New Starship Troopers FPS transforms Helldivers 2 into a '90s boomer shooter, and you can play a demo right now

Helldivers 2 was a fantastic surprise that elevated the bug-blasting genre to new heights. I loved Arrowhead’s top-down original, but its escalation into a full-scale 3D shooter absolutely blew me away, keeping everything that made the first special. With that said, what I’ve seen of Starship Troopers: Ultimate Bug War makes a similarly strong first impression. Its more stylized, retro boomer-shooter aesthetics feel like I’ve been teleported to a world where Helldivers 2 came out in the late ’90s, but at a level of scale and spectacle that would have been impossible at the time.

Starship Troopers: Ultimate Bug War is pitched by developer Auroch Digital as “the most realistic depiction of war ever made.” That’s of course meant in the tongue-in-cheek tone that made the movie so beloved, but I genuinely do love how good this new FPS looks in motion. Dropped into the boots of Major Samantha ‘Sammy’ Dietz, you’re tasked with liberating the shores of Zegema Beach from the Arachnid menace.

With hordes of bugs of all varieties pouring in across the land and from the air, you’re going to be kept on your toes from the get-go, and the open environments and battlefields invite you to tackle objectives as you see fit. Dietz starts out armed with the iconic Morita Mk1 assault rifle, and accompanied by infantry support, but Auroch promises “plenty more tools for you to find on the battlefield”, including the likes of the bipedal M7 Razorback mech.

Naturally, there’s also the option to call in tactical support with drops that will unleash death from above to help quell the rising tide of bugs. And it wouldn’t be Starship Troopers without the return of Johnny Rico, portrayed in glorious FMV form by the returning Casper Van Dien, who is joined by Charlotta Mohlin (Immortality, Agents of SHIELD) as Major Dietz. With the release date now locked in, Auroch has dropped a new demo onto Steam, letting you dive straight into Zegema Beach to see what’s on offer.

Starship Troopers: Ultimate Bug War launches Monday March 16 on Steam. You can download the demo for free now to get an early taste of the action.

Helldivers 2 is doing some great things right now, but it’s a game that really thrives on co-op play, and trying to dive into solo missions can feel rather overwhelming. Ultimate Bug War is the alternative option I didn’t know I needed: a dedicated, single-player twist on the format, set in the series that was such a key inspiration for Arrowhead’s games, and dripping with retro style.