It would always be a tough call, following the deeply Starship Troopers-inspired Helldivers 2 into the online co-op multiplayer space. However, through its early access, Offworld’s licensed horde shooter has performed impressively well. But how is it fairing with the harsh critics on Steam?
The horde shooter is easily one of my favorite genres, much to my wife’s chagrin. You see, I take them far too seriously and, not to toot my own horn, I’m good. I routinely top the leaderboard for kills and objectives. So, after growing up reading and watching Starship Troopers, the basic concept of slaughtering bugs on xeno planets across the galaxy—specifically in a horde shooter setting—immediately caught my attention the day the Early Access began. Like thousands of players since its EA launch, Starship Troopers: Extermination kept me playing through countless updates until we finally hit 1.0 in October, 2024. With new players refilling the ranks, it’s time to reflect on the experience and see how it fares on Steam.
While I’m enamored with the game and its genre, not everyone feels the same way. As of writing, despite overall positive reviews, Starship Troopers: Extermination sits at ‘Mixed’ on Steam. Many players take issue with the game’s performance following full release. They say it feels like an Early Access title, full of bugs, glitches, and stuttering performance issues that ruin the experience. That’s not to mention the long queue times and crashes-to-desktop frequently plaguing the matchmaking experience.
All that said, look at many of the game’s positive reviews. While you’ll find the usual, “The only good bug is a dead bug,” type of reviews, mimicking lines from the film, most come from genuine fans—some of which have hundreds or thousands of hours of game time. They tout the class variety, PvE gameplay, co-op experience within the community, and the hordes of bugs you can slaughter atop the walls of a FOB. It’s an experience unlike most others.
Whether you’re on the fence, or seeking validation about your current favorite first-person shooter, here’s a look at Starship Troopers: Extermination, as told by Steam reviews.
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