Helldivers 2 tips and tricks – how to stay alive and blast bugs for longer
Whether you’re looking to better master your mission to save Super Earth or are just starting out helping the Galactic War effort, here’s how to best survive in Helldivers 2 early on.
Congratulations recruit! You’ve joined the Helldivers because you’re a good upstanding citizen of Super Earth. You’re understandably eager to get in on the action, but are wondering how to best go about helping your fellow squad members in the battle to maintain democracy. Luckily, you’ve come to the right place, because there’s far more to holding back the Terminid menace in Helldivers 2 than simply spraying and praying; there’s a good degree of strategy you can apply to help improve your chances of survival too.
Regardless of if you’re playing on PS5 or PC (Helldivers 2 isn't coming to Xbox for now, sorry!), there’s plenty of ways to improve your in-game survivability to finish missions with maximum efficiency, ranging from which Stratagems are the best to use, weapons to unlock first, and so on. With all that said, here’s our top tips on how to best survive while playing Helldivers 2.
Memorise your most frequently used Stratagems
One of the biggest ways Helldivers 2 differs from most online only co-op shooters is through the addition of Stratagems, whereby all the most valuable tools, weapons and gear don’t start upon your person. Oh no! They must instead be called down in, down from orbit by way of typing in a specific directional code. Fortunately the exact sequence you require always appears on the upper-left portion of the screen, but to be truly effective it’s worth memorising them.
There are literally dozens of Stratagems in Helldivers 2, all unlocked as you proceed to level up and complete missions core to the wider Super Earth effort. Some will suit your playstyle more than others, though, especially those like the Eagle Strafing Run, Oribital 120MM HE Barrage, and Jump Pack (more on that later). Most can only be called upon a set number of times, so being able to call one down ASAP to get you out of a particularly tight scenario could save your life.
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Utilise the backwards dive and prone positions
Bringing democratic peace back to planets will see you come across all kinds of giant bug-like aliens in Helldivers 2. And while it’s true that your starting skillset doesn’t render you the most mobile to begin with, one manoeuvre that’s worth getting a hand of is the dive, which allows you to go prone either in a front or back position. Not only will the dive allow you to avoid enemy (and friendly) fire at hip level, but it can prove invaluable when wanting to avoid large swiping attacks.
It can’t be understated just how useful diving backwards and onto your rear in Helldivers 2 actually is, mainly because you’re able to continue shooting the hordes from this position. It takes some getting used to, absolutely, but diving into a backwards prone position can oftentimes let you dash out of harm’s way while keeping the pressure on.
Get good at throwing grenades
One of the most frequent objectives you’ll be charged with completing as part of Helldivers 2 is destroying alien nests and eggs. You’d think that simply blasting them with a shotgun or assault rifle would be the best way to eradicate them. However, you’d be mistaken. Grenades are a far quicker and more effective way of dealing out this form of destructive democracy, so it’s worth getting to grips with the arc in which they’re thrown.
To many newbie Helldivers 2 players, saying ‘git gud’ at throwing a grenade might seem unnecessary, but here they adhere to the laws of gravity a bit differently to most games. You want to be as efficient as possible when blowing up eggs and enemy nests too. And with only a limited number in your possession at any one time, it’s important to make every grenade throw count. Should you ever run out of grenades, Stratagems that offer heavy artillery from above are also a safe bet.
Use your environment to slow down alien enemies
In Helldivers 2 you need all the help you can get when it comes to slowing down the pace of the alien threat that is seemingly trundling towards you constantly. Especially if playing alone, it’s easy to get overwhelmed and keep the enemies at bay using your two equipped weapons – even your Stratagems take a few seconds to be called down and take effect. That’s why our next tip is to use the environment against them.
Obviously, this is incredibly dependant on the type of planet terrain your current mission takes place on, but toxic pools, mud, and even basic pits can all assist you when trying to slow the giant bug menace down. You’ll need to think fast, totally, but once they’re on your tail be sure to guide them into these natural hazards where possible.
Don't forget to aim down your sights – for increased accuracy
Even though Helldivers 2 is primarily a third-person shooter, Arrowhead Game Studios allows you to aim down the sights of every weapon you can equip, which is infinitely more accurate than firing from the hip or over your shoulder. The game doesn’t ever tell you can do this, however, which is insane considering just how useful it is when it comes to firing at smaller enemies and foes.
Most of the standard rifles and pistols in Helldivers 2 have a lot of recoil too, meaning it can be tough to keep a steady line of sight on your target – especially during instances when you’re getting swarmed by a horde. More than once did we manage to save our own and teammate’s skin by switching to first-person view temporarily, with the added accuracy introduced by aiming down the sights always being vital to a mission’s success.
Complete as many of the mission’s optional objectives
While there’s always the temptation in Helldivers 2 to drop down to a planet, complete the main objective, and then instantly peace out of there by calling the drop pod, it is well worth completing each planet’s optional goals (providing you have time). Unlocking the radar station, for example, reveals every other location once hacked. Rogue crashed drop pods elsewhere may hold a heavy weapon that’s more useful for keeping you in the fight.
The main reason each mission’s secondary objectives are worth completing is due to the way they contribute to your overall rating. The higher the rating, the better the rewards. Rewards which you’ll need to upgrade your main ship and unlock more Stratagems far quicker as you level up.
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Know the weak point of certain bigger enemy types
As part of your liberation effort you'll regularly be butting heads with two enemy factions: the Terminids and the Automatons. The latter are a mostly robotic race that constantly stampede towards you, whose weak point is none other than their glowing red eyes. It sounds obvious, but for this reason you'll want to make sure that you're always shooting them in the head, as opposed to the limbs, which works better when facing the bug-like Terminids.
Speaking of which, it's a common objective to take down a particularly large type of Terminid called the Charger. Shooting at it head on is a recipe for disaster, however, given that a large portion of its front is surrounded by a bulletproof shell. That's why your best bet is to either find a way to get at its back, or better yet lay down some ground mines to take it down from underneath. If you absolutely have to face a Charger from the front, a few bursts from the flamethrower should do it.
Play with a party of real-life friends
The last tip is arguably the most obvious we have to offer, and that’s to play with a party of real-life friends where at all possible. The reasons are plentiful. For one, friendly fire is always on in Helldivers 2, and being able to communicate efficiently reduces the risk that you’ll wander into each group member’s line of fire. You’ll also have to rely less on using the ping.
Most of all, however, when playing with up to three other buddies you’ll be able to adjust your loadouts in such a way that fills in any Stratagem gaps you know the squad will benefit from. After all, there’s only so many one Helldiver can equip and carry, so you can be sure to spread democracy more efficiently when working tightly as a real-life team.
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