Starship Troopers: Terran Command - survival RTS from Order of Battle devs

[Parsimonious cook]

TBH fam, I will likely get this, but I would much rather see a DLC that would feature Skinnies as antagonists. That would really change things up and push the game towards some serious new ground. Oh well...

 

[Luka-boy]

"The Federation is ready to fight fire... with firepower!"

 

[Lyric Suite]

Love the visuals. Looks like a proper RTS and not some pastel mobile looking shit or some overbright clusterfuck where you can't make anything out.

It's like generic StarCraft 2 but i'll absolutely fucking take it given the alternatives.

 

[Feyd Rautha]

Available now:

 

[Storyfag]

Available now:

Well whaddya know. Just as I pressed the reaction, my random YT playlist decided to play:

 

[Alienman]

Finished the bloody but short campaign of Gehenna, so I wrote a review. You can read it here, or down below, if interested.

Spoiler

The bugs are back with a vengeance and this time they are harassing humanity on the volcanic planet of Gehenna. Raising Hell is more of the same, however with the killing now taking place in an extremely hostile environment – for both man and bug. There is more than just the mobile infantry fighting the crawly critters this time around, as private money-seeking mercenaries join in on the fun. With money being their primary concern, these units come with a different flavor. They are as good at destroying bugs as their brothers in the Marines and sometimes the promise of coin can be a potent motivator indeed.

The bug menace
In this expansion, you are not fighting for just the survival of humanity. As with everything, there are investments and money to be made – especially when you consider who is involved in this matter. Yes, you guessed it, private corporations and mercenaries. It’s a Weyland-Yutani situation, if you get my drift, with the blue-eyed Marines signing up and dying for profits. The story isn’t bad at all, even if it’s over rather quickly, because in a classic manner when it comes to this kind of story, everyone gets played for a fool while the big shot money man walks away with a smile on his face and cash in his pockets. Maybe it lands a little too close to home, but I enjoyed it.

During the story, you will shift from playing the Marines to the mercs – often on the same map too, as their objectives run parallel to each other. The leaders of each company are likable in their own way. The merc commander is only there for the money but still seems to have an honorable streak about him. The Marine Captain is a by-the-book idealist, and while seeming a little naive you can’t help to feel for the guy. The only problem with the story is that it’s way too short, but I guess you can’t expect much else from a ten 10 euro expansion. It could have used a few more missions to expand on their relationship, and maybe end a little more satisfactorily than it did. The ending kinda comes out of nowhere, but you can argue that it fits the propaganda nature of the whole franchise.

Shooting and maneuvering

The general gameplay remains the same with a big focus on positioning during the fights, and micro-management when it comes to devastating secondary attacks like throwing grenades. The difficulty is increased compared to the original campaign, which demands that you at least learn some basic micro if don’t want to turn into insect chow. Besides the amount of bugs coming to attack you through every hole and crevice on the map, the beasties have now become upgraded. Many of them got a ranged flame attack (fitting for the setting) now that easily makes human kebabs out of misplaced units. This in large changes a big part of the dynamics when it comes to the game. The original campaign mostly had enemy units that required to get within melee range to do some damage. Bugs, both on the ground and in the air now have attacks that can and will fry your men, which means that casualties will come a lot easier than before. So, you best prepare the black body bags to send home to crying mothers.

To face this threat, you will also get a few new units. Like a massive loader-robot that can tear the limbs of any bug. The mercenaries also come with their own selection of units. The mini-gunner is a real beast when it comes to mowing the insect-lawn. Some units can switch between attacks. The shotgunners either shotgun their way to victory in close quarters, or they can fill the role as grenadiers – it’s your pick, and they do it on the fly. Overall, the mercenaries have fewer men than the Marines but are much more specialized and above all tough as nails. They are real badass killing machines like Hudson would say it, which makes them the offensive choice during the fight against crawling vermin. Attack-move to win, baby!

Another danger beyond the arachnids is the volcanic environment. There are geysers that spew super-heated gasses that will melt the meat right off the bones of your men. Random volcanoes will also suddenly explode and send deadly burning rocks all over the place. Best to avoid, but you can also use these death traps to your advantage. Why not lure the bug horde into a field of geysers and let the planet do the killing for you? It saves ammo, and is fun to watch to boot! It’s a fine addition to the game that makes the chaotic battles just a little more insane.

The volcanic look
Just like the original game, Raising Hell looks great and has a wonderful scale to it. I especially liked the beginning part when you spent some time fighting on a giant space station. It looked massive and definitely felt correct size-wise. The planet Gehenna is not bad either. It’s a hellish word, filled with fire and brimstone. It just looks very hot and unpleasant. Getting signed up as a Marine to that world must be the absolute worst – acting more as a punishment than anything else. The music, voice acting, and sound are good too. It serves its job, but what was a bit odd, is that the space station and certain areas of the volcanic planet are dead-quiet when it comes to the environment. It was very notable on the space station, which made the experience there feel a bit off. Not sure if it’s a bug, or the game is just lacking ambiance sounds.

In conclusion
I liked Raising Hell. I found it to be a fun expansion, even if it was a bit short – only lasting a few hours. The story was enjoyable, and the new challenges felt appropriate to the hellish world of Gehenna. If you already own Starship Troopers: Terran Command and like the gameplay, I see no reason to not get this little expansion. Let’s hope more DLCs are coming in the future, maybe something that expands the actual RTS building part of the game, but that is probably me being way too optimistic.

Thanks for reading.

 

[Togukawa]

Nice review!

 

[BrotherFrank]

Nice pictures. It fills me with frustration. I wish there was a bug war franchise that actually appealed to me.

I cannot get into SST. Its attempts at satire are repugnant because leftists are literal nazis. I don’t care about the quality of writing, it’s still pro-nazi propaganda. I’m never giving money to psychopaths who chant “gas the jews!” while calling anyone who disagrees with them “nazis.” Seriously, wtf?

I cannot get into 40k because the tyranids are an insignificant part of it. The overwhelming majority of 40k is dedicated to circlejerking over ultrasmurfs, primarchs and other lore vomit that is utterly irrelevant to story and gameplay. 40k is one of the major reasons why I hate the entire concept of lore. It’s just a new religion to give the illusion of meaning to our worthless unhappy lives while siphoning our wallets like the parasite it is. Storytelling? Creativity? Who gives a fuck about that when you can debate irrelevant factoids like a real nerd?

I cannot get into Starcraft because the writing is easily among the most braindead nonsense I’ve ever read. That doesn’t sound like much if you’ve read your share of bad fanfiction or modern movies, but it’s millions of dollars wasted that could’ve been spent on something actually good. I guess the gameplay is functional, but it’s a video game and wouldn’t ever have been financially successful if the gameplay didn’t work.

I’d love to make my own game that caters to my tastes, but I lack any relevant skills (nor does my busy distraction-filled life afford me time or money to learn) and AI isn’t anywhere advanced enough to make entire games by itself. I’m filled with impotent frustration, existential angst, and self-loathing.

The EDF series might be up your alley, that is one bug wars franchise that really doesn’t take itself too seriously.

Otherwise can’t argue your reasons, especially when it comes to 40k, 100% understandable.

 

[Cyberarmy]

Played this one a bit yesterday and kinda liked it. At least it cured my current RTS itch, for now.
My main problem is, for a game values positioning like this, having absolutely horrible unit controls. Especially as a group. Some formations would do really good for this game.
Having human enemies is good and adds some needed variety. Satire tone is good but can be a bit overwhelming after playing for long periods.

 

[Alienman]

My main problem is, for a game values positioning like this, having absolutely horrible unit controls. Especially as a group. Some formations would do really good for this game.

Wait until Gehenna (if you got the DLC). You will be fighting on small strips of land, surrounded by lava, making positioning a real pain in the behind.

 

[Cyberarmy]

Yeah got the DLC also, that sounds like a treat...

 

[Feyd Rautha]

New DLC!

 

[Taka-Haradin puolipeikko]

 

[Alienman]

I like the city environment.

 

[Cyberarmy]

Good, main games best missions were the ones urban enviroment.

 

[Alienman]

Finished this DLC, so I wrote a review. You can read it here, or down below if interested!

Spoiler

The Mobile Infantry once again need you to help fight the invaders. They have attacked the sprawling metropolis of Mahanagar, and the local police force needs all the help they can get. Yes, we know that a flying bug snatched your arm on Kwalasha, and that lava burned off your legs on Gehenna. But we got nobody else to send, and if you don’t step up to the cause, the population of Mahanagar will perish to the ugly bugs!

Welcome to Starship Troopers: Terran Command – Urban Onslaught. As the name of the DLC might tell, this DLC is focused on claustrophobic city combat. It’s more of the same, but with new units, and a new fun campaign! So, settle up, we got more insects to squash.

Police vs. bugs
The new campaign starts with a cutscene showing a riot with former soldiers not being too happy with things. It’s a quick interesting insight into the world of Starship Troopers, because otherwise, the only thing we are served is propaganda. I thought we might be fighting rebels of some kind with the police. However, that was not to be. Shortly after the setup, our good friends, the bugs, decide to attack the city. At first, you only control police units, with the female Sergeant Keyes as the commander.

The police units are not as strong as the soldiers from the Mobile Infantry, but they have entertaining ways to make up for their lack in firepower. They use drones and riot shields to hold off the bugs, which also provides a fascinating take on the lore. Considering how these units are all pretty well armored and armed for only fighting humans. The city of Mahanagar must have serious societal problems! They also got a big bipedal robot that launches grenades and that can call for reinforcements. Talk about crowd control! Cool and fun units overall.

It turns out Sergeant Keyes have psychic abilities. She can sense the brain bug (enemy leader) and what she is up to. Soon after the initial attack, Keyes gets the requested Mobile Infantry support she wants, in the form of the badass Colonel Verhaegen. At first, it seems these two will have trouble working together, but as soon as he discovers Keyes special talents, he decides to keep her and her police units around. They might be helpful, after all.

Bug slaying
Their cooperation means that you will get to use both regular soldiers, and police units throughout the whole campaign. Most of the time they will work together. So you will decide who to use for the most effective bug squashing. However, there are some missions where the forces are split off, with Keyes and Verhaegen going after different objectives, using their respective troops. Sadly to say, you never get to arrest any bugs to put them on trial for their genocidal ways.

The Mobile Marines also come with their own new soldiers to fit the combat style of city fighting. The white coats certainly have been busy, as they have decided to give one unit both a recoilless rifle, and a jetpack. Perfect for rooftop bazooka sniping to take care of the bigger insects. You also get access to a hovercraft with 20 millimeter guns. It’s really effective clearing the skies, and the ground for that matter, when it comes to lightly armored bugs.

The maps you will be battling on are good, with the whole campaign taking place in the city. You will be fighting among narrow streets, on rooftops with units almost falling off, and huge bridges that have bugs endlessly streaming across. It’s fun, and tight, which can make the placement of troops tricky at times. Using special abilities is required to survive. You will also be tasked with clearing out the sewers, and well, it’s a nasty place unfit for most, except the brave folks of the Mobile Infantry. In the channels, the corridors are even more claustrophobic! It should also be noted (I think it’s a new function), that the game now has a priority target function. It means that you can set your forces to what to target first. Now you can have the rocket launcher guy always target tank bugs, as soon as he sees them, instead of wasting precious time and rockets on cannon fodder insects. It’s a great addition to the gameplay.

Conclusion
You can argue that this DLC is the same old. Regardless, it’s a fun and well-told campaign that is presented nicely with good voice acting, music, and typical Starship Trooper propaganda pieces between the missions. If you are already sold on Starship Troopers, this is a buy. I see no reason not to get it, since it might actually be the best campaign of the three. Highly recommended! By the way, I wonder what is next. Will there be more missions or campaigns? I hope so myself, but a fourth DLC might be stretching it. What do you think?

Thanks for reading.

It's good, and probably the best campaign yet.

 

[Alienman]

Cyberarmy Did you get the DLC?

 

[Cyberarmy]

Not yet but I will, really liked the city missions in main campaign. They much better than most wasteland missons IMO.