Not many FPS games capture the toil and reality of World War 2, but Hell Let Loose takes realism to a whole new level. It's one of the few unapologetic war games or military simulators that don't cater to players who are used to arcade shooters. Thus, it has a higher learning curve compared to others and demands more dedication from its players.
At times, this can get hectic and even exhausting, so many players tend to commit mistakes. Some get bored and try to spice things up, while others are genuinely new to the game. It can be easy to make plenty of mistakes in a game that simulates the atmosphere and urgency of the biggest war in modern human history. Make sure to be aware of these errors to avoid a digital court martial session.
Updated on August 7, 2022, by Patrick Armstrong: Few games come as close to capturing the complexity of warfare as Hell Let Loose. It’s not enough to grab a machine gun and sprint at the enemy with a bandolier and a dream. Without clear communication, a plan, patience, and practice, people will die. As a new player, it’s easy to be overwhelmed by the logistics and strategies needed to support the war effort in such a detailed game. Some lessons will only come with time, but some mistakes can be avoided, sparing the player a lot of frustration and many lost matches.
14 Ignoring The Field Menu
Prior to the beginning of a match, the player has access to the Field Manual through the main menu. It’s easy to dismiss this as just another tutorial, counting on one’s experience with other shooters to make up for one’s experience with Hell Let Loose, but doing so is a mistake.
The Field Menu is a deep and practical resource that will prove invaluable for new players. Though the player can always ask their teammates questions in the middle of a match if they’re confused, they can save themselves a lot of time by doing a bit of studying before the match even starts. In the busy, complex firefights of Hell Let Loose, not having to ask about Recon compositions, Outpost spawns, or the best loadouts is a lifesaver.
13 Being Rigid
War is a messy affair, and Hell Let Loose demonstrates this better than most games in the genre. Maintaining clear communication and effective supply chains, coordinating movements with other squads, and otherwise supporting one’s team is essential to making a plan come together.
Sometimes even the best plans fall apart, however. A couple of mistakes or an unexpected maneuver from the enemy can be enough to throw plans into disarray, and a good player needs to be flexible enough to adapt to a new situation. Panicking, failing to adjust quickly to new orders, and getting fed up enough to go rogue all spell disaster. Keep focused and adapt as needed.
12 Letting Resources Dwindle
Most FPSs ignore the hard facts of military logistics, finite resources, and viable supply chains. Players whose only idea of supplies is a cargo crate dropped by heli into the middle of an active warzone will learn a hard lesson in Hell Let Loose.
The lifeblood of one’s forces are the Commander’s Resources and Resource Nodes on the field. The more those dwindle, the less Command will be able to help soldiers in the field. Everyone has their favorite role, but there are times when having an extra Engineer in the field to build matters much more, especially given the size and complexity of some of the game's best maps.
11 Exposing Oneself To Unnecessary Fire
“Don’t get shot” may seem like obvious advice, but it’s easy to overlook its importance in a game like this one. Hell Let Loose is not an arcade shooter. Players are not bullet sponges who can eat a spray of machine gun fire and keep on running like nothing happened. Exposing oneself to unnecessary gunfire equals death.
Some classes will need to be closer to danger than others, but well-coordinated squads should always have a way to avoid enemy fire. Taking core, using suppressive fire, using smoke grenades before moving across open ground, and simply waiting out an enemy who Is being reckless with their ammunition are just a few of the options. By paying attention to the battlefield, one can live long enough to accomplish the mission.
10 Treating It Like Call Of Duty
Those who dive into Hell Let Loose blind thinking that it's another bombastic World War 2 shooter a la Call of Duty will be dumbfounded. The game has no crosshairs, and shooting from the hip might as well be throwing away lead slugs.
Moreover, players will almost always die from a single well-placed shot, and movement is more akin to real-life physical limitations. So running around looking to increase that K/D or many other arcade shooter tricks don't work here. It's slower and more methodical than a game whose guns barely have recoil.
9 Treating It Like Battlefield
Meanwhile, other players are more informed about Hell Let Loose's true nature than Call of Duty fanboys. Those who came from Battlefield expecting something slower and more tactical won't be disappointed, but they'll also likely need a big adjustment time.
While Battlefield is the closest mainstream title to Hell Let Loose, it still caters to a different kind of audience. Life is more fragile in the latter, since respawn timers are lengthy and teamwork involves more than just giving medkits or ammo pouches. Following orders from another human is more important here than pushing frontlines or playing tug of war with the enemy.
8 Not Communicating
Here lies the main difference between good Hell Let Loose players and other shooter communities: players need to communicate. Communication is the most important weapon or tool in World War 2, and the game puts emphasis on that. Pinging enemy locations, calling for backup, and baring some makeshift orders in the heat of combat is the norm here.
Plans and strategies are also ever-present throughout the hour-long matches. Not knowing these plans or showing interest in them is a good way to get kicked off the game. Moreover, having a mic is preferred since players need to give quick orders or replies.
7 Lone Wolf Behavior
New players are most often guilty of such demeanor in Hell Let Loose, but there are also some glory-seekers who haven't shaken off their pride and online bravado. These players think they can charge all alone into an enemy placement and rack up some kills.
That usually goes wrong in Hell Let Loose. Squads are the typical mode of operation in these games, and each squad is coordinated and has orders. Those who break off inadvertently from their squads still integrate into others. Walking around blindly looking for firefights is not only a good way to get killed, but also a quick way to get designated as a useless player.
6 Insubordination
Speaking of combat blunders, being in a squad doesn't mean one can slack off. Some players think that orders are not mandatory, and elect to do their own thing. In fact, this is more damaging than going lone wolf.
Some orders can be too important to ignore, and squad leaders usually give these commands in a respectful manner. Not adhering to a squad's goal is a good way to get kicked out of the squad, since everyone in Hell Let Loose needs to have a purpose. It is a mil-sim, after all, so one should keep an enlisted mentality.
5 Not Asking Questions
It's alright to be a newbie in Hell Let Loose, but a new player who acts like an expert is shouldn't expect a warm reception. Players take Hell Let Loose seriously, so if players do not understand their orders and don't ask for instructions, it's counterproductive to the team effort.
This is even more important for anyone confused regarding a squad leader's command. Asking why, where, when, or even how isn't typically met with hostility— the community is generally friendly towards neophytes, as long as they know how to be a team player. Just treat everyone as a brother-in-arms.
4 Being Careless With Ammo
One easy mistake to make in Hell Let Loose is going ham on encounters. That's because they can get sparse so getting enough training for firefights can be difficult. Thus, some players might get too trigger-happy and squeeze to their heart's content, forgetting that ammo is precious and that they need to count each bullet fired.
There's no bullet count indicator in Hell Let Loose, so not being conservative with ammunition makes the enemy's lives easier. Besides, firing single shots or bursts is preferable since that way, there's a higher chance of hitting targets unless the players control a machine gun.
3 Playing Complex Classes As Beginners
When in doubt, any new player should pick the most obvious simple class in the game: the Rifleman. The Rifleman doesn't have many jobs other than shooting enemies and trading bullets with their targets. They're the ones slated for frontline combat.
Thus, it's hard to mess up as a Rifleman. Most Riflemen in squads or Rifleman squads have basic goals or commands too. They're great for learning the ropes or general combat.
2 Using Spawn Point Trucks As Personal Vehicles
In Hell Let Loose, it can be a chore getting from one point to the other because of the huge maps. Most players just have to suck it up and walk or run — just as real infantrymen in World War 2 did in their prime. It might be tempting to grab one of those vacant trucks with blue wing icons, but doing so without orders or a clear initiative in helping teammates is a big mistake.
That's because those trucks are mobile spawn points. Driving them near the frontline or in a spot too visible to enemies might just cost the whole team a mobile spawn point. So unless some specific orders are issued or the whole group needs to push hard, leave those trucks alone.
1 Team Killing
Hell Let Loose doesn't exactly hold the players' hands and at times, the friendly or ally icon can fade at certain distances. For those with long-range weapons, it can be easy to mistake some walking bipedals as enemies and shoot them on sight.
This act of team killing is way more common than it seems, and some of them are simply honest mistakes. One good way to avoid this is by cranking up the friendly icon to 500 meters in the in-game settings. Just make sure the hardware can handle it.
Hell Let Loose is available now on PC, Xbox Series X|S, and PlayStation 5.