To boost morale and fund the ongoing war against the Arachnids, the Earth Federation’s brightest minds developed a simulation: Starship Troopers: Ultimate Bug War! This immersive experience allows future soldiers to step into the boots of a Mobile Infantry trooper or the claws of a Bug Assassin. However, it sometimes feels as though the Arachnids themselves had a hand in designing parts of this simulation – otherwise, some of the developers’ questionable decisions are simply inexplicable.
The Human Campaign
The simulation faithfully recreates events from the film “Starship Troopers.” Before each mission, players are treated to cinematic briefings featuring General Johnny Rico and his comrades delivering rousing speeches. While Rico himself isn’t playable, you control a trooper named Samantha, whose entire campaign is dedicated to hunting down a specific Bug Assassin.
In every mission, Samantha is deployed onto a large, open map. The objectives typically involve clearing and holding territory, as well as pressing buttons – a task apparently beyond the capability of other troopers. To destroy heavily armored flak bugs, you’ll need to locate special explosives, as conventional weaponry proves ineffective.
Giant plasma bugs can only be eradicated using tactical nuclear warheads. In the initial mission, this crucial weapon is conveniently placed near your targets. However, subsequent encounters require you to lug the nuke around for extended periods; swapping to another weapon will cause your character to discard it.
Reaching your objectives often means fighting through relentless hordes of bugs, attacking in groups of 5–10. The bulk of the Arachnid army consists of familiar bug types from the film, but you’ll also encounter exceptions, such as troopers controlled by parasites. Warrior bugs and armored Centurions pose the most significant threat, while flying pests are more annoying than deadly. Tankers, despite spitting napalm, can surprisingly be taken down with a knife.
To combat these creatures, you have access to a full arsenal including assault rifles, shotguns, machine guns, sniper rifles, and some more exotic firearms. Assault rifles, machine guns, flamethrowers, and burst-fire sniper rifles prove most effective, as other weapons suffer from balance issues. A well-placed grenade can instantly obliterate a bug nest. Unfortunately, weapons and ammunition on the ground often blend into the environment, sometimes requiring you to wait for dead bug corpses to despawn before you can spot them.
Eliminating bugs triggers supply drops containing ammo, armor, and additional weapons. If you’re lucky, you might find a superweapon: a giant laser, an orbital bombardment, an electric bug zapper, or an allied mech. Some mechs are pilotable, allowing you to mow down bugs with machine gun fire or a chainsaw. After a few minutes, however, the mech runs out of fuel and self-destructs – a process that continues even if you exit the vehicle.
You can recruit other troopers to your squad and designate targets for them to attack. Their support, however, is mostly moral. These AI companions often ignore enemies until they’ve found an “optimal” position. Bugs, conversely, prioritize attacking Samantha, easily sweeping aside any human obstacles in their path.
On normal difficulty, ammunition is generally plentiful, making missions a relatively easy stroll. Dying requires a concerted effort. However, on “Citizen” difficulty, the situation drastically changes: Warrior bugs can kill you in a couple of hits, enemies are more resilient, and ammo is perpetually scarce. Any desire to play on higher difficulties is quickly squashed by incompetent allies who fail to provide adequate cover or support – often even shooting you in the back.
Missions also feature secrets that can impact gameplay. In one cave, I discovered an Easter egg from the film, activating which significantly increased the level of gore.
The Bug Campaign
The simulation allows you to truly think like a bug, ostensibly to better understand how to destroy them. Across five thrilling missions, you get to control a Bug Assassin, and the experience is an absolute blast!
The Assassin can mutate into three distinct forms:
- **Winged Form:** Allows you to soar into the air to scout enemy positions.
- **Warrior Form:** Perfect for tearing enemies apart in brutal melee combat.
- **Tank Form:** Enables you to douse enemies in napalm, though this weapon requires in-combat reloading.
These missions quickly devolve into a joyous rampage of destruction. You can dive from the sky onto unsuspecting foes, systematically dismantling their bases. You’ll need to breach gates and destroy turrets, clearing a path for your fellow bugs. In combat, you receive support from a swarm of warrior bugs and all the special bug types encountered in the human campaign, including other Bug Assassins.
Ironically, it’s in the bug campaign that humans become surprisingly competent; if you’re not careful, they can swiftly deal with your Assassin. This forces tactical thinking and strategic retreats to nests that restore health and armor.
Diagnosis
It’s clear that the developers poured significant effort into making Starship Troopers: Ultimate Bug War! a unique experience. The high-quality cinematics, large-scale battles, and readily available superweapons make the action on screen feel epic and truly patriotic.
However, it’s a shame that the human campaign’s gameplay mechanics often leave you asking, “Why are you doing this to me?” Players constantly grapple with the sheer ineptitude of both allies and enemies, alongside numerous frustrating minor issues. Sometimes, weapons and ammo are incredibly difficult to spot, while other times you encounter blocked pathways to crucial objectives, forcing lengthy detours. And who thought it was a good idea to make a mech self-destruct when it runs out of fuel?!?
Conversely, the bug campaign is so exceptionally good that the game is worth launching solely for it. Finally, a Starship Troopers project lets you play as the Arachnids! And you’re not just any bug, but a cunning and powerful Assassin who leaves humanity with virtually no chance.