I was sent Starship Troopers: Extermination as a review code. I am very grateful for the opportunity, but this will be an honest review.
Starship Trooper: Extermination is a fast-paced 16-player co-op FPS that you should consider getting if you are a fan of games like Vermintide or the movie this game is based on. As part of the Deep Space Vanguard, you must reclaim the planet from the Archnic threat. Build a base and defend it against the seemingly endless wave of bloodthirsty bugs. Will you live long enough to earn your citizenship, or are you destined to be Archid food?
I love Starship Troopers, and I was excited to receive this title. The game is actually pretty solid, with a healthy enough population to make the game fun. I never waited more than a minute to get into a match and enjoyed every match I played. The game has three classes you can level: a healer, a tank, and DPS. As you level, each class gains access to additional weapons and abilities. This gives players something to work towards and allows them to customize their gameplay. Each match is supposed to have randomized objectives, but the missions started to feel repetitive after a while. While I still had fun, I can see this game losing its luster without the inclusion of more game modes and missions. What makes this game unique from others in the genre is the base-building mechanic. To end each match, players must work together to build a base they will protect from a large swarm of arachnids. Make sure you help build the base if you want to win. Base building is easy, but it is also easy to get overrun if people don’t know what to do.
This game is still in early access and has some very notable bugs. I lost frames every time we faced a big swarm, and there were times when the swarm wasn’t properly balanced. This game never got so broken it was unplayable, but it does need further polish.
The best part of Starship Troopers: Extermination is its community. Wait times are almost nonexistent, and the players are having fun with the game. I recommend you get a mic if you play this game. Communication makes missions run more smoothly, and you will certainly find cool people to play with. I played a match where everyone started roleplaying. It was such a fun and silly time, but it was a moment that could have only existed in this game. Your experience will vary, but I was always lucky to be in games with cool and friendly players.
If you like Starship Troopers, this is a fantastic adoption. If are a fan of the genre, this is a unique title that you should consider adding to your library. It is a bit hard to recommend the game because of the lack of polish, but if you don’t mind a few cosmetic bugs, the community makes the experience worth it.
Starship Troopers: Extermination is available now on Steam for $24.99. Make sure you follow the socials to stay up to date on all future updates: Twitter, Facebook, and Discord.
Game Review: Havendock
I was sent Havendock as a review code. I am very grateful for the opportunity, but this will be my honest review.
If you are looking for a fun village builder to add to your collection or need a good place to start with the genre, get Havendock. The game has great graphics, catchy music, and an addicting gameplay loop.
You wake up alone and stranded in the middle of the ocean without a single memory. To survive, you must build a base from the materials that float by. As you slowly establish your haven, you will attract other survivors who will help you grow your haven. The trick to this game is efficiency. You must juggle between building, resource management, exploration, and research.
Do not let the game’s cuteness deceive you. You will become overwhelmed by your sloppiness, but that’s part of the process. I recommend that you go in blind on your first playthrough to get the truest Havendock experience. Once you get to the point where you get stuck, look up tips and tricks. If you need more of a challenge, there are settings you can tweak.
What I like most about this game is how easily it eases players into the mechanics. All players start with a questline that does a fantastic job of teaching players the fundamentals, but it leaves enough room for error to make the game challenging. While I never thought the game was frustratingly difficult, there are enough obstacles to keep it engaging. The game is impossible if you don’t have at least a basic plan on what to research, build, or gather. Havendock will prove a tricky game to master, but it is such a satisfying and enjoyable ride. Even when my village was on the brink of collapse, I found myself humming along with the catchy music, enjoying myself.
If you are looking for a new game to get into, you should buy Havendock. It is cute, fun, and great for those who’ve never touched a resource management game. The hardest part about this game is choosing when to walk away because there is always something you need to build, research, or work towards. I loved this game, and I think you will too.
You can buy Havendock on Steam for $16.99. The game is in early access, but it doesn’t feel like it. But if you need further convincing, go try the demo.