The ‘Goin’ Native/White Man’s Burden’ plot has been used throughout the 20th century in various guises.
BTW for those who don’t know of the Strugatsky Brothers, their fiction is best known in the West for being the source of the 1979 Tarkovsky film ‘Stalker’.
In various guises yes, but this is deeper than mere guise. This has nearly the level of similarity Fist Full of Dollars has with Yojimbo. It’s a full blown ripoff.