Starship Troopers: Extermination immerses players in the galactic conflict between the United Citizen Federation and the Arachnid Empire. As in the film series, players face relentless hordes of insectoid creatures intent on eliminating any soldiers in their path. The game supports cooperative play for up to 16 individuals, allowing them to collaboratively defend Earth in a series of engagements, striving for ultimate victory.
Paul Verhoeven, renowned for directing films such as RoboCop, Total Recall, and Basic Instinct, adapted Starship Troopers, a film loosely based on Robert A. Heinlein’s 1959 novel. Verhoeven utilized the source material to deliver a film rich in political satire and extreme violence. While not initially a box-office success, Starship Troopers has undergone a critical re-evaluation, cultivating a dedicated fanbase despite spawning two poorly received sequels.
During my review of Helldivers 2, I noted its striking similarities to Starship Troopers. This comparison ultimately proved beneficial, generating renewed interest in the film and prompting many to revisit or discover it for the first time. I view this as a positive outcome.
However, Helldivers 2 arguably captures the essence of the Starship Troopers universe more effectively than Starship Troopers: Extermination itself. In this instance, the imitation surpasses the original. While Starship Troopers: Extermination is currently in Early Access, with future updates and content additions anticipated, the present experience feels somewhat underwhelming and lacks the satirical edge and humor that Helldivers 2 executes so successfully.
From a technical standpoint, Starship Troopers: Extermination is competent. The environments are well-designed, the Arachnids are faithful to their source material, and the animations are appropriately stylized. However, a persistent sense of incompleteness pervades the experience. The game possesses considerable potential to deliver a truly epic and distinctive experience, given the richness of its source material.
The developers have indicated plans to introduce new planets and enemy types in future updates, emphasizing that this is only the initial phase of development. It is advisable to ensure all drivers are up to date; my initial experience with the game was severely hampered by outdated drivers, rendering it virtually unplayable until the necessary updates were installed.
In conclusion, I am somewhat disappointed that the developers have focused primarily on large-scale battles, neglecting the distinctive humor, satire, and overall uniqueness of the Starship Troopers franchise. As a cooperative online action game, Starship Troopers: Extermination offers engaging and intense gameplay, particularly when playing with a group. However, as previously mentioned, a crucial element feels absent.
Offworld Industries provided a review code for this evaluation. Provision of materials does not influence our editorial process or the outcome of our reviews.
