Hellgate: London is a Windows PC action RPG about fighting through demon-ruined London with randomized areas, heavy loot, class skills, and first- or third-person combat.
Content warning: Hellgate: London is a mature-rated game with violence, blood/gore descriptors, mild language, and dark demon-invasion themes. This guide stays focused on gameplay systems.
This beginner guide covers the original PC release and the later Steam single-player edition at a high level. It is not a full quest walkthrough, endgame build planner, private-server guide, or exact version-comparison chart.
Essential Tips
1. Choose a Class for Its Combat Rhythm
Your class decides how the game feels minute to minute.
Hellgate’s six classes sit inside three broad factions. Templars lean toward melee pressure and durability, with Guardian and Blademaster playing differently. Cabalists cover spell and minion styles through Evoker and Summoner. Hunters use guns, drones, and ranged tools through Marksman and Engineer. Pick the rhythm you want to repeat for many hours, not the class that sounds strongest in isolation.
2. Treat the Game as a Loot Loop
Better gear is not a side reward; it is the core progression engine.
The basic loop is simple: clear enemies, collect equipment, improve your build, and clear faster. Do not rush past drops only because your current weapon still works. Compare damage ranges, bonuses, mod slots, skill boosts, and how the weapon actually behaves in combat.
3. Spend Attribute Points With Gear in Mind
Holding points can be stronger than spending them immediately.
Many beginners spend every point as soon as the level-up screen appears. Hellgate often rewards patience because attributes help you equip better gear. If you are not blocked by a current item requirement, keep a small reserve so the next strong drop does not sit unused in your bag.
4. Be Conservative With Skill Points
A focused build is good; a trapped build is not.
Skill resets vary by edition and service context, so avoid treating early points as disposable. Put points into skills you actively use, test new tools before committing heavily, and remember that gear can add skill bonuses. You do not need to max a skill instantly just because it carries the build at low level.
5. Use Stations as Planning Hubs
Underground stations are where a messy run becomes manageable again.
Before entering another portal, sell or dismantle clutter, restock consumables, check quests, review gear, and make sure your hotbar still matches your plan. Stations also make it easier to think about side quests, route cleanup, and whether you are ready for the next zone.
6. Do Side Quests Before You Feel Underleveled
Optional work often fixes difficulty before it becomes a wall.
Hellgate uses many kill, collection, and location objectives. Side quests can add experience, currency, standing, items, and sometimes important progression rewards. If enemies start taking too long to kill, step back into station errands and nearby zones instead of forcing the main path with weak gear.
7. Learn Your Edition Before Following Old Advice
The 2007 release, old multiplayer notes, Steam edition, and community servers are not identical.
Some advice was written for original offline play, some for multiplayer-era patches, some for the 2018 Steam version, and some for private-server environments. General class, loot, and inventory habits transfer well. Exact quest rewards, content availability, respec access, bugs, and endgame systems may not.
8. Check the Options Menu Early
Old PC games can hide avoidable friction in settings.
Before judging the feel of combat, review graphics, controls, mouse behavior, keybinds, and performance settings. If the game behaves oddly on modern hardware, make sure it is using the intended GPU and that your settings are stable before you start troubleshooting your build.
Class and Build Priorities
| Choice | Best Early Habit | Watch Out For |
|---|---|---|
| Guardian | Build around staying in melee safely | Low damage can make random packs drag |
| Blademaster | Commit to mobile melee and sword skills | Dual-sword play needs the right skill support |
| Evoker | Keep distance and manage spell choices | Fragility punishes careless positioning |
| Summoner | Let minions carry pressure while you support | Weak personal gear still matters |
| Marksman | Use weapon behavior and range deliberately | Headline damage can mislead you |
| Engineer | Build around drones, bots, and guns together | Splitting points too widely can slow growth |
Do not chase a perfect first character. Hellgate is easier to learn when your first build has a clear job: melee brawler, agile sword fighter, direct caster, minion commander, gun specialist, or gadget-heavy ranged character.
Loot and Inventory
Compare Items by Use, Not Just Rarity
A rare item is only good if it improves the way you fight.
Look at damage range, attack pattern, range, bonuses, skill boosts, mod slots, armor value, and requirements. A weapon with a lower-looking number can still perform better if it hits reliably, fits your skills, or supports the enemies you are actually fighting.
Sell Early, Dismantle With a Purpose
Currency and materials solve different problems.
Early on, selling unwanted gear helps fund consumables and basic upkeep. Dismantling becomes more attractive when you are feeding upgrade or crafting needs. In the Steam edition, automated analyze and dismantle tools can reduce inventory friction, but set filters carefully so useful gear does not disappear before you inspect it.
Use Stash and Vendor Shortcuts
Inventory speed keeps the loot loop from turning into a chore.
Use quick-move behavior where your edition supports it, especially around vendors and stash management. Drag equipment onto the character model when that is faster than menu prompts. A clean bag means you can stay in zones longer and make better decisions when a good drop appears.
Break Containers and Check Side Paths
Random spaces reward curiosity.
Crates, barrels, chests, and occasional extra passages can add loot and fights. You do not need to full-clear every corner forever, but early characters benefit from extra drops, currency, and experience while you are still learning what good gear looks like.
Combat Habits
Match Perspective to the Class
First-person and third-person views support different instincts.
Ranged classes often benefit from first-person awareness, while melee characters usually need spatial awareness around enemies. Switch perspective if your current view makes dodging, aiming, or positioning harder than it should be.
Put Active Skills Where Your Hands Expect Them
A good hotbar prevents panic clicks.
Hellgate lets you build around active skills, basic attacks, sprinting, auras, summons, drones, and weapon behavior. Put your main attack, escape tool, defensive tool, and consumables in places you can hit without looking away from enemies.
Activate Passive-Style Tools Before the Fight
Some abilities need to be turned on, not merely learned.
Templar aura-style skills are a good example: learning the skill is not the same as having it active. Check buff icons, hotbar state, and summon/drone presence before entering another dense area.
Fight at Your Build’s Preferred Range
Most deaths start with playing the wrong class at the wrong distance.
Blademasters and Guardians usually want controlled melee contact. Evokers and Marksmen need space. Summoners and Engineers want their helpers contributing before enemies collapse onto them. When a fight feels bad, ask whether your range is wrong before blaming the item level.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
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Pick a class only because it sounds powerful.
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Spend every attribute point before checking gear requirements.
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Max an early skill before testing the rest of the kit.
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Ignore side quests until the main path becomes painful.
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Judge weapons only by the biggest displayed number.
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Sell or dismantle unidentified gear without checking its bonuses.
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Leave auras, summons, drones, or key buffs inactive before combat.
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Follow old multiplayer or private-server advice without checking your edition.
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Run another zone with a full inventory and empty consumables.
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Use the wrong camera view for the fight you are trying to win.
Summary
| Category | Top Tip |
|---|---|
| Class choice | Pick the combat rhythm you want to repeat, then build around it |
| Attributes | Save points when possible so new gear does not sit unusable |
| Skills | Invest in active tools you use, and avoid early overcommitment |
| Loot | Compare behavior, bonuses, requirements, and mod potential |
| Stations | Treat each hub visit as a reset for quests, inventory, and supplies |
| Combat | Fight at your class’s preferred range and keep key tools active |
| Edition scope | Separate original, Steam, and community-server advice before applying specifics |
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8 checked for this guideEvery factual claim in this guide was checked against at least two independent sources before publication. These are the references used for Hellgate: London.
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