If you want a large-scale World War II shooter, Enlisted and Hell Let Loose are two of the names you’ll hear most often. Both put you in big WWII battles with infantry, vehicles and objectives. But they’re built on opposite ideas about who your squadmates are, and that one difference changes almost everything about how they play.

The core difference: AI squad vs human squad

In Enlisted, you command your own squad of 3 to 9 AI-assisted soldiers. When your current soldier dies, you switch to another member of your squad and keep fighting. You’re one player, but you’re responsible for a small unit.

In Hell Let Loose, every soldier on the battlefield is a real player. Battles are 50 versus 50, and you’re one member of a squad led by another player, inside a team with a commander, officers and support roles that all depend on each other.

That’s the whole decision in miniature. Enlisted lets you have a squad without needing to coordinate with anyone. Hell Let Loose only really works when people coordinate.

At a glance

Enlisted Hell Let Loose
Developer / publisher Developed by Darkflow Software, published by Gaijin Entertainment Developed by Expression Games (originally Black Matter), published by Team17
Price Free-to-play Paid
Your squad 3–9 AI soldiers you control Human players, 50 vs 50
Teamwork Helpful, not required Essential (voice communication is central)
Pace Faster, more action-focused Slower, more tactical and deliberate
Platforms PC (Gaijin launcher and Steam), PS4/PS5, Xbox One/Series X|S, cross-platform PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S

Pace and feel

Enlisted is the more action-focused of the two. Respawning into a squad member keeps you in the fight, objectives move quickly, and you can be effective without talking to anyone. Our Enlisted beginner guide covers squads and progression.

Hell Let Loose is slower and more tactical. Moving to the front takes time, spawn points depend on teammates building them, and a squad that communicates well beats one that doesn’t. When it works, it feels like being part of a real unit. When your team doesn’t communicate, it can feel aimless.

Progression and the money side

Enlisted is free to play, with progression that unlocks soldiers, weapons and vehicles over time. Our guides to vehicles and aviation and building, repair and resupply cover the systems you’ll use most. Check the current store before spending, since what’s sold changes over time.

Hell Let Loose is a one-time purchase. Check the current price on your platform’s store.

Who each game is for

Choose Enlisted if:

  • you want to try a WWII shooter for free,
  • you often play solo or without voice chat,
  • you like controlling a whole squad yourself,
  • you play on PS4 or Xbox One, or want cross-platform matches with PC.

Choose Hell Let Loose if:

  • you enjoy slow, team-driven tactical shooters,
  • you’re happy using voice communication with strangers or a regular group,
  • you’d rather fight alongside real players than AI soldiers,
  • a one-time purchase suits you better than free-to-play progression.

Hardware

Both are large-scale shooters with many units on screen. On PC, a stable frame rate is worth more than maximum detail. Start with our Enlisted PC settings guide; the same principles from smooth PC gaming without chasing Ultra settings apply to Hell Let Loose too.

Bottom line: Enlisted is the easier, free way into WWII squad combat. Hell Let Loose is the deeper teamwork experience if you’re willing to pay and communicate. Since Enlisted costs nothing, it’s a sensible first step either way.

Sources

Facts in this guide were checked against these pages in October 2026: