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Starship Troopers: Ultimate Bug War!

Starship Troopers: Ultimate Bug War! Game Cover
93%Game Brain Score
story, gameplay
replayability, stability
95% User Score Based on 562 reviews
Critic Score 80%Based on 1 reviews

Platforms

Xbox Series X|SPCPlaystation 5XboxWindowsPlayStationNintendo Switch 2
Starship Troopers: Ultimate Bug War! Game Cover

About

Starship Troopers: Ultimate Bug War! is a single player action game. It was developed by Auroch Digital and was released on March 16, 2026. It received mostly positive reviews from critics and overwhelmingly positive reviews from players.

Lock and load into the Starship Troopers universe and join the Mobile Infantry in the most realistic depiction of war ever made! Experience an original story in this action-packed, first-person retro shooter. Would you like to know more?

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95%
Audience ScoreBased on 562 reviews
story48 positive mentions
stability5 negative mentions

  • Faithfully captures the tone, satire, and aesthetics of the original Starship Troopers movie with campy live-action cutscenes featuring Casper Van Dien.
  • Fun, fast-paced retro-style first-person shooter gameplay with a variety of weapons, open mission structure, and intense bug combat.
  • Includes a unique bug campaign allowing players to control an Arachnid with different abilities, adding gameplay variety.
  • Relatively short campaign length with limited mission variety results in low replay value unless seeking secrets or harder difficulties.
  • Friend and enemy AI are criticized as dumb and unhelpful, with squadmates often hindering the player or ignoring threats.
  • Some players find the writing and female protagonist's voice annoying or cringe-worthy; lack of multiplayer or co-op modes is also noted.
  • story
    241 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The story is a basic, satirical take on the Starship Troopers universe that features entertaining FMV cutscenes and references to the original movie's tone, but is often described as short, repetitive, and somewhat disjointed in narrative pacing. While the human missions offer some enjoyable context and style, many find the bug missions less engaging and lacking depth, serving more as fun but simplistic breaks from the main campaign. Overall, the story supports the game's gameplay well enough but leaves players wanting more variety and a longer, more cohesive narrative experience.

    • “It really captures the satire of the original movie, and there's plenty of secrets to incentivise replaying missions.”
    • “The story during the missions is basic, but you are rewarded by great FMV cutscenes between the missions that were totally worth it for me.”
    • “Through mission briefings, in-world broadcasts, and occasional appearances from familiar figures, the story frames the conflict in a way that mirrors the franchise’s propaganda-heavy style.”
    • “The missions are very samey, not a lot of variety and the assassin bug missions are awful, very spammy with combat and objectives.”
    • “The game gives you almost everything you'll be doing and experiencing in the first mission, and all levels are large outdoor environments with scattered objectives, but it makes it feel a bit samey. It would have been better to differentiate missions more with varied focus like vehicle-only, underground labyrinth, horror atmosphere, or clear battleline pushing.”
    • “Another criticism is the inclusion of the Buenos Aires missions, which feel shoehorned in as an intermission with little fanfare or explanation, disrupting the narrative flow between missions.”
  • gameplay
    91 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay is widely praised for its fast-paced, fun, and nostalgic feel reminiscent of early 2000s and mid-90s FPS shooters, with punchy weapons and varied mechanics notably in the bug missions. While not highly innovative, it offers enjoyable shooting, smooth movement, and a solid balance of chaos and strategy, enhanced by unlockable modifiers and distinct human and bug campaigns. Some critiques note repetitiveness and limited mission variety, but overall the gameplay is seen as the game's standout feature, delivering an engaging, focused experience true to the Starship Troopers spirit.

    • “The missions are surprisingly open-ended and offer a decent sandbox in how to approach each encounter, and the shooting mechanics have some great feedback and game feel.”
    • “The gameplay is fast and smooth.”
    • “Gameplay is tight and fun.”
    • “The total gameplay length is just little over 6 hours for me, but that's no problem because the missions started to feel repetitive by the end.”
    • “The setting, audio, the overall theme is awesome because Starship Troopers rocks but the gameplay just feels so average, especially after a couple levels.”
    • “The gameplay doesn't really set it apart from any other FPS game.”
  • graphics
    38 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics feature a nostalgic retro style reminiscent of late 90s to early 2000s games, blending 2D sprites and 3D models to create a unique, somewhat soft and muted aesthetic that evokes classic shooters like Quake and early PlayStation titles. While not AAA-level, this budget-conscious design is praised for its charm, effective art style, and fitting alignment with the game's humor and themes. Overall, the visuals successfully support the gameplay experience by delivering a distinct, vintage atmosphere that appeals to fans of classic FPS games.

    • “The visuals have a fantastic retro feel, blending 3D models with 2D backgrounds to create a stylish mix of classic and modern graphics.”
    • “Graphically looks really great, with 3D models where appropriate and 2D images for background elements, combining into a retro-ish game that manages to look modern and very cool style-wise.”
    • “Really love that in a sea of retro boomer shooters, this one forgoes the overused 16-bit era and instead looks like it was released on the PS2; the visuals really remind me of the original Red Faction.”
    • “The graphics are budget looking and the audio is budget, but in a great almost nod to nostalgia.”
    • “With graphics like this I'd expect more than 20 models in a single fight, but they had to fake the hordes.”
    • “Judging by the art style, this should look crisp and clean, but instead it has that smeared, soft look over everything that makes the image feel muddy.”
  • humor
    27 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's humor effectively captures the satirical and over-the-top tone of the 1997 Starship Troopers movie, with live-action cutscenes and showy patriotism delivering consistent laughs and nostalgic 90s charm. While some find the writing and humor hit-or-miss, most praise its faithful adaptation of the film's dark, ironic wit and enjoy the cheesy, playful atmosphere throughout. Overall, the humor is a standout feature that complements the gameplay and appeals to fans of the source material.

    • “Again, just like Robocop Rogue City, this game perfectly adapts the humor and satire of Starship Troopers (the movies, not the book). As a result, it's one of the funniest games I've ever played.”
    • “The game matches the tone and atmosphere of the movie perfectly. Almost each mission has a hilarious propaganda commercial and over-the-top patriotism. It's the game I always wanted as a kid.”
    • “The live-action actors nail the humor of the universe perfectly. There's a recruitment ad meant to convince me to invest in my own future grave plot.”
  • optimization
    16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Optimization feedback is mixed, with many users reporting smooth, stable performance and high frame rates on capable systems, while some experience significant performance issues that hinder gameplay. Complaints often stem from lower-end hardware, and those without posted specs are advised to be disregarded. Overall, the game runs well on well-equipped PCs but may require optimization improvements for broader hardware compatibility.

    • “Performance is very smooth as well.”
    • “Performance is a super stable 120fps on my RTX 3080.”
    • “Performance is great, the game runs flawlessly on my system and I couldn't even hear the fans spinning.”
    • “I was actually excited to play this, but the performance killed it almost immediately.”
    • “For a game like this, that level of performance is embarrassing.”
    • “Maybe I would give it another shot if they fix the optimization, but right now that is the main issue.”
  • music
    15 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in the game is generally well-received, with many praising its quality and fitting atmosphere, though some find it forgettable or wish it included iconic tracks from the original movie. Weapon sounds are crisp, but certain audio elements lack impact. Overall, the soundtrack complements the game's experience, despite some missed opportunities for nostalgic tunes.

    • “The weapon sounds are crisp, the music is good too.”
    • “Great soundtrack that hits the original score's hand in a high five.”
    • “The game itself performs beautifully, the music is inspiring, and there are some nice accessibility options to customize your game experience.”
    • “I wish some of the guns had a bit more oomph, and the lack of Klendathu Drop was disappointing (I guess using the official soundtrack was too expensive).”
    • “The music is forgettable.”
    • “If they had the music from the first movie, this game would have been like 90% perfect.”
  • replayability
    13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game offers moderate replayability primarily through higher difficulty runs, secret cheats, and bonus missions, but its relatively short length limits long-term engagement. Players appreciate the fun and smooth gameplay, yet many desire additional modes like horde, survival, or random mission generators to extend replay value. Overall, replayability depends on how much one values completing all secrets and challenges beyond the main campaign.

    • “Amazing secrets add replayability.”
    • “Not a long game, but a fun ride and highly replayable for the sake of fun and moderately open-ended missions.”
    • “It isn't long, it can be finished in maybe 4 to 5 hours, but difficulty levels, bonus missions, and high score challenges add replay value.”
    • “Then, unless you do a second playthrough specifically to get all secrets or complete the game on citizen difficulty, there really isn't any replay value.”
    • “I basically finished it in 2 sittings and it has no replay value.”
    • “I really hope they add some kind of horde or survival mode so you can have more replayability.”
  • atmosphere
    13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game effectively captures the chaotic, militaristic atmosphere and tone of the movie, with immersive level design, distinct environments, and lively audio that bring players into the intense bug war experience. While each mission is artistically crafted and faithful to the film’s vibe, some players find the gameplay repetitive due to mission similarity and feel the plot and script can detract from the otherwise strong atmosphere. Overall, it stands out compared to previous adaptations for its authentic and engaging ambiance.

    • “The game matches the tone and atmosphere of the movie perfectly, with hilarious propaganda commercials and over-the-top patriotism. It's the game I always wanted as a kid.”
    • “Each level's design and atmosphere sucks you in, making you feel immersed from the get-go.”
    • “Audio design plays a major role, with constant chatter of troopers, skittering bugs, and thunderous heavy weaponry creating a chaotic and militaristic atmosphere.”
    • “The game gives you in the first proper mission (post tutorial) almost everything you'll be doing and experiencing. All levels are large 99% outdoor environments with objectives scattered around, bug nests, human tents (NPC spawn points), weapon caches, and you get to drive the M7 mech in every mission. This repetitive design makes it feel a bit samey. It would have been better to differentiate missions more, such as having one focused almost solely on vehicle use where being on foot is borderline suicide, another mission focused on running around underground labyrinthine bug tunnels with limited support and a more horror atmosphere, or another mission with a clear battleline pushing from one end of the map to another like crossing no man's land. Instead, the current scattered feel where everyone is everywhere — bugs as well as humans — detracts from the atmosphere.”
    • “We have Terran Ascendancy (2000), which is an okay tactical RTS game but doesn't have the atmosphere of the movie. The same goes for Starship Troopers (2005), a tolerable FPS but again doesn't hit the mark.”
    • “”
  • stability
    8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game generally runs smoothly and performs well on devices like the Steam Deck, with no major complaints about stability. However, some players have encountered bugs such as freezing on load screens, clipping issues, framerate drops, and occasional sound glitches, which can impact the overall experience.

    • “This game is amazing, runs great, and honestly can't complain about that.”
    • “Runs great!”
    • “Fun and runs great on Steam Deck.”
    • “It freezes on the load screen.”
    • “For some reason I noticed it's quite buggy when trying to throw a grenade into a tanker (like Rico did in the first movie). It was easy in the demo, but I've had clipping issues and the tankers can glide along the floor, which is ridiculous.”
    • “Playing it on Steam Deck, I had some framerate drops in training, a ton more in mission 1 combat, even glitches with the sound effects. It was with great anxiety I lowered my settings, and everything now looks and plays beautiful.”
  • grinding
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players find the grinding in the game tedious and repetitive, particularly during high-difficulty bug missions that involve monotonous back-and-forth tasks like healing and destroying buildings. The grind feels like endless, uninspired fetch quests, detracting from the overall experience.

    • “I also find the bug missions horrendously tedious on high difficulty because it's just a back and forth between heal and take out a building, back to heal, take out a building.”
    • “And the only thing I found tedious was playing Zegema Beach from the demo again with nothing really changing that much (besides your allies taking a few more hits than in the demo).”
    • “This "ultimate bug war" is just endless, grindy fetch quests, making the film look like a masterpiece while the game feels like it was coded and designed by actual "brain" bugs.”
  • monetization
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The monetization strategy relies heavily on satirical propaganda-themed advertising embedded in the game, which some players find cringe-worthy but tolerable due to its intent. However, users suggest waiting for significant discounts or obtaining the game from third-party key sites for better value, implying that the current pricing may not fully justify the game's shortcomings and content quality.

    • “The game feels like a fake ad, and it's better to wait for a bigger sale or get it from a key site.”
    • “Advertising promised the ability to play as bugs, but we only get one bug that looks like a flying purple turd.”
    • “The movie's female dialogue is often cringe-worthy, and it would have been great if we could choose between male or female characters instead of being forced to play as a female.”
  • emotional
    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Users note that the emotional moments, such as those in the Buenos Aires levels, add depth to the game and raise questions about its intent, suggesting it conveys genuine emotional experiences beyond potential propaganda.

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3h Median play time
4h Average play time
2-8h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 4 analyzed playthroughs
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Frequently Asked Questions

Starship Troopers: Ultimate Bug War! is a action game.

Starship Troopers: Ultimate Bug War! is available on Xbox Series X|S, PC, PlayStation 5, Windows and others.

On average players spend around 4 hours playing Starship Troopers: Ultimate Bug War!.

Starship Troopers: Ultimate Bug War! was released on March 16, 2026.

Starship Troopers: Ultimate Bug War! was developed by Auroch Digital.

Starship Troopers: Ultimate Bug War! has received mostly positive reviews from players and mostly positive reviews from critics. Most players liked this game for its story but disliked it for its replayability.

Starship Troopers: Ultimate Bug War! is a single player game.

Similar games include Starship Troopers: Terran Command, Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun, Prodeus, Starship Troopers: Extermination, Wolfenstein: The New Order and others.