There’s quite a bit of map variety to be found, with the game taking us all around The Federation’s expansive presence. There are ruined cities, industrial zones, infested wastelands, and tropical islands, all of which you’re going to be protecting against the bugs in a gameplay loop that’s quite fast-paced and chaotic. We’ve been pretty impressed by our time with it, and it’s quite easy to recommend to you boomer shooter fans out there.

The trailer also gives you a glance into the Assassin bug’s gameplay, and it’s quite the power trip thanks to the bug’s ability to tear through The Federation’s rank and file with brutal ease. It’s bound to keep you entertained with all that its various modes bring to the table, aside from playing as Federation soldiers and taking on an onslaught of arachnids and other insects that are trying to swarm you, overwhelming you with superior numbers.

You’re far from helpless, though, as you strike at them from land and sky with a variety of cool weapons, all of which come to life in a refreshingly retro art style. It’s available for the PS5, PC, Nintendo Switch 2, and Xbox Series X|S. Check out our review.

First and foremost, one of the most fun things about Starship Troopers: Ultimate Bug War! is its presentation. Even with its main menu, Auroch Digital has focused on recreating a fun interface where, rather than simply picking from a list of options for “New Game”, you get to click on various parts of your home base to access the appropriate sub menus. This is also where you get the first major twist of the game: there are separate modes for playing as humans and as the bugs. But we’ll get to that aspect later on.

"While ostensibly a boomer shooter, Starship Troopers: Ultimate Bug War! takes its game design cues from more recent releases."

As for the game itself, its story revolves around essentially being a work of interactive propaganda. Various cutscenes from throughout the game—fully acted out by real people—make no secret of Ultimate Bug War being an in-universe game that was released by the Federation to further boost enlistment efforts in the never-ending war against bugs. To achieve this, the main plot is structured around being like a loose parody of old-school action movies, complete with all the violence and melodrama that was endemic to the genre.

While ostensibly a boomer shooter, Starship Troopers: Ultimate Bug War! takes its game design cues from more recent releases. Its structure, while still level-based, revolves around throwing you into larger levels with a number of different objectives that you are then encouraged to tackle in just about any order you might want. All of these objectives tend to be part of a larger overarching plot about how the Federation is on the back foot thanks to the bugs being on the offensive, and culminate in a larger setpiece-styled objective that caps off the level.

The second-to-second gameplay is just about what you’d expect: fast-paced action that will keep you on your toes thanks to the tendency of the bugs to surround you from just about every direction. Since Starship Troopers: Ultimate Bug War! is a callback to an older style of shooter, there is also no regeneration for your health or shields. If you run low on either, you’ll either have to explore the map to find pickups, or call down some supplies. The combat never really gets boring thanks to enemy health being in a good spot between tanky and fragile. Most standard enemies, like warrior bugs, will go down in around 15 bullets from your full-auto gun. More specialized bugs, however, like tankers or archers, will take up more of your ammo.

Enemy variety is also decent, with the game constantly throwing a mix of warrior bugs and aphids to constantly chase you down for melee attacks, while archers will often take up vantage points at a distance to bombard you with projectiles. Every once in a while, you’ll also get to fight much more challenging enemies, like centurions or tankers, that will require more in the way of tactics. These fights can often become frantic enough to force you into using up your more powerful attacks, like an airstrike, or the last bit of ammo in your high-power sniper rifle.

"The second-to-second gameplay is just about what you’d expect: fast-paced action that will keep you on your toes thanks to the tendency of the bugs to surround you from just about every direction."

Speaking of which, there are plenty of weapons and toys to play with. Missions will throw you into a map with nothing more than a Morita Assault Rifle with an underslung shotgun for some extra support. Exploring the map, however, will often result in more choices, which can range from carbines to burst-fire rifles, sniper rifles, or my personal favorite, the shotgun. Starship Troopers: Ultimate Bug War! is one of those games where shotguns feel incredibly satisfying to use thanks to a mix of sound design, visual feedback, and the fact that they can take out most warrior bugs in a single shot. While you can only have two regular weapons equipped at any given time, you also get a third slot dedicated to special weapons. While also fun to use, the implementation of these special weapons is one of my major gripes with the gameplay.

Whenever you pick one up, you HAVE to use it. You can’t put it away for the time being and switch to your regular weapons to clear out hordes of standard enemies. Switching weapons will make you drop the special one, and while this would be fine in any other game, the sheer amount of chaos and bloodshed you experience in a typical encounter in Starship Troopers: Ultimate Bug War! means that you’ll also ultimately misplace it. This means that either you have to spend precious time to find a good, memorable hiding place for your special weapons while hordes of warriors and aphids are at your heels, or you’ll simply have to use it up to deal with the current threat, rather than saving it for a tanker or something.

Movement is another area where Starship Troopers: Ultimate Bug War! seems to have a mechanic in place just for the sake of being an annoyance to players. While running and jumping around as you would in a boomer shooter typically works fine, there’s also a sprint button that allows you to cover large distances more quickly. However, the sprint is tied to a stamina bar, which, when depleted, knocks you back into your regular running speed.

While far from a bad mechanic on its own, the annoying part is the fact that leaving the sprint key alone results in all of your stamina regenerating in a second or two. This means that, every ten seconds or so, you’ll simply have to stop sprinting for a quick moment before you can continue along your way. Again, this wouldn’t really be an issue in a game designed around more linear levels. However, the large, open maps of Starship Troopers: Ultimate Bug War! means that your attempts to get to the next objective are slowed down just enough to be a minor annoyance that constantly claws at you.

"Starship Troopers: Ultimate Bug War! is one of those games where shotguns feel incredibly satisfying to use"

The bug missions, on the other hand, don’t really offer any real annoyances. However, the missions are incredibly short, often lasting for little more than ten minutes at a time, and seem to be designed around giving you a break from the more stress-inducing human missions. The bug missions put you in the role of a simulated “Assassin bug”, which can seemingly take down hordes of Federation soldiers without much effort. Missions are mostly unlocked every time you finish a few human ones, and will allow you to roam around in the same maps, albeit in an empowered form, complete with transformations that allow you to switch between Warrior, Hopper, and Tanker forms. The missions are largely just a drawn-out power fantasy, and even in terms of the story, the “Assassin bug” is hinted to be yet another form of Federation propaganda to inspire more players to enlist.

On the technical side of things, Starship Troopers: Ultimate Bug War! is a well-made game, and considering its lo-fi visual style that melds 3D environments with 2D artwork depicting humans and bugs alike, I was able to maintain a solid frame rate of 144 FPS throughout my time with it. The game was tested on a PC running on an AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D CPU with 32 GB of DDR5-6000 RAM, and a Radeon RX 7800 XT GPU with 16 GB of VRAM.

Starship Troopers: Ultimate Bug War! is an incredibly fun shooter that makes use of several mechanics that have been popularized by titles like Helldivers 2. The title offers a variety of difficulty options, which ensures that just about anyone can have fun with it, and the variety in missions, as well as the overall framing of the game’s story, made all the time I spent with it quite enjoyable. Even the campaign’s pacing is quite well done, breaking up the more intense human missions with power fantasy bug missions that allow you to essentially just go on a rampage through maps that you had to shoot and claw your way through.

This game was reviewed on PC.

John Rico returns in the trailer to tell you that to fight the bugs as effectively as you can, you need to understand how they operate. That’s going to be a fascinating study that starts with the Assassin bug, a deadly Arachnid that is as effective at range as it is in melee combat, and can cover large distances with its wings. You just need to master its three unique modes to sow chaos among any Troopers unfortunate enough to face you on the battlefield.

For those of you who haven’t yet heard of this one, it’s an inventive FPS title from Auroch Digital (known for Warhammer 40000: Boltgun) that we think you should watch out for when it releases on March 16th for PS5, PC, Xbox Series X/S, and Nintendo Switch 2. If the thought of getting to play as the Arachnids hasn’t convinced you, the full trailer is below for you to check out.

Crimson Desert

The big one, with arguably the most hype, is Crimson Desert. It’s been a long journey towards release, and no matter how many interviews or videos we see, it has something new to reveal every time. Can it meet all the hype? Maybe. Maybe not. One thing that’s for sure is we’re looking forward to scouring Pywel for secrets, learning the ins and outs of each character’s fighting style, and wreaking havoc with our favorite mech/dragon/bear mount when it launches on March 19th.

Pokémon Pokopia

A Ditto imitating a human deciding to open a farm and bring on other Pokémon to help from the team behind Dynasty Warriors – sounds about right. Far be it from Pokémon Pokopia, out on March 5th, to just be Nintendo’s take on “Palworld” but with a 20 to 40 hour story, post-game content and even four-player co-op, there should be just enough to hold you over until the next generation arrives.

Marathon

Even as a Destiny player who’s been disappointed by many Bungie decisions over the years, I have to admit – Marathon doesn’t look half-bad. Maybe it’s because the six Runner Shells actually have compelling kits, or due to the quality of life features, or the killer presentation – from that sick match loading screen to the extraction. Either way, Marathon should have some impact when it launches on March 5th – whether Bungie can keep that going is another issue.

Planet of Lana 2: Children of the Leaf

Following up on the original’s gorgeous hand-painted aesthetic and environmental storytelling, Children of the Leaf promises to be even bigger and more mysterious. Which is all well and good, but it’s also packing plenty of new mechanics, including expanded traversal options. If it can mirror the original’s cinematic excellence, Planet of Lana 2 could very well be a dark horse when it arrives on March 5th.

Fatal Frame 2: Crimson Butterfly Remake

If Fatal Frame proves anything, it’s that the camera is sometimes mightier than the gun and also sometimes just as ineffective against angry spirits if you can’t aim right. Fortunately, Fatal Frame 2: Crimson Butterfly Remake has a lot more going for it – including a new over-the-shoulder perspective, gorgeous overhauled visuals, and new features like holding hands – perfect for trying to survive the night. It’s out on March 12th for Xbox Series X/S, PS5, PC, and Nintendo Switch 2, and even includes a new ending over the original.

John Carpenter’s Toxic Commando

There’s something about the cheesy, 80s action movie-esque mayhem that Saber brings to the table in John Carpenter’s Toxic Commando. Maybe it’s also about seeing the Swarm Engine applied to zombies, ensuring plenty of massive hordes that you don’t know whether to shoot or gawk at (the former. Always the former). After the surprisingly fun demo, we’re keen to go commando even more when the full game launches on March 12th.

Docked

Of course, Saber Interactive doesn’t just want to cater to your urge for co-op chaos. No, it also knows there’s an audience for operating big machinery and solving real-world problems, like in Docked. As the lead operator of a dock wrecked by a hurricane, it’s your job to keep the cargo moving, managing and operating heavy equipment, bringing in contracts, and building it back up. It’s out on March 5th for just $29.99 on Xbox Series X/S, PS5, and PC.

Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection

Maybe you’re interested in the antics of Azuria and Vermeil, two kingdoms at odds while the Crystal Encroachment wreaks havoc. But if you’re just here for the monsters, Monster Hunter Stories 3, launching on March 13th, has plenty to throw at you. From old-school classics like Yama Tsukami to the contemporary, Malzeno, Narwa, Ibushi and Arkveld, there is a lot to choose from. And best of all, you can obtain variants with Habitat Restoration, including a fiery Zinogre.

Starship Troopers: Ultimate Bug War!

Speaking of surprisingly fun demos, Starship Troopers may very well be back courtesy of Auroch Digital’s raucous new first-person shooter, which launches on March 16th. No building or resource collection here – it’s a straight-up, Boltgun-style retro shooter where you slay many, many bugs. Does it feel a little Helldivers-esque at times, especially with the drop pods? Well, sure, but full circle and whatnot, and how can you possibly say no to Johnny Rico himself?

GreedFall: The Dying World

The other game to drop the “2”, that too before Overwatch, is GreedFall: The Dying World. Furthermore, it’s out on March 12th, finally exiting early access after an…ambitious entry on September 24th. But there’s new content, improved combat, more companions, additional quests, and even more to come, including a PS5 and Xbox Series X/S release. Maybe it can finally redeem the GreedFall name, such as it is.

Screamer

I’ll admit to some consternation, especially after JDM: Japanese Drift Master tried to fuse manga and street racing, but Screamer is clearly on another level. Boasting anime cutscenes, multiple playable characters, and the ECHO for power-ups like Strikes and Boosts, it’s a surprisingly intriguing mix. The futuristic setting and team racing modes, where your crew can take on others, are just the icing on top when Screamer launches on March 26th.

WWE 2K26

WWE Creative being dull and CM Punk headlining a new video game – name a more iconic duo. Thankfully, the latter means a new 2K Showcase focused on his best matches and some fantasy warfare against Legends that could have been. Other notable features include the return of Inferno, I Quit and 3 Stages of Hell matches, the ability to stack tables, and over 400 characters, perhaps the largest in history (and that’s not including DLC following the post-March 13th release).

Scott Pilgrim EX

Toronto’s time-space has been messed up, with fantastical threats like Robots and Vegans laying claim to the city. Who better to fight back, other than literally anyone else, than Scott Pilgrim and friends? Following up on Scott Pilgrim Takes Off, this is a new beat ’em up from Tribute Games with seven playable fighters, four-player local and online co-op (with drop-in/drop-out supported) and a progression system centered around Badges. If you enjoyed Scott Pilgrim vs. The World: The Game, then EX may be up your alley when it launches on March 3rd.

Mega Man Star Force Legacy Collection

Following up on the well-received Battle Network Legacy Collection, Mega Man Star Force gets its own compilation on March 27th with all three titles and their versions. And considering the dozens of hours you can invest in each, complete with a new gallery and online play for battling, it may be just what the Doctor (not Wily) ordered.

Death Stranding 2: On the Beach (PC)

One of the least surprising announcements of all time – thanks ESRB and Kojima – Death Stranding 2: On the Beach nevertheless promises to be the most stunning version when it releases on March 19th. It includes Ultrawide support, upscaling and Frame Generation across DLSS 4, FSR 3 and XeSS 2.0, and even lets you enable Decima’s own Pico upscaling tech. Combine this with hardware requirements that are more than achievable – just maybe buy a new SSD – and it may very well warrant another playthrough.