Helldivers 2’s City Missions Are a Blessing and a Curse

When they were new, the Super Earth colony city missions in Helldivers 2 were quite rare. They only seemed to be available on specific planets, and there was no guarantee that a planet would have a city mission available at all times. Recently, though, city missions have become a much more common occurrence, sometimes appearing as often as one out of every three missions. Since operations on Helldivers 2’s hardest difficulty level consist of three missions, at least one of them will likely be a city mission, so they’re practically unavoidable at this point.

While the city missions in Helldivers 2 can be a much-needed, and refreshing, change of scenery after spending time in the more open environments that can be found on the majority of planets, each of these two map types has its own advantages. However, players have become increasingly incentivized to focus on Helldivers 2’s city missions lately, and they are both a blessing and a curse.

Helldivers 2 Xbox Recruits Should Keep These Unwritten Rules at the Top of Their Minds

As gamers join the fight for Super Earth when Helldivers 2 comes to Xbox, these unwritten rules are important to be mindful of.

Helldivers 2’s City Missions Are Rich With Tactical Advantages, But They Go Both Ways

Regardless of the difficulty of a Helldivers 2 mission, if it takes place in a city, it’s likely going to be harder than the same mission type in a more open, wilderness environment. This is because the infrastructure and layout of the city environments provide distinct and exaggerated tactical advantages, which can be exploited by both players and the enemy factions in Helldivers 2.

The Advantages and Disadvantages of Helldivers 2’s City Missions Are One and the Same

Narrow alleys and streets funnel enemies into convenient choke points, but these can just as easily be a death sentence for players, as they can become trapped in a swarm of enemies with no path to escape.
Tall buildings provide cover from flying enemy units, like the Illuminate Leviathans, though they can also block Stratagems and, occasionally, lead to death or defeat.
The scattered layout of streets and buildings typically restricts the long-range attacks of players and enemies alike.
Despite their good intentions, even the SEAF troopers in Helldivers 2 who roam the cities can harm players or wind up as a costly casualty that deducts Requisition Slips when accidentally killed.

Arguably, the biggest disadvantage of city missions is that they aren’t suitable for most of the meta Stratagems in Helldivers 2, since the narrow pathways and tall buildings severely limit the area of effectiveness that certain Stratagems have. In a worst-case scenario, the city’s layout can cause a Stratagem to miss entirely, even if the player positions it in an optimal location.

In general, Sentry Stratagems prove highly effective in city missions because the flat roads provide a clear line of sight, though players should be mindful of how this can also lead to accidental friendly fire.

With open wilderness mission environments, players generally have more freedom of movement, longer range, and little to no restrictions on which Stratagems can be used. However, despite their extreme features and exaggerated difficulty, city missions still play a vital role in Helldivers 2’s ongoing Galactic War, which players should take into consideration when choosing an operation or mission.

Helldivers 2’s City Missions Are a Necessary Evil for Planet Defense Campaigns

While typically more chaotic, city missions seem to be more valuable than missions in open areas in terms of contributing to a planet’s defense campaign, which indirectly contributes to the bigger picture of the Galactic War. Even if the difference is small, the increased contributions that city missions provide quickly add up throughout a planet’s defense campaign. This, arguably, makes city missions worth the extra effort, though they might also call for players to adapt and rethink their weapons and Stratagem loadouts.