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Helldivers II is a cooperative, online, action shooter game and it packs one hell of a punch. In this game, players take control of Helldivers who are on a mission to rid the galaxy of dangerous Terminids and fierce Automatons.
But Helldivers II isn’t a cake walk and sadly it’s going to take more than a cup of liber-TEA to stay alive. Here’s some tips on how to stay alive for longer and succeed no matter the size of your party or the enemy you may be facing.
Dispense peace with the ultimate weaponry
Helldivers II has some amazing weapons but with gear being added and balancing alterations it can be hard to stay updated with which weapon is best. However, these weapon tips will help you no matter the weapon you choose.
In Helldivers II, players have the option to switch between 3rd and 1st person whilst shooting. 1st person can be a life saver as it allows you to look down the scope and reduces wobble, meaning better accuracy when taking out larger enemies. You can also save your shooting preferences in the settings, making it easier to access the 1st person view, so you don’t always have to press R3 when aiming.
Additionally, each gun has different ammo types which can be selected when holding down the reload button. You can add a different scope, change the fire rate and use a flashlight. This customisation allows you to bring your acquired playstyle to the battlefield.
Finally, you have the option to switch shoulders by double tapping O when aiming. Perfect for when you are hiding behind a rock and want to shoot from a different angle or when you are running and gunning. These may seem like simple tips, but they are never explicitly mentioned during the tutorial and players have had to discover them as they go. As you get to the harder difficulties these weapon tips will come in handy.
Democracy fills my sample container!
Completing the main objective of Helldivers II is a must but completing side objectives awards you more XP, which helps you level up faster. On top of that, exploring the map will help you find samples. Samples are essential to collect as they help you upgrade your ship and improve stratagem times. The more samples you collect the more powerful you will be. At the higher difficulties you will be able to locate super rare samples which are always found by a particular rock formation. So be on the lookout for a rock which looks like a closed fist.
Most side objectives can also help you complete the main objective like the SEAF artillery mission. This objective gives you an extra stratagem which can be a game changer. If you do stumble across a SEAF, look out for different ammo heads as they aren’t all the same and some are better than others. Also gather all 5 SEAF bullets and place them next to the gun
before you interact with the terminal. Once the terminal boots up, enemies will likely appear and moving the ammo to the loading bay can take a really long time. To make sure you don’t get trapped in a swarm of lethal enemies it’s best to do the leg work before starting the objective.
Finally, hotspots can be a pain to eradicate but they are best taken off the map. If you are struggling for time and resources, make sure you always destroy hotspots near the extraction zone. If you don’t, extraction can be extremely difficult as enemies pour from these areas in droves, along with the usual madness triggered by extraction.
Boy you are leaving the mission area!
It can be easy to get lost, turned around or land in a nest of Terminids. Because of this, it’s paramount to plan your route before deployment. To make sure you can grab all that’s on offer, it’s good to come up with a circular route, one which will take you past the objective, loop round all the hotspots and get you to extraction nicely. Nothing is worse than finishing the main mission to then realise you have to run to the opposite end of the map with only 2 minutes on the clock.
Also, on a more obvious note, do not land on a red area as these are hotspots and as soon as you arrive you will be swarmed by enemies and die. Additionally, do not stray from the maps boundaries or you will be deemed a traitor and all ships in orbit will reign down pain.
On a side note, as you explore, make sure you blow up any buried shipping containers with a grenade or Grenade Launcher as they have goodies inside like requisition slips, super credits rare samples, medals and support weapons.
Say hello to DEMOCRACY!
You can’t be precious about your loadout. You need to be flexible if you want to survive. Before selecting your loadout make sure you check the following things: planet modifiers, other teammate loadouts and the enemy type. Depending on the above you may need to edit what you equip to make sure your loadout if effective and doesn’t duplicate.
At higher difficulties it’s good for everyone to come in with a different loadout to make sure you can tackle every enemy. If you are against Terminid’s it’s always good for someone to equip the Grenade Launcher to destroy nests and for another to choose the Quasar Cannon to bring down Bile Titans and Chargers.
You also need to match the right stratagem to the right enemy. Fire is quite redundant against Automatons, so you’ll need to swap the Napalm Strike for a Shield Generator to handle them. Boosters are also extremely important. In a full team you’ll have 4 boosters active, but these can’t be duplicated. I always find it best to run with Vitality Enhancement and Hell Pod Optimisation, which is handy, as they are the first ones you get. The other 2 are up to. Remember, if you are playing with lower levels, let them choose these boosters first as they might not have many to choose from.
If you want to be successful, you are going to have to be democratic with your loadout approach. Try to make sure everyone has a booster equipped and you are suited and booted for the enemy. If it’s an area defence mission, get those turrets selected!
Incoming friendly fire! Dodge… or don’t. Your call.
Friendly fire can create some hilarious and seething moments whilst battling. When playing with friends it’s easy to coordinate movements and stratagems but with strangers it can get dicey.
It may be obvious but just make sure you look before you throw anything. Additionally, whilst diving away from enemies be aware of where your teammates are firing, or you may dive straight into a headshot. For flamethrower enthusiasts, always position yourself at the front of the attack and be careful of long grass as it ignites quickly and before you know it you’ve wiped everyone out in a wildfire.
There are also certain perks you need to be careful of using to avoid friendly damage. In particular, any turret, backpack or large area stratagem can be deadly to teammates. So how do you limit the possibility of friendly fire when using these? Make sure you communicate through the dialogue wheel or live chat to show players where you have put a minefield or Tesla tower. Also only use turrets on the periphery of where you are holding up. If you place a turret in the middle of a safe zone its highly likely someone will walk in front of it or it will fire across the safe zone to reach enemies. It’s always best using turrets in bottle neck areas to limit them spinning around and shooting in a direction that wouldn’t be good for the Helldivers.
And most importantly, only use large area effect stratagems near a point of interest which your team hasn’t reached yet. As this means no one will be around to get hurt.
Liberty Save Meee…
Sometimes it is easy to get carried away and get stuck in an area. With bug breeches and bot drops stopping you from progressing. This can be dangerous because not only do you run out of time, but you can burn through a lot of resources and revives. Sometimes it is OK to accept defeat and run for the hills. In fact, running can be your best friend.
If you find yourself stuck in this situation, make sure you run as fast as you can when you get a small break in the fight. By running you slow down the enemies and filter them into an easy to shoot conga line. You can also keep completing side objectives and escape a cycle of death and tears.
And there you have it. Some basic tips to help you survive Helldivers II no matter the enemy, the updates, or the map, so go fourth and fight together for liberty.
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