For some stories, jumping media from the big screen to game narrative can be a challenge.
Title: Starship Troopers: Ultimate Bug War!
Genres: FPS
Released: March 16, 2026
Developer: Auroch Digital
Available on: Xbox Series X|S
Price: $24.99
Xbox Play Anywhere: ❌
Xbox Game Pass: ❌
Locking down the original source’s tone, themes, and plot points in a way that still makes for a compelling gameplay loop is often where developers stumble.
But when it comes to Starship Troopers: Ultimate Bug War!, that wasn’t a problem for developers Auroch Digital and the publishing team at Dotemu.
Starship Troopers: Ultimate Bug War! is a retro-inspired first-person shooter based on the beloved Starship Troopers franchise — a military sci-fi movie from the 90s inspired by a book from the 50s that went on to spawn a series of films and animated shows.
Starship Troopers’ satirical take on a militaristic government and a world where hyperpatriotism runs rampant has inspired a plethora of video games over the last 30 years, including popular shooters like Helldivers 2.
Like its source material, Starship Troopers: Ultimate Bug War! shoehorns together intense patriotism and military activities, with the game itself serving as a meta in-joke for its role as propaganda.
This game within a game is set up as being the official game from FedDev, a state-sponsored software developer for the United Citizen Federation — a militaristic government set in a distant future that prioritizes patriotism over all else.
Players will step into the shoes of Major Samantha “Sammy” Dietz as she relives her role in the Federation fighting back an arachnid invasion from the planet of Klendathu. Major Dietz is joined by General Johnny Rico, and the two act out an interview about the invasion as part of the supporting propaganda for the in-universe game.
These sequences play out as FMVs, live action footage cut in alongside retro web elements that call back to the internet of the late 90s, with calls to action for the player to learn more about the Federation and its goals in stopping the spread of the arachnid menace.
These FMV sequences serve as exposition and narrative devices, while the actual gameplay for Starship Troopers: Ultimate Bug War! leans more into a boomer-shooter aesthetic with flat, 2D sprite-based teammates and enemies set against a low-poly environment.
Players select the human storyline to experience the events from Major Dietz’s perspective, from starting out in basic training to experiencing tragedy caused by the arachnid swarm.
Each mission features a three-objective structure on a semi-open map that allows the player to carry out the required tasks at their own pace and in whatever order they prefer. Mission challenges include taking out arachnid nests to minimize the swarms as well as other tasks like destroying unique bug types using specialized equipment ranging from mighty bipedal mechs to full on nukes.
Classic Starship Trooper weapons like the Morita rifle are also available, as well as support equipment like airdrops and grenades.
Starship Troopers: Ultimate Bug War! Offers multiple accessibility and difficulty settings to make the game more approachable for players of all skill levels, including surprising features like God Mode and Infinite Ammo to help take off some of the pressure of the battle.
With each level of the human storyline missions that the player completes, additional missions unlock — both for the human story and the arachnids. That’s right, you can take control of the bugs in a parallel third-person campaign that lets you inflict horror on the Federation for yourself.
If you’re looking for a funny but challenging nostalgia trip that’s oozing satire while staying faithful to its source material, Starship Troopers: Ultimate Bug War! Is likely to check all your boxes. Finishing this single player boomer shooter gives you the right to say, “I did my part!”
