Test - Starship Troopers: Extermination : Test: Only a dead bug is a good bug

In January 1998, the science fiction film Starship Troopers opened in local cinemas. It was based on the novel of the same name by Robert A. Heinlein, which was published in 1959. The film adaptation by cult director Paul Verhoeven made waves at the time. On the one hand, because of the subject matter, which only at first glance glorifies war. On the other hand, the visually stunning mass battles against the so-called bugs caused a lot of open mouths. The special effects set standards at the time. But as impressive as the film may have been back then, can the subject matter still be impressive in the 2020s? That's exactly what we wanted to know.

After about a year and a half in Early Access, the official starting shot for the multiplayer shooter Starship Troopers: Extermination was finally given. Anyone who has already played the action title from developer Offworld in the preliminary phase knows for the most part what to expect in the launch version - with one small exception. But more on that in a moment.

The scenario of the shooter is quickly explained: As in the science fiction classic from the 90s, everything revolves around the extremely bloody war between humans and an insectoid alien race, which for the sake of simplicity is simply called Bugs become. The developers did an excellent job of capturing the core of the film in the gameplay. When you and up to 15 friends go into battle against huge waves of bugs, bombs and insectoids burst all around you and a huge mountain of chitinous bodies arises, the Starship Troopers atmosphere is almost perfect.

Thanks to the quite impressive Carnage system, the lifeless bodies of the killed bugs don't just disappear, but remain where they are. Sometimes they can even be used as cover, which brings a touch of additional tactical flavor to the game.

Helldivers, is that you?

When you read the last few lines, some of you will probably raise your eyebrows. Fight against huge hordes of insectoids? Team battles on other planets? Kind of reminds me of the multiplayer shooter, which has been causing a stir since the beginning of this year.

In fact, there are some unmistakable parallels between the two games - both in terms of scenario and some gameplay elements. Even if the question of who copied from whom (well, the movie Starship Troopers is almost 30 years old...) seems a bit pointless - direct comparisons between the two games are as inevitable as they are legitimate.

To take the wind out of some questions: Helldivers 2 is the better game overall. We'll explain why this is the case in a moment. But first we want to look at the most important differences, because Starship Troopers has enough unique selling points to stand out from its competitor from Arrowhead.

We don't really need to mention the official license for the film at this point. Nevertheless, it contributes a lot to the general atmosphere of the shooter: when hundreds of smaller bugs burst around the game character or the dreaded bug tanks appear on the battlefield, you immediately get the impression of being part of the film.

At the latest in the new single player campaign, in which actor Casper Van Die accompanies you through some missions in his role as Johnny Rico, a certain Hollywood flair can no longer be denied. Speaking of single player: You shouldn't expect too much from what is probably the biggest innovation compared to the early access version. The campaign basically serves the purpose of a somewhat more extensive tutorial and is neither particularly in-depth nor outstanding. You get to know the most important gameplay elements - but there's not much more to it.

So let's turn to the real highlight of Starship Troopers - and that is without a doubt the thrilling multiplayer battles. Up to 16 players in a team compete against the hordes of bugs. The shooter gameplay is relatively simple, but that's not a bad thing. The battles are quite fun, not least because of the aforementioned Carnage system.

In addition, the individual character classes play pleasingly differently. While the sniper prefers to operate from an exposed position, the guard gets up close and personal with the enemy, while the medic concentrates on healing and reviving his comrades. In addition, a touch of tower defense comes into play when you build a rudimentary base with defensive positions and defend it from the attacks of the bugs.

Collected experience points ensure level advancements, which in turn unlock additional perks, upgrades and skins. There is therefore plenty of motivation to throw yourself into battle again and again. There are no big gameplay highlights, but it's enough to slip into the role of the intergalactic exterminator every now and then.

The bugs of the really bad kind

The graphics also leave a decent impression without completely blowing your mind. Only some of the explosions seem a bit weak, and some textures would like to look a little more detailed. It's a similar story with the soundscape, which doesn't have the big highs, but also doesn't have any catastrophic lows. Sounds like an all-round solid shooter for hours of fun, doesn't it?

Unfortunately, the developers themselves are causing one or two insect problems. Because despite the longer early access phase, there are some particularly nasty bugs that are really messing with your plans - and this time we don't mean the bugs that are coming your way. Some major technical blunders cause unnecessary frustration and sadly drag down the gaming experience.

There are always errors when finding the path of individual characters. In addition, it is annoyingly often the case that your character suddenly falls through the floor and is therefore removed from the action. In addition, there are currently very severe server lags and the associated rubber banding. In combination, these technical deficiencies turn some actually entertaining games into pure torture. The developers have to improve this as quickly as possible with the help of hotfixes and patches.