The bugs are back with a vengeance and this time they are harassing humanity on the volcanic planet of Gehenna. Raising Hell is more of the same, however with the killing now taking place in an extremely hostile environment – for both man and bug. There is more than just the mobile infantry fighting the crawly critters this time around, as private money-seeking mercenaries join in on the fun. With money being their primary concern, these units come with a different flavor. They are as good at destroying bugs as their brothers in the Marines, making the case that the promise of coin can be a potent motivator indeed.
The bug menace
In this expansion, you are not fighting for just the survival of humanity. As with everything, there are investments and money to be made – especially when you consider who is involved in this matter. Yes, you guessed it, private corporations and mercenaries. It’s a Weyland-Yutani situation, if you get my drift, with the blue-eyed Marines signing up and dying for profits. The story isn’t bad at all, even if it’s over rather quickly, because in a classic manner when it comes to this kind of story, everyone gets played for a fool while the big shot money man walks away with a smile on his face and cash in his pockets. Maybe it lands a little too close to home, but I enjoyed it.
During the story, you will shift from playing the Marines to the mercs – often on the same map too, as their objectives run parallel to each other. The leaders of each company are likable in their own way. The merc commander is only there for the money but still seems to have an honorable streak about him. The Marine Captain is a by-the-book idealist, and while seeming a little naive you can’t help to feel for the guy. The only problem with the story is that it’s way too short, but I guess you can’t expect much else from a ten euro expansion. It could have used a few more missions to expand on their relationship, and maybe end a little more satisfactorily than it did. The ending kinda comes out of nowhere, but you can argue that it fits the propaganda nature of the whole franchise.
Shooting and maneuvering
The general gameplay remains the same with a big focus on positioning during the fights, and micro-management when it comes to devastating secondary attacks like throwing grenades. The difficulty is increased compared to the original campaign, which demands that you at least learn some basic micro if don’t want to turn into insect chow. Besides the amount of bugs coming to attack you through every hole and crevice on the map, the beasties have now become upgraded. Many of them got a ranged flame attack (fitting for the setting) now that easily makes human kebabs out of misplaced units. This in large changes a big part of the dynamics when it comes to the game. The original campaign mostly had enemy units that required to get within melee range to do some damage. Bugs, both on the ground and in the air now have attacks that can and will fry your men, which means that casualties will come a lot easier than before. So, you best prepare the black body bags to send home to crying mothers.
To face this threat, you will also get a few new units. Like a massive loader-robot that can tear the limbs of any bug. The mercenaries also come with their own selection of units. The mini-gunner is a real beast when it comes to mowing the insect-lawn. Some units can switch between attacks. The shotgunners either shotgun their way to victory in close quarters, or they can fill the role as grenadiers – it’s your pick, and they do it on the fly. Overall, the mercenaries have fewer men than the Marines but are much more specialized and above all tough as nails. They are real badass killing machines like Hudson would say it, which makes them the offensive choice during the fight against crawling vermin. Attack-move to win, baby!
Another danger beyond the arachnids is the volcanic environment. There are geysers that spew super-heated gasses that will melt the meat right off the bones of your men. Random volcanoes will also suddenly explode and send deadly burning rocks all over the place. Best to avoid, but you can also use these death traps to your advantage. Why not lure the bug horde into a field of geysers and let the planet do the killing for you? It saves ammo, and is fun to watch to boot! It’s a fine addition to the game that makes the chaotic battles just a little more insane.
The volcanic look
Just like the original game, Raising Hell looks great and has a wonderful scale to it. I especially liked the beginning part when you spent some time fighting on a giant space station. It looked massive and definitely felt correct size-wise. The planet Gehenna is not bad either. It’s a hellish word, filled with fire and brimstone. It just looks very hot and unpleasant. Getting signed up as a Marine to that world must be the absolute worst – acting more as a punishment than anything else. The music, voice acting, and sound are good too. It serves its job, but what was a bit odd, is that the space station and certain areas of the volcanic planet are dead-quiet when it comes to the environment. It was very notable on the space station, which made the experience there feel a bit off. Not sure if it’s a bug, or the game is just lacking ambiance sounds.
In conclusion
I liked Raising Hell. I found it to be a fun expansion, even if it was a bit short – only lasting a few hours. The story was enjoyable, and the new challenges felt appropriate to the hellish world of Gehenna. If you already own Starship Troopers: Terran Command and like the gameplay, I see no reason to not get this little expansion. Let’s hope more DLCs are coming in the future, maybe something that expands the actual RTS building part of the game, but that is probably me being way too optimistic.
Thanks for reading.
/Thomas
| System: | PC (Steam) |
| Played with: | Mouse & keyboard |
| Mods/fixes: | None |
| Enjoyment rating: |  |
Tom's Gaming Vault 