I remember when games based on movies and TV shows were almost always terrible. There were a few exceptions of course (Super Star Wars will always have a place in my heart) but for the most part tie-in games were subpar experiences you’d regret purchasing back when I was a youngster. That era is long since over now though, with everything from Avatar to My Hero Academia sporting wonderful video game adaptations. This is even the case with games based on older movies, and it looks like Starship Troopers: Ultimate Bug War is going to prove that later this year.
I must admit, before this preview build landed on my laptop I had no experience with Starship Troopers. Like a good little writer though I thought it would be a bit unfair to preview Ultimate Bug War without watching the hit sci-fi movie that inspired it. One cheap DVD purchase later, I was introduced to a delightful space adventure that stands the test of time and even has a relevant message regarding propaganda.
Now fully prepared I jumped into the game. This demo featured one mission to play, which looked to be about a third of the way into the game. The premise was simple: defend an idyllic holiday resort from a bug invasion. I was expecting this to be a fairly linear task as it would be in any other boomer shooter, but Starship Troopers: Ultimate Bug War is so much more than that.
The mission actually takes place in a pretty huge open area, and you begin with four different objectives to complete. One of these is your main goal, but you’ll be rewarded with extra guns, goodies and points if you help fight the good fight across this battlefield. This bit of freedom completely changes how it feels to play Ultimate Bug War, and means that you can easily spend 45 minutes on this single mission.
The actual shooting of this Starship Troopers game is decidedly retro feeling, but enjoyable all the same. You can’t aim down the sights with any of your scopeless guns, and instead just sort of zoom in a bit when holding the left trigger. With machine guns, shotguns and rail guns I blasted through a nice selection of insect enemies, and turning the iconic alien scum into goo is so incredibly satisfying.
You have more at your disposal than just guns as well. There are grenades that you can use against crowds of creepy crawlies, throw in the mouth of the massive beetles just like in the movie, or use to close up a bug hole. Napalm grenades are a great way to defend outposts against waves of enemies, and you can even call in air support and supply drops in a decidedly Helldivers 2 sort of way. This variety of options keeps the combat fresh, and kept me hooked to the last objective.
A lot of your tasks in this particular beach landing mission are based on defending specific outposts along with your trooper mates, but they all function a little differently. The first outpost I focused my efforts on needed multiple gates closing, then gave me access to turrets to aim down onto the shore. The next featured a massive mech to pilot, complete with a chainsaw for slicing through chitinous armour. The thing I appreciated most of all about these objectives though was that you couldn’t really fail them, and even if bugs breached and flooded the area you just had to kill them all to count the mission as a success.
Starship Troopers: Ultimate Bug War feels just like a PC game you’d play in the early noughties, back when the FPS genre was more campaign focused than the multiplayer war and hero games we have today. The visuals very much play a part of that, but the overall structure and gunplay feel very retro but without all the caveats that come with that. It’s a perfect fit for Starship Troopers too, right down to the FMV cutscenes that in the main game will feature General Rico himself.
I had no idea what to expect when I was first made aware of Starship Troopers: Ultimate Bug War, but now one mission later I’m ready to enlist and become a citizen myself. You too can help save the galaxy if you enlist today. Would you like to know more?
Starship Troopers: Ultimate Bug War is coming to PC and consoles on March 16th.
