Crab Milk Mickey
Member
More people need to experience this game with friends, now that the PC market got a decent port. One of the absolute best co-op experiences out there.
-
Hey Guest. Check out your NeoGAF Wrapped 2025 results here!
Helldivers |OT| Everybody Fights, Nobody Quits.
- Thread starter TheWorthyEdge
- Start date
antennaehead
Member
Game is all kinds of awesome, and will probably be on my GOTY list.
That being said, I'm looking for a few pointers how to deal with arena-like missions (retaliatory strikes?). As a full party of randoms, we wiped a lot on a 5-6 difficulty yesterday, the mobs just overswarm you.
That being said, I'm looking for a few pointers how to deal with arena-like missions (retaliatory strikes?). As a full party of randoms, we wiped a lot on a 5-6 difficulty yesterday, the mobs just overswarm you.
super-famicom
Member
Use Distractor Beacons to draw patrols away from you. You can solo 5-6 difficulty planets and avoid combat completely, even a 7, if you place them properly.
Coordinating loadouts wil also be key. One guy with Static Field plus another with Airstrikes or Turrets, for example. Having one guy drop jetpacks for everyone or driving an APC is also useful for getting around quickly.
Crab Milk Mickey
Member
Jetpacks are pretty useful for staying out of harm's way when you're about to be cornered.
Thankfully all of those packs are superfluous additions at most. Not that I'm keen on the pricing either.
10 months later from console launch and £40 dlc. Terrible
10 months later from console launch and £40 dlc. Terrible
Pretty sure Deluxe comes with those.
antennaehead
Member
Good stuff, thanks. But I'm talking more about retaliatory mission, where you fight in a very small area against constantly respawning monsters (you need to kill 200+ of them).
10 months later from console launch and £40 dlc. Terrible
FWIW, there is this pack. And yeah, all DLC included in Deluxe version.
Cow Goes Moo
Member
It's an arrowhead game after all 
Looking at getting this later this week. Still trying to decide PC or PS4 (leaning towards the former), but I'm sad I didn't see it sooner as it looks damn fun. The galactic campaign stuff seems really neat. Also nice that's it's linked between all versions. Stuff like that is super cool, imo.
super-famicom
Member
One guy with the Stratagem cooldown perk throwing down Heavy Airstrikes/Strafing runs ( can be set up for infinite uptime if two are equipped)/Thunderer Barrage can lock down one side of the screen. Then keep Turrets up on the other side, and Tesla Turrets on an adjacent side (but away from anything else as they can destroy friendly turrets). Static Field Conductors can slow enemies down so turrets and airstrikes can puck them off easily. You can still throw Distractors off screen, so incoming enemies might be slowed down a bit.
If there's room , maybe two APCs with two guys on the turrets, then kite and shoot? I stopped playing months ago so I don't think I ever saw this type of mission. Was it added in a patch or DLC?
antennaehead
Member
Haven't tested it but I think distractors only work on normal missions with patrolling enemies. All enemies in retaliation are actively engaged with you. So you'll need area denial like the previous poster suggested with the static field and airstrikes that have a duration like mentioned. Anything like that will be a big help.
Crab Milk Mickey
Member
Things go south quickly in this game...
Conkerkid11
Member
Games like this are why I wish Steam still sold games in multi-packs.
ExitPlanetDust
Member
Eh, probably not all of it, but some of it definitely adds to the game. I approach the DLC in Helldivers like a do impulse buy items in the checkout line: If I have a gift card and I'm trying to round the total up, I will toss a few of the DLC packs into my cart and check out.
Check out this guy's YouTube playlist for Helldivers DLC reviews and tips: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLxdWwQdFWl7dI4Eb05Iab8kHRy7NBfLd7
Weltall Zero
Member
Things go south quickly in this game...
Two player is the absolute hardest way to play the game. You lose automatic reinforcements, but with only two people it's easy for both to die at once and get a game over, especially on longer missions. I think the game should give you automatic reinforcements on two player, not as many as in single player (say, exactly half, start with one and get one extra every two objectives) but at least something.
I must admit that I actually don't understand this game. I bought it when it launched and played a few missions with my friend but due to internet connection issues I had to stop playing.
A few month later we gave it another shot and a bunch of things unlocked and the credits rolled... I guess the community beat the game and some kind of NG+ started. Didn't matter to us. We just chose a planet and started a mission. The problem was that all missions that we played were ridiculously easy. Almost no enemies and very simple objectives.
Did we do something wrong? Were we missing something? I'd really like to know what was going on.
A few month later we gave it another shot and a bunch of things unlocked and the credits rolled... I guess the community beat the game and some kind of NG+ started. Didn't matter to us. We just chose a planet and started a mission. The problem was that all missions that we played were ridiculously easy. Almost no enemies and very simple objectives.
Did we do something wrong? Were we missing something? I'd really like to know what was going on.
Chaos2Frozen
Member
There's a difficulty setting for each planet, you were probably playing a level 1-3 planet
test_account
XP-39C²
Everytime you beat a planet, you contribute to the Galactic Campaign. The better you do, the more points will be contributed. Once the max points have been reached, you get the ending cut scene that you saw, and the game starts over. This usually takes several of weeks, so if you hadnt played in a while, thats why you got the cut scene when starting the game. Nothing new is added, the campaign just restarts. If you go to the stats section of the game, you can see how many wars/galactic campaigns that you've fought in.
When you select a region, you can choose between 12 different difficulty levels (1 to 12). Sounds like you just clicked on the first planet when entering a region, which is difficulty level 1. That is indeed very easy.
That makes sense. Might have to revisit this game and give it an honest chance.
Weltall Zero
Member
If you're the kind of guy who finds difficulty 1 planets way too easy, you're the kind of guy who will love difficulty 12 planets.
They're not labelled "Walk in the park" and "Helldive" or nothing.If you're the kind of guy who finds difficulty 1 planets way too easy, you're the kind of guy who will love difficulty 12 planets.
Haha, I guess I'll have to see. I definitely like a challenge as long as it's fair.
CarbonFire
Member
It's fair to a point, but requires a lot of coordination at higher levels. At level 10 and above, it becomes more about picking your battles and knowing when to run the hell away than just indiscriminately slaughtering everything.
The game still does like screwing you over occasionally with drop pod location at critical moments just for the lol factor. But even then it's still more funny than frustrating, unless you're taking it super pro MLG serious.
Alex Connolly
Member
That moment when your random squadmates in the arena just hurl turrets wherever and wonder why they're getting gunned down...
They will go first in the Super Earth purges.
They will go first in the Super Earth purges.
Haha sounds awesome.
Comfort Jones
Banned
Been REALLY enjoying this game with a group of friends I used to play L4D2 all the time with. Only one of us got the edition with all the dlc and honestly some of it is just straight up upgrades. The goofiest thing is how dumb it makes the leveling system, like oh you gotta unlock this mech ooorr just get this dlc mech that might be better for you anyway.
I feel like the gameplay is really well designed but some of the external elements with the progression system are really tacked on.
I feel like the gameplay is really well designed but some of the external elements with the progression system are really tacked on.
I would like to know this as well. It's very confusing.
antennaehead
Member
Missions/levels are randomly generated.
On galaxy map there are 3 enemy races. Their space is divided by sectors. By liberating a planet (completing all missions on it) you add to the community effort in liberating current sector. If all enemy sectors are liberated, new timed event appears, where you (and other players) could launch an assault on enemy home planet. I'm not sure what'll happen after that, the whole thing will reset probably and you'll get an achievement?
PeterVenkman
Member
Had this same issue with DLC. I was hoping I'd have to unlock it in game with research points/levels, though thinking back that doesn't make a whole lot of sense for people who have beaten it. Still weird to start the game with two mech stratagems.
Minor complaint, as I've just started trying to exercise a bit of self control
Weltall Zero
Member
Actually, I have the exact same complaing. Whenever you buy any DLC, you still have to upgrade all those weapons and stratagems, which takes much longer than unlocking stuff in the first place (I've unlocked pretty much all vanilla weapons and stratagems, but I've not yet maxed more than a fourth of them). This is particularly bothersome later on, where your favorites are already maxed and switching for new stuff means a hit in efficiency until you max them (either that or not use them at all until you max them, but then you won't know if you like them until the investment is made).
I have the exact same problem in Bloodborne, a lot of the DLC weapons are really cool, but I've already maxed my Ludwig's Holy Sword, which means any other weapon I use is a strict downgrade. It's even worse in BB because to max a weapon you need an item you can (mostly) only get one of each entire walkthrough.
We failed to defeat the spacebug homeworld in time No idea, but it seems like we had 45% versus the timer all the time.
Crab Milk Mickey
Member
Dreadful idea. Even the highest difficulties work out just fine with only two players so long as you give thought to your combined loadout depending on the enemy faction, general environment or mission type and like someone else already brought up, the game is about picking your battles and knowing when to back out when the situation starts to get ugly. I wouldn't change a thing.
I really want more types of Defend missions other than the horde mode style they already have.
eastx
Member
We just published my detailed Steam review of Helldivers. Please check it out:
Windows Central Helldivers review - 9/10
Windows Central Helldivers review - 9/10
Looks like we got a second chance at the bugs, boys. For Liberty!
I'd like to see us go to Super Earth and take out dissidents. The absurd propaganda of the Federation etc must have some other side. Would be a nice locale change and enemy change, fighting people with similar tactics etc.
I'd like to see us go to Super Earth and take out dissidents. The absurd propaganda of the Federation etc must have some other side. Would be a nice locale change and enemy change, fighting people with similar tactics etc.
Got the game gifted to me when I got home from class, it's super fucking fun. First mission I did was bug world invasion, solo'd all the objectives and just when things started getting nuts, someone joined my game and we started cleaning house till extraction arrived. It was some fucking hype shit.
Yeah the game has some pretty unmatched moments in the co-op genre IMO. Really tactical Arma play is the only thing I've played that compares in that area, but way more slow and sim.
Only thing that really sucks is how certain upgrades are gated specifically to each race's planets. So now that fighting can only take place on the bug home world in that section of space, my friend can't max the machine gun he wants because he can't unlock the laser cannon. Kind of struggle to understand that from a design pov. What if we actually win and the bugs are taken out permanently? Are those unlocks just gone until a reset?
Only thing that really sucks is how certain upgrades are gated specifically to each race's planets. So now that fighting can only take place on the bug home world in that section of space, my friend can't max the machine gun he wants because he can't unlock the laser cannon. Kind of struggle to understand that from a design pov. What if we actually win and the bugs are taken out permanently? Are those unlocks just gone until a reset?
eastx
Member
Yes, it resets eventually.
Neverwinter27
Member
any more DLC coming soon as of December onwards?
I landed in a game where the players were using UAVs, fishing through the enemy lines and everything felt deliberate and surgical. Small scale squad tactics, covering the flanks and dodging patrols when possible. It was an awesome experience. One of the better co-op experiences I've had in a while. I initially marked the game as a purely arcade twin shooter, but this slower approach made me look at the game in a new light.
Agree on the upgrades. It's very haphazard.
Optimus Prime
Member
Alien races aren't permanently removed. Once all three homeworlds are taken out, it resets to a new war. In the meantime, you can play offline anytime and have access to all of the races in case you're missing specific unlocks.