectives that need to be completed for the mission to be considered a success, it isn’t all you can do once deployed. The beauty of Helldivers 2’s nonlinear design is there is so much land to explore with the 40 minutes you’re given. You will come across points of interest (POIs) that will grant various items. Those items can include quick necessities such as ammo, grenades, or stims. Moreso, they can offer Warbonds which are required to purchase items from your included Battle Pass, Super Credits which are the game’s premium currency to buy armor sets, and even support weapons you may not have access to yet. Beyond POIs, you will also come across Samples which are required to upgrade your ordinances to be called in faster or to bring more ammo. Exploring and taking everything you can will be worth the time, guaranteed. That being said, however…
5. Resources and Rewards are Shared
Everybody will reap the benefits at the end of a mission, but it’s important that everything collected shows up at the extraction. Regardless of who picks up the aforementioned Warbonds or Super Credits, everyone will gain the same amount at the end. However, Samples are dropped upon death and must be retrieved. Everyone needs Samples, but you do not have to introduce your friend to your 12 gauge buddy as there is no benefit to it apart from it being funny. Work together to make sure everyone can gather everything. Greed is pointless and can sabotage the mission for no good reason.
6. Use Airstrikes For Nests and Fabricators
You should be familiar with the logic of throwing a grenade in a bug-hole to close it. By that logic, multiple holes require multiple grenades. If they are attacking via strength in numbers, you may not be able to get close. Should you need to clear out a giant nest or a fabricator use your Stratagems! The Eagle Airstrike or the Orbital Precision Strike should be enough to clear it out. Input the command and toss it where you need to. Just don’t stand too close, and be sure to warn your fireteam (or don’t).
7. The Mission Comes First
Finally, the biggest piece of advice I can give you is this: the mission comes first. Sometimes you’ll have to just bolt from danger. You won’t be able to take on an army of bugs or robots alone. You can keep killing but they will keep coming. Sometimes it’s best to do what you need to get done and leave as soon as possible. Especially on higher difficulties, it’s more of a loss if you never make it back home. You can kill hundreds of bugs but it means nothing if you aren’t alive to share the story. Helldivers 2 can be relentless, so prioritize your mission, and earn those Warbonds.
There you have it, seven little tidbits to keep in mind as you descend into the Galactic War in Helldivers 2. Sure, there can be preferred loadouts and ideal Stratagems, but honestly none of that is necessary. Anything can work if you make it work. This battle isn’t ending any time soon, soldier. So get your gear, read up on this little guide, and I’ll see you on the frontlines.
DISCLAIMER: The Ministry of Truth is not responsible for incautious death.
Matthew Reyes is a games intern for Paste.