Hell Let Loose: Vietnam Beginner's Guide

Hell Let Loose: Vietnam is not a run-and-gun shooter, and that’s the most important thing to understand before your first match. It rewards patience, positioning and teamwork over reflexes. This guide covers the habits that will make you genuinely useful from the start.

Understand the format

Matches are 50v50, first-person, and won by capturing and holding objectives — not by topping the scoreboard. Your team is really an army of roles grouped into squads, tied together by command and supply. A team that coordinates beats a team of better individual shooters almost every time.

Your first five minutes

1. Join a squad. Don’t play solo — squads are how you get objectives, support and forward spawns.
2. Turn on your mic. Even simple callouts (“contact left”, “tank on the road”) make you a better teammate than a silent ace.
3. Pick a role your squad needs. If nobody’s carrying support fire or playing medic, fill the gap rather than grabbing the flashiest kit.
4. Follow the objective. Move with your squad toward the point your leader marks. Lone wanderers die for nothing.

Habits that win matches

• Stay alive. Reinforcements aren’t infinite and dying out of position helps no one. Use cover; the jungle is full of it.
• Move with others. Two or three players covering each other beat one hero.
• Watch your map. Learn where the enemy is coming from and where your forward positions are.
• Mind the new threats. The US has helicopters; the enemy has tunnels. Expect contact from directions WWII shooters never had.

Pick a side and learn it

The two sides play very differently. Read the factions guide to choose, then dig into the systems codex to understand the tools you’ll be using. When you’re ready to go deeper, our tips and tactics guide covers the next level.

The game includes a tutorial system for newcomers, so use it — but the real lesson is simple: communicate, play your role, and think like part of a team.