Starship Troopers: Extermination – Critique

If you are a dedicated Starship Troopers enthusiast, it is likely that I have fought alongside you in the initial stages of Starship Troopers: Extermination’s early access release on the battlefield of Valaka. For those familiar with Casper Van Dien, the challenging grind, few objectives, and traditional shooting style did not discourage us from participating. Working collectively to fight hordes of bugs, construct a base, and escape safely was undeniably appealing. For those who do not, there might not be a compelling reason to visit at this time.

Years later, the danger from the arachnid species remains a constant threat to humanity after the events of Paul Verhoeven’s iconic science fiction film, Starship Troopers. Interested in learning more? Extermination doesn’t offer much in terms of story, but it does depict what it would be like if you and 15 others were thrown into chaos. While the conclusion may not be definitive, the addition of base-building mechanics brings an intriguing tower defense twist to an otherwise simple run-and-gun game.

I believe the main disappointment with Extermination from the start is that, despite visually resembling the 1997 film, it lacks any of the critical depth. References to the movie are abundant, from the soldiers’ equipment to the loud news bulletins during each new round, as well as the soundtrack, but the similarities are mostly superficial. Some might say the retro shooter vibe (without auto health regeneration or fast movement) and required friendly fire could be interpreted as satire, but that interpretation seems far-fetched.

Lacking a narrative, players simply arrive to repeatedly shoot bugs, without challenging the monotonous gameplay common in team shooters like the movie did for war movies. This would probably satisfy fans who are extremely devoted to the Starship Trooper series, but given the brand’s history of using genre cliches to critique society, it seems like a significant missed chance.

At the start of early access, there are two types of missions that can be completed. One option is Attack and Secure (AAS), which provides your team with quicker, more agile goals to capture and maintain different locations across the map. I discovered that they were lighter, faster fights yet also vulnerable to strange glitches (excluding those attempting to harm you). An example would be to secure and manage ore refineries that generate a tank to be escorted to base every half a minute. A single processor can perform this task a few times before requiring a brief cooling period. It’s not an issue if you possess.

The ARC mission type focuses on keeping the main objective stationary while extracting resources from different locations on the map to power it. More coordination is needed as you interact with combat and building mechanics more often. However, it is restricted by a certain account level that I had to spend approximately an hour and a half playing the game to reach in order to unlock it, which appears excessive considering it only grants access to half of the available content.

Both mission types require your team to protect an asset from waves of bug invaders by constructing a base around it. There are currently five kinds of bugs, but three of them essentially function as the same type of melee warrior in terms of how you handle them. The gunner and grenadier are not commonly seen and add a new twist to the mix, as their abilities to attack from afar are always top priorities in combat.

In addition to having the same bugs in the menu, both types of missions also have similar sub-objectives, so you will be doing mostly the same tasks in either mode. I liked AAS mode mostly because any extra tactical aspect that ARC mode introduces reveals the limited options available in Extinction.

Creating structures in the game is easy with the simple base-building systems. You can effortlessly construct walls, bunkers, and gun turrets by placing a template and using your repair tool to fabricate the piece. The good thing about that intuitive nature is that there is not much time to hesitate or make mistakes when fixing or reconstructing defenses that are being attacked by bugs. You will need to work together with your team to plan how to arrange your base, as everything relies on teamwork.

After the ARC completes its mission (or is destroyed prematurely), there is a hurried race towards a pickup location, where self-respawning is turned off and the bugs reproduce in larger quantities. The escape dashes consistently convey a sense of urgency and risk, creating a high-stakes situation each time, with the reward for a successful extraction being more meta progression points than dying in action.

It is very easy to die while combatting in Extermination. Your weapons are sufficient for eliminating bugs, but even groups of 16 players can be powerless against the overwhelming size of the bug threat. The Operator class is the most valuable out of the three in Early Access because healing is expensive and trying to revive fallen soldiers without their drone is usually not worth the risk.

The Hunter and Bulwark classes also have distinctive elements in their jetpack and deployable mobile fortifications, but they lack the same apparent usefulness as the healer. Additionally, their offensive strengths do not set them apart from each other until you progress further in their technology advancements, which restricts access to their distinct weapons and passive benefits through experience points requirements. After playing for about 15 hours, I have reached tier 6 for the Hunter and Operator classes. This allows me to access another primary and secondary weapon option, equip a perk, and have additional gear such as thermal mines in addition to regular grenades. My tier 11 Bulwark is beginning to excel in its role, able to support itself by deploying stun gates or delivering powerful blows with the Nuclear Det Pack. Classes reach their maximum tier.

During gameplay in Extermination, the massive map hosts numerous bugs and players simultaneously without any major instability issues. It’s not without glitches – I’ve encountered some terrain issues – but the main bugs I consistently faced were the large explosion type. The menus in the lobby can be quite annoying: Your loadouts and gameplay settings reset every time you leave and start again, therefore you will have to re-equip your weapons and perks and adjust your mouse sensitivity and sound preferences at the start of every session. This is incredibly irritating.

The final decision reached.

The early access version of Starship Troopers: Extermination may be lacking in content, but it effectively portrays a large group of marines battling an overpowering alien bug force. Constructing fortifications adds a strategic element to the gameplay as you defend against the enemies and await an exciting extraction. With that being said, my advice for those who are hesitant to abandon their current favorite game and join is to wait and observe how early access progresses throughout the upcoming year. The construction mechanics are sturdy and introduce a fresh element to the cooperative squad shooter category, but you will soon tire of it and be forced to repetitively complete the same missions many times to unlock new class abilities. With enough time, Extermination has the potential to be the top bug-squashing game for large groups. However, in its current early stage, soldiers can perish on their own in this mobile game.