Video game history is rife with disappointing movie adaptations. As a general rule, a game that shares a title with a film is almost guaranteed to be a garbage-tier cash grab. So too is anything with the words “Starship Troopers” in the title, made after 1997. For a studio to produce an exception, all they need to do is make something adequate.
When I previewed Starship Troopers: Ultimate Bug War last month, I was mildly shocked. It wasn’t just adequate — it was pretty good. I came away expecting a solid, story-light retro shooter that tone-matches Paul Verhoeven’s satirical masterpiece.
It had everything a fan could want: hordes of arachnids to explode into glorious pixelated bursts of rainbow-colored ooze; swelling orchestral music to complement the patriotic battle cries and death rattles of my teammates; Casper Van Dien in battle dress uniform. What I appreciated most was that it didn’t seem too concerned with the story. Only vibes.