14 DAY TRIAL // Combat engineers and frag troopers can deal with a lot of bugs at once, especially if the terrain is favorable and grenades are thrown at the right time. The problem with pyroflies is that they fly, which means they can strike from any direction. Even worse, flamethrowers and frag weapons cannot reach them.
I need mercenaries with miniguns, but I don’t have the resources to call them in yet. As one of my squads draws enemy fire, I move others to secure a supply cache and an oil extractor. Dropships quickly deliver two shredders, and the flying bugs are quickly eliminated.
The hive I need to destroy is in my sight but it’s protected by tunnels and that means the Mobile Infantry and its mercenary auxiliaries need to approach slowly, dealing with Arachnid assaults along the way. I need to time my use of grenades and try to use incendiary mines at just the right time.
Raising Hell is developed by The Artistocrats and published by Slitherine Ltd. This is the first downloadable content pack for Starship Troopers: Terran Command. It adds a new campaign to the strategy game, which takes them to planet Gehenna for another campaign against the Arachnids.
A corporation, that controls Vilon Station above the planet, has requested help. Their mercenaries aren’t able to protect essential mining operations, so the Mobile Infantry is coming in. From the first mission, which takes place on the space station, it’s clear that they are hiding something.
Raising Hell adds seven missions, with plenty of variety when it comes to combat scenarios. Players get to control mercenary forces, which feature frag squads that bring extra flexibility as well as repurposed mining equipment. But the focus is on the infantry and its various squads. Gamers can deploy powered suits with flamethrowers and an officer in a mech to boost their tactical capabilities. These are needed to battle pyroflies, flying units that spray fire, immolators, stingers, which tend to appear in great numbers, and bomberbees.
Terran Command uses classic isometric real-time strategy mechanics. Gamers command squads, with a focus on the effective use of special abilities to wipe out big enemy groups. Some missions feature limited opportunities for reinforcements. And it’s always important to preserve squads and get them to Elite status to use their powerful abilities.
The new Arachnid types, especially flying ones, will force players to adapt their approach. Usually, slow and steady wins the day, although the game does its best to push players towards recklessness. A well-positioned force of marines can deal with many Arachnid waves, as long as players use support units and special abilities well. I would have loved to see weirder enemies in the DLC, bug versions that entirely change how their forces operate. The mercs are also barely sketched out and should have featured more varied units.
Starship Troopers: Terran Command - Raising Hell doesn’t tweak the original’s title presentation. The new planet is fiery and angry and there are new models for enemies, new Mobile Infantry, and mercenary squads. It looks good in action and the interface and cutscenes capture the style of the movie. The sound design is good, with decent voice acting, immersive effects and music tracks.
Conclusion
The DLC is a Yay for fans of the universe who enjoyed the mechanics and challenge of the core campaign. Raising Hell gives players more chances to kill bugs and I hope Terran Command gets a campaign featuring a successful invasion of Klendathu.
Review key provided by the publisher.
