Starship Troopers: Terran Command - What We Know So Far

Many people might know the name Starship Troopers from the quirky 1990s sci-fi film that depicts an ongoing war between humans and giant bugs. Now, more than 20 years later, a prolific strategy game developer is looking to stamp its legacy on the franchise with its own video game.

The reveal of Starship Troopers: Terran Command came as a surprise in early December 2019, with publisher Slitherine announcing it was working with developer The Aristocrats to bring this Starship Troopers dream to life. So far, things look pretty promising. The reveal trailer shows off quite a bit of gameplay, so we already have a decent glimpse of what to expect when the title actually comes out. 

Are you curious about what you can look forward to in Starship Troopers: Terran Command? Don't worry: we've got you covered right here.

In the reveal trailer that dropped on Dec. 2, the closest we got to a release date for Starship Troopers: Terran Command was the year 2020. Obviously, that's a pretty big window to keep an eye on, so hopefully Slitherine or The Aristocrats can provide some updates sooner rather than later.

Either way, the developers and publisher are going to have a hard time figuring out a good window to launch Starship Troopers: Terran Command, because 2020 is a pretty stacked year as is. Beyond that, we know the Xbox Series X will drop near the end of 2020, and if Sony keeps up, a PlayStation 5 will likely follow.

2020 is shaping up to be a busy year in gaming, but hopefully Starship Troopers: Terran Command can find its place when it launches.

At the time of writing, Starship Troopers: Terran Command is only expected to release for Windows PC. On Slitherine's website, it only has the Windows platform listed, and we wouldn't be surprised if that were the only platform planned for the game. Historically, real-time strategy games tend to favor PC as a platform, so console releases are few and far between.

Furthermore, both the developer and the publisher have proven track records on PC. The Aristocrats' previous game, Order of Battle: World War 2, also released on PC via Steam. Meanwhile, Slitherine — which has published dozens of strategy games at this point — has made the PC its primary stomping ground for years, occasionally veering into Mac and Linux territory.

Needless to say, don't hold your breath if you're hoping for the game to come out on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, or Nintendo Switch. Starship Troopers: Terran Command seems like a PC game through and through.

The easiest way to describe Starship Troopers: Terran Command would be to say it's a real-time strategy game. However, it's a little more complex than that. Slitherine development director Iain McNeil claims that the game mixes RTS elements with the tower defense genre, enabling you to tactically deploy your units to the far reaches of the map.

In the trailer, it looks like players have the chance to control armies of not just infantry soldiers, but giant bipedal mechs as well as flying bomber planes. It seems you'll have all sorts of tools at your disposal to fight back against these giant bugs.

While you'll have all these technological advancement at your fingertips, you only have so many resources at your disposal. Meanwhile, the Arachnid threat can swarm you with its armies, overpowering you with numbers that you can't match. It's up to you and your ability to think fast and move squads into advantageous positions so you can take on the terrifying aliens.

If you've seen the cult classic film from the late '90s, then you already have an idea of the universe Starship Troopers: Terran Command is set in. Beyond that, however, publisher Slitherine has decided to keep things a little vague when it comes to the story in the game.

Throughout the campaign, you'll be fighting to control the planet, all while the giant alien bugs try to stop you at every corner. The story can change from there, depending entirely on your actions and how well (or not so well) you perform on the battlefield. Terran Command, your superiors, will often issue orders to you on the battlefield, and if you complete them, you could gain access to unique units and special abilities. However, these orders could come at a costly price, and it's up to you as a leader to decide if the benefits outweigh the cost.

If you disobey Terran Command, you'll carve your own path in this Starship Troopers RTS. You may not have the help of unique units, but you'll be seen more as a hero who doesn't simply follow orders.