Starship Troopers: Extermination | Xbox Review

When Starship Troopers hit theaters in 1997, it was dismissed by critics and audiences as a mindless, gory action flick, missing the biting satire embedded within the film. Beneath the blood and guts, director Paul Verhoeven crafted a sharp critique of fascism, war propaganda, and blind patriotism. Styled like a World War II epic through a sci-fi lens, Verhoeven used the absurdity of a hyper-militarized society to satirize authoritarian regimes and the glorification of violence.

Fast forward to today and Starship Troopers has found new appreciation as a cult classic, with its subversive message resonating in a way it didn’t upon its initial release. Developed and published by Offworld Industries, Starship Troopers: Extermination forgoes the political satire to deliver a bombastic cooperative PvE multiplayer first-person shooter, immersing you in the action. Almost as if you’ve bought into the propaganda and forget that you’re fighting for a fascist regime.

Would You Like to Know More?

Set in the 23rd century, thirty years after the events of the first film, you play as members of the Deep Space Vanguard, an elite squadron of the Mobile Infantry—the primary foot soldiers of the United Citizen Federation. Originally released in May 2023 via Steam Early Access solely as a cooperative PvE (Player vs Environment) multiplayer shooter, Starship Troopers: Extermination still offered a narrative premise. As a soldier of the DSV, you’re tasked with colonizing distant planets to secure vital resources for the Federation war machine and eliminating the relentless arachnid threat. Now, with its 1.0 release and new single-player campaign, the game also comes to consoles. In this mode, you’re under the command of General Johnny Rico, reprised by Casper Van Dien, the star of the original film and face of the franchise.

The main campaign of Starship Troopers: Extermination takes about two to three hours to complete, set entirely in underground caves where you destroy Arachnid hives. While this reflects the species’ subterranean nature, the repetitive cave environment makes the mode feel like a glorified tutorial. I was initially underwhelmed, reminiscent of the brief experience in Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes. However, this frustration was eased by the developers’ promise of new chapters in future updates, as outlined in a roadmap on their website. Hopefully these updates can potentially utilize some multiplayer elements, layered with a compelling narrative, while also reintroducing the franchise’s signature satire to match the original film’s themes.

I’m Doing My Part!

As a PvE multiplayer shooter for up to sixteen players, Starship Troopers: Extermination features three distinct game modes, all emphasizing resource security, fortification, and the defeat of the Arachnid threat. In Horde Mode, players face ten waves of increasingly challenging enemies, requiring strategic defenses to survive. Advance and Secure (AAS) involves gaining territory and extracting resources for base building, demanding teamwork as players prepare for a final stand. Lastly, ARC mode is this game’s version of a tower defense, while also combining resource gathering with horde mechanics, protecting the ARC machine as it gathers intel. Together, these modes create a gameplay experience that encourages collaboration and strategy.

Players can choose from six distinct soldier classes, each offering unique abilities and roles on the battlefield. The Guardian serves as a heavy gunner, while the Demolisher specializes in grenades and explosives. The Sniper excels in reconnaissance, and the Ranger acts as the all-around foot soldier equipped with those iconic assault rifles seen in the films. The Engineer wields a flamethrower and can quickly build and repair structures, while the Medic deploys a medical drone for healing and has a faster revive ability. Unfortunately, the progression system is tied only to the class you select, meaning players must grind each class individually rather than having an overall skill set that transfers between them. While this encourages specialization and mastery of specific roles, it can feel limiting for those who prefer flexibility across different playstyles.

The Only Good Bug Is a Dead Bug

You will face a variety of Arachnids, primarily the standard warrior class, alongside drones, inferno bugs that launch fireballs, and plasma tankers that serve as artillery. These enemy types require players to adapt their strategies in real-time. Base-building mechanics enhance gameplay, particularly in Horde and Advance and Secure modes. Players gather resources to construct and fortify defensive structures like walls, barricades, and turrets, creating strongholds against the Arachnid threat. This adds a layer of strategy, as teams must balance resource allocation between offense and defense, making teamwork essential for survival and embracing the franchise mantra of doing your part.

One unique feature in Starship Troopers: Extermination is the Carnage System, where Arachnid corpses remain on the battlefield. These fallen bodies become part of the environment, creating obstacles or opportunities. Players can climb over them to access higher areas, but the bugs can also use their fallen brethren to scale fortifications, much like in the films. This system adds another tactical challenge, keeping players on their toes as they adjust to changing battlefield conditions.

In my experience with Starship Troopers: Extermination, the gameplay and mechanics, while not perfect, still deliver an engaging and immersive experience that captures the essence of the franchise. The blend of cooperative multiplayer, resource management, and base-building creates a satisfying game loop that promotes teamwork. However, despite its 1.0 release, the game still has a ‘work in progress’ feel, with the campaign feeling short and repetitive. With only three game modes and limited maps, there’s room for more improvement. Fortunately, the developers have promised future updates and additional content, keeping the game’s potential alive. The foundation is solid, but there’s ample room for growth and refinement, ensuring players have much to look forward to as the game expands.

It’s an Ugly Planet; A Bug Planet!

I’m surprised it took this long to mention the clear comparison to another ‘soldier vs. bug’ sci-fi shooter from this year, Helldivers 2. The comparison is especially fitting given that Helldivers drew heavy inspiration from Starship Troopers in its story, aesthetic, and satirical tone. Now, Starship Troopers: Extermination has made its own leap into co-op multiplayer, creating a game that mirrors the chaotic, bug-slaying action Helldivers pioneered, but with its own distinct FPS approach. This creates what I’ve dubbed ‘symbiotic influence,’ where each game draws from the other in a loop of inspiration—much like Grand Theft Auto: Vice City and the Scarface video game in the mid-2000s.

Visually, the game channels the gritty realism of the Starship Troopers film, with sprawling desolate landscapes and Arachnid swarms teeming with lifelike movement. The Carnage System further enhances immersion by leaving fallen bugs on the battlefield, adding a layer of authenticity. However, this feature can lead to performance issues, particularly in frame rate dips when the screen becomes crowded with corpses. To mitigate this, the game cleverly disperses the dead bugs by having them periodically explode into a gooey green mess during firefights, which not only preserves immersion but also alleviates the strain on system hardware’s resources. But sadly, as it stands now it sometimes still isn’t enough and I’ve experienced a myriad of technical issues ranging from collision errors to down-right crashes.

Service Guarantees Citizenship

On the auditory front, Starship Troopers: Extermination excels at immersing players in the chaotic intensity of battle. The screeching of Arachnids and the thundering pulse of your assault rifle are both sharply defined, enhancing that feeling like you’re right in the thick of it. Adding Johnny Rico’s voice to the mix brings an extra layer of authenticity, making this a wonderful (and canonical) addition to the franchise. While the music doesn’t feature specific themes from Basil Poledouris’ original score, it effectively emulates that bombastic, brassy military spirit with original compositions, creating a soundscape that feels both fresh and familiar—like a legally distinct homage.

Interestingly, despite the film’s reputation for extreme violence and gore, Starship Troopers: Extermination has earned a T for Teen rating, the gaming equivalent of a PG-13. This allows the game to maintain the intense action of the Starship Troopers universe while dialing back the explicitness, making it more accessible to a broader audience. Initially, I was concerned this would diminish the gruesomeness fans expect from the films, but the game still delivers plenty of gory action, just not with the human characters. By focusing the carnage on Arachnids, with green and orange goo splattering the battlefield instead of red blood, the game was able to sidestep a harsher rating while not losing its violent edge.

C’mon you Apes! You Wanna Live Forever?

Starship Troopers: Extermination offers a thrilling cooperative multiplayer experience, perfectly capturing the essence of its source material. As someone who typically shies away from multiplayer-centric games, often dominated by competitive PvP shooters where I struggle against more experienced players, the PvE model makes for an enticing and easily approachable alternative. For those looking for a similar experience, Starship Troopers: Extermination serves as a good alternative to Helldivers 2, especially for players who may not own the platforms where that game is available. It provides an engaging way to immerse yourself in the Starship Troopers universe, allowing players to live out the action of the movies.

While I had a great time with it, my recommendation comes with some asterisks attached. Fans of the franchise will find plenty to enjoy, but others might want to wait for a sale or for more content to be released. The developers have laid a strong foundation with their roadmap for future updates, promising to expand the game’s content and improve its mechanics. As the game continues to evolve, it holds promise for an even richer and more engaging experience that could elevate it beyond its current status. Whether you’re a veteran of the franchise or new to the universe, Starship Troopers: Extermination is a bug-squashing adventure worth considering.

To hear me talk more about Starship Troopers: Extermination, be sure to listen to the October 17, 2024 episode of The Gaming Outsider podcast around the 1:29:33 time stamp.

This review is based on an Xbox Series X/S copy of Starship Troopers: Extermination provided by Evolve PR for coverage purposes. It is also available on PlayStation 5 and PC via Steam.