If you’re heading into your first mission and are wondering just how much of the Sol system is explorable in Helldivers 2, here’s what you need to know about whether Helldivers 2 is an open-world game.
Is Helldivers 2 an open-world game?
Although Helldivers 2 is set across the stars, this intergalactic adventure doesn’t include open-world elements. Those interested in completing quests, meeting NPCs, and exploring to their hearts’ content won’t find these features in Helldivers 2. While you can visit different planets to complete your activated Operation mission, the exploration side of things is incredibly limited.
You are free to walk around, but with enemy territory around every corner, minefields to navigate across, and a small combat area to stay inside, you may find yourself sticking to the mission and extracting as soon as it’s finished.
Helldivers 2 exploration consists of looting up on resources (Samples, ammo, Super Credits, and support weapons), clearing Outposts, and completing optional secondary objectives. All of these give you extra XP and cash to spend on the Super Destroyer. But these are all optional components of the planets in Helldivers 2. The area where you can move around and freely explore is reduced further by the map perimeter’s restricted area timer, which causes mission failure if you walk too far out.
To add to this limitation, Helldivers cannot swim. Most planets have a thriving ecosystem and bodies of water, part of the harsh terrain you may struggle to traverse. But you’ll quickly be punished if you decide to take a dip in any lakes, as swimming wasn’t part of the Helldiver’s training. So when you next want to explore the scenery, be mindful of the small combat area you need to stay inside at all times.
