I've always been a fan of Paul Verhoeven's sci-fi cult classic Starship Troopers. While some might say that it deviated too much from its literary inspiration (by Robert Heinlein), I find that it has this distinctly Dutch aesthetic to it that you don't see often elsewhere in sci-fi films. It struck a nice balance between polished, uber-futuristic portrayals of spacecraft/space travel with more a more grounded portrayal of military gear, civilian life, and boots-on-the-ground combat. It's a gritty and unique style that particularly resonates with me, and I find that it really lends itself well to games too.
Here are few games that come to mind that I feel have shades of Starship Troopers in their atmosphere, tone, or visual identity. I hope to learn of more via recommendations in this thread.
1. Starcraft (and Brood War)
I'm speaking specifically of the original SC here, not its sequel (which uses a decidedly glossier and somewhat generic sci-fi aesthetic). I'm pretty sure Blizzard has admitted to ST being a strong inspiration of theirs when designing the Terran and Zerg races in the original Starcraft, and TvZ is IMO the closest thing to Starship Troopers that I've ever seen in game form. The Terrans and their militaristic culture with brute force technology and weaponry share a lot of parallels with the depiction of marines in ST, and the Zerg have that bug-like, carapace-covered look that define the bugs in ST in a similar fashion. Starcraft's dirty, gritty portrayal of futuristic settings and military operations is something that we just don't see much anymore, and its similarity to the aesthetic of Starship Troopers is a big part of its appeal for me.
2. Halo: Combat Evolved
While the Covenant and Flood don't have all that much in common with the alien enemies in ST, the space marines in Halo: CE are clearly inspired by their counterparts Starship Troopers. Everything from their firearms to outfits and vehicles has that trademark Dutch design to them, and I love it. The space marines in Halo carry that nice weight with them where all of their tech feels powerful but heavy and clunky. It's that balance between sleek tech with rugged, heavy design that reminds me of ST so much, especially in the first Halo.
3. Killzone 2
While there are no bugs or aliens to be found in Guerrilla's sci-fi FPS masterpiece, I think that Killzone 2 has an awful lot in common with Starship Troopers. Having been developed by a Dutch studio, it has that Verhoeven-esque design sensibility in its very DNA. The color palette, the sense of heft and weight, the overabundance of details thoughtfully woven into the future tech for both the ISA and Helghan forces... it's all here and all very Dutch in the best way possible. Killzone 2 captures the feeling of being a sci-fi soldier grunt in the midst of a hectic battle better than most games in existence, and whenever I play it I can't help but feel notice its many similarities to ST in terms of atmosphere and aesthetics. Wonderful.
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