Key Takeaways
- I’ve managed to play about 24 hours of the game so far. So I’m rounding up the top tips for surviving and thriving in Helldivers 2.
- For example, get new stratagems as fast as possible using requisition slips. There’s also a stim-trick to save your life, and a breakdown of all the in-game currency.
- Whether you’re new or need help, there are some tricks here for everyone.
Helldivers 2 has become a smash hit since it released in early February. It even reached an all-time peak of 457,000 concurrent players on Steam — that’s more than huge titles like Starfield and Grand Theft Auto 5 have hit. The game’s developer, Arrowhead, has now capped how many people can play the game, as it scrambles to get more server power to handle its surprise success.
Helldivers 2 made me fire up my PS5 again
After a long break from PS5 games, I got Helldivers 2 because it’s been all over the internet. I’m happy to say, it’s worth the hype.
I’ve managed to play about 24 hours of the game so far, and I’ve made some notes for those new to joining the Galactic War and for those who might need help making it through higher levels of difficulty — such as which stratagems you need to pick up first.
Helldivers 2
Join the Galactic War as one of Super Earth’s Helldivers and take on the Automaton and Terminid scorn threatening democracy, peace, and the human way of life throughout the galaxy.
1 Stratagems are key
Fill out all four stratagems ASAP
When you first start Helldivers 2, you’ll have access to two starting stratagems: the Orbital Precision Strike and the Machine Gun supply drop. You can fill out your two open stratagems as soon as you start earning Requisitions — one of the in-game currencies you get for completing missions. You can find stratagems on the computers to the left of where you return from missions. Here’s the best stratagems you can pick up early on in the game — they’re listed in the order you’ll see on the Ship Management buying menu:
|
Stratagem |
Type |
Level Unlocked |
Description |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Anti-material Rifle |
Patriotic Administration Center |
Level 2 |
A powerful rifle great for picking off targets from far away. It’s also better than the early game machine guns at taking on armored enemies. |
|
Stalwart |
Patriotic Administration Center |
Level 2 |
An upgraded version of the Machine Gun Stratagem. Allows you to move while reloading, but packs less of a punch. |
|
Orbital Airburst Strike |
Orbital Cannons |
Level 5 |
Drops a rain of shrapnel on large groups of enemies. One of the best early strategems for armored enemies. |
|
Eagle Cluster Bomb |
Hangar |
Level 3 |
A devastating bombing run that can wipe out huge clusters of enemies, along with your entire team if you’re not careful. |
|
Eagle Napalm Cluster |
Hangar |
Level 5 |
Really turn up the Space Vietnam vibes with this stratagem. It drops a payload of fire that keeps burning on whatever it hits. Great for bugs, not so much for robots. |
|
Anti-personnel Minefield |
Engineering Bay |
Level 2 |
A cool device that flings mines in a wide circle around it. The mines are great for taking out big and small enemies, but are just as good at killing you if you’re not paying attention. |
|
Machine Gun Sentry |
Robotic Workshop |
Level 3 |
A great defensive weapon that helps thin out large groups of unarmored enemies quickly. |
|
Gatling Sentry |
Robotic Workshop |
Level 5 |
Upgraded version of the sentry with all the benefits of the original with a higher rate of fire. |
2 Safety first
Protect yourself from dangerous friendly fire
Arrowhead Games
Helldivers 2’s friendly fire mechanics are just as dangerous as any Bug or Robot.
While your teammates can shoot you, the most common way for you to accidentally die at the hands of your friends is from stratagems. Obviously, communication is key, but there are a few basic things you can do to cut down on friendly fire incidents.
Any sentry turret you’re using should go in front of you and your fellow Helldivers. Never come between a sentry gun, and a target is a good Helldivers’ rule to live by. Beyond that, the best way to safely use all the different bombing options you have at your disposal is to get accustomed to them. You have a ton of options at your disposal. Learning where an Orbital or Eagle strike is coming from, how long it takes to hit, and how big of an explosion to expect are things that you can only get a feel for by going hands on.
My advice is to pay attention to those factors when you call in a stratagem. The Eagle Cluster Bomb has a wide blast range and comes in pretty quickly, so it’s easy to kill yourself and teammates — but the deaths will go down once you learn the best ways to deploy it.
3 Dive and stim
Survival basics
Two basic game mechanics can really save your life in Helldivers 2. A diving dodge can be triggered to jump out of harms way, and it’s incredibly effective, even when you think it has no right to be. Use it often, and you’ll get a feel for when to pull it out to save your skin.
Likewise, the stim packs will save your life in a tight spot. They’re a common trope to refill your health bar, but in Helldivers, you can use them almost preventatively. When you’re facing a situation that would normally kill you, say you’re surrounded or about to take a direct shot from one of the green-acid spewing bugs, hit up on the D-pad to trigger a stim, and you’ll get a little health boost.
4 Support capitalism: Upgrade your gear
Spend those requisition slips
One of your main responsibilities as a citizen of Super Earth is showing your support for unbridled capitalism. You do this by upgrading your gear using a ton of different currencies at storefronts while you’re on the destroyer between missions.
|
Currency Type |
Where to Spend |
What it Buys |
|---|---|---|
|
Requisition slips |
Computer station on destroyer |
Get requisition slips from completing primary and secondary missions and use them to buy new stratagems. |
|
Medals |
Hit square |
You can get Medals for completing missions or find them on worlds as you complete other missions. They’re used for buying new weapons and gear for your Helldiver. |
|
Samples |
Computer station on the destroyer |
Samples let you upgrade aspects of your destroyer, cutting down on things like cooldown times for your stratagems. You can only find samples while on missions, and any samples you find are shared with the Helldivers on your team. |
|
Super Credits |
Hit square |
You can buy a small assortment of gear that regularly changes with Super Credits. It can be found in the game on missions or purchased via microtransactions. |
5 Check environmental impact of a mission
Go in properly prepared
Arrowhead Games
Each world has different environments that pose challenges and benefits. Cold worlds will stop weapons from overheating but slow your rate of fire, while hot ones do the opposite. You’ll also use stamina quicker on hotter planets. Some impacts will also affect your visibility or the time it takes between uses for your stratagems. You should be aware of all these factors when choosing your load out.
6 Meet friends
Or convince friends to buy the game
Arrowhead Games
There’s been a lot of news around Helldivers’ server issues, with the game’s unexpected success leading Arrowhead to cap servers at 450,000 for the moment. One workaround we have found is joining up with friends already logged into the game. So, don’t be afraid to send friend requests to folks you meet in the game. After all, we’re all in this to spread the values of managed democracy together.
7 Aim down your weapon’s sights
To feel like you’re in the game
Arrowhead Games
If you’d like to get that first-person feel while mowing down legions of bugs, you can do that by pressing down on the right joystick while aiming. It’ll let you get a better look at where you’re aiming but will expose you to attacks from the side you might not see coming.
8 Adjust your weapon
Helps conserve your ammo
Arrowhead Games
You can hold down the reload button to access a menu to adjust the rate of fire or scope of your weapon. Adjusting your rate of fire is a great way to conserve a little bit of ammo, which becomes more important as you advance to higher difficulties.
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