Infested Planet (PC) Review

Starship Troopers meet Star Craft in this explosive real-time strategy game

Infested Planet is a fun game to play with over a dozen hours of gameplay combining elements from RTS games like StarCraft. It plays somewhat like a MOBA, similar to Heroes of the Storm, with a story and characters reminiscent of the cult classic film /book series Starship Troopers. The main goal of the game is to traverse and explore the various maps and planets that is swarmed by Aliens that look like bugs requiring the player to think fast, kill fast but move smart and strategically. It’s follows a simple formula of explore -> combat -> conquer, and learning the game is as intuitive as it is fun.

The graphics look great for an indie game, and I appreciated the dark tones of the planet and how the various human encampments and equipment looked realistic enough to be a hint of what’s to come for the future of warfare, at least against a bug swarm hell bent on keeping Humans off their territories. The overall design of the menus and windows are simple but efficient, and there is no wasted space. Everything from the store to the mission selection is simple but effective. Beginner players won’t have a hard time with finding things because of an overtly complicated menu scheme either, and that’s a good thing for this game, or any game for that matter.

Both the humans and our enemies were designed well, though the view of the game is seen from a top-down perspective, players can still effectively distinguish the enemies from the player-controlled units. The bugs in particular are designed well and are ranked according to utility with the smaller units being attackers while the bigger units act as both tanks and as a sort of mini-boss. It is the simplicity in their design and utility that proves them to be a menacing threat, but of course the human characters in the game won’t take that lying down. The people are set up the same as the bug hierarchy- according to utility. The various events in the game, such as the briefing, are effectively executed and will keep a player hooked with how they are presented in a visual novel-ish style.

As impressive as the look is thought the music feels only so-so, nothing too special but nothing too bad. The various pieces that play throughout the game, from the menu to the battle instances, range from somber militaristic instrumentals to energetic dubstep. There aren’t any choices to be made with regards to the music but they’re not exactly bad either. They just tend to get repetitive, though not overly annoying to the point that it becomes a game breaking aspect. If the game has to have its lowest point, then that point goes to the mediocre music.

The controls here are simple, intuitive -and most importantly- are taught to the players as they go through the first few parts of the game. The controls are similar to any RTS game though, so there’s nothing too complex and different to learn. The player controls the units with the mouse, which is enhanced by the standard keyboard shortcuts. The control scheme feels great, is easily learned, and is familiar enough to be comfortable with right from the jump, while definitely still retaining its own personal appeal.

The game doesn’t exactly have much of a story but it does have a premise: The Humans are being attacked by constantly evolving Alien bugs and it is up to 5 elite soldiers to exterminate the relentless horde. We’re basically talking about a RTS/Tower Defense hybrid here, but one that features a simple building system wherein the players can choose to build various turrets to help them fight off the Aliens- but of course, those turrets can’t keep them all at bay because the Aliens randomly adapt to counteract the Human resistance. The gameplay, as stated above, is in the RTS style where the player controls a small but extendable platoon, while managing and maintaining the bases that the players conquer and build. The gameplay is simple yet challenging… and the horde, terrifying.

The game also features a plethora of characters, mostly NPCs who give the Soldiers their missions and objectives. They aren’t featured well enough to be known and liked, but their designs reminded the author of the characters from the Civilization games, which isn’t a bad thing.

Final Thoughts

Though Infested Planet is simple, it is executed wonderfully.

The premise is okay but the highest point of the game is the gameplay itself. It’s straightforward, fun and addictive and it plays out like a more interactive tower defense game where you both defend your base and actively move to conquer your enemies. If anything, it’s a Starship Trooper fan’s fantasy come to  life.