The great thing about nature by no means ceases to enthral us, and whereas a lot of its mysteries have been revealed by pesky scientists determining how stuff works, that hasn’t diminished its magnificence or marvel. Empire of the Ants – primarily based on the Bernard Werber novel of the identical title – is the primary recreation to completely seize that magnificence and marvel on trendy techniques, bringing the insectoid kingdom to life in a approach that merely wasn’t attainable earlier than.
It provides you with some perception into our family that the primary few hours of Empire of the Ants have been accompanied by hooting, hollering, whistling and gasping. Our now-teenage son has all the time been fascinated by ants and different bugs and creepy crawlies, and it’s an curiosity that’s unfold all through the home (at instances fairly actually when ants have escaped from his ant farm).
Empire of the Ants first and best trick is its visuals. Utilising Unreal Engine 5, it’s almost photorealistic, and the pure panorama of woods and gardens play residence to a few of the most beautiful ant and insect-based animations you’ll have ever seen. Every thing is alive, all the pieces is shifting, and because the colony units about particular person duties you may wander about as Ant 103,683rd, marvelling at simply what Tower 5 have created.
The visible magic is enhanced by the audio, specifically the orchestral soundtrack, which lends itself completely to magnifying the sense of marvel and drama. It’s significantly high-quality, making Empire of the Ants really feel as very similar to an animated movie or an Attenborough documentary because it does a online game.
You play sister Ant 103,683rd – I didn’t know that every one ants are feminine previous to enjoying, and that was solely the primary of many issues I realized alongside the way in which – and also you’re the ant that everybody appears to show to in instances of want. Bel-o-kan, your house colony, is persistently below assault by outdoors forces, or in want of increasing and defending its territory, and you’re a very singular ant amongst many.
There are completely different mission varieties so that you can sort out in Empire of the Ants, with platforming and RTS sections the 2 principal choices. The RTS sections see you’re taking command of a small legion of ants. At first, you will have entry to a few models, rising as you progress, and so they’re made up of Staff, Gunners and Warriors, alongside completely different assist models, earlier than you begin to unlock extra highly effective variants. There’s a pleasant fight triangle at work right here, with completely different models robust in opposition to completely different enemy varieties, and if you wish to maximise your effectivity you’ll want to select the correct group for the job, whereas additionally occupied with positioning them in probably the most helpful place.
That’s to not say you may’t launch each unit you will have at a single one to overpower it, however ultimately, you’ll see a transparent draw back to doing so. Somewhat than forcing you thru a bunch of menus, all the useful resource and improve tree is centred in your nests, with the UI showing on the bottom inside them. It’s important to straight work together with them, which afterward turns into a bit tiresome, however does make you are feeling an integral a part of this ecosystem, and that these are actual areas that you would be able to straight have an effect on.
The platforming sections are tough, significantly in the event you’re trying to catch one thing alongside the way in which, however they turn out to be simpler in the event you suppose and behave extra like an ant, feeling out your approach throughout leaves and up stems relatively than making an attempt to hurry throughout with none thought. They’re very rewarding once you get them proper, and I by no means uninterested in leaping from rock to rock on my technique to the vacation spot, not least due to 103,683rd’s bum wiggling every time you do.
There a number of foibles to Empire of the Ants that begin to nag the longer you spend with the sport. One among them is the visible presentation of the menus and UI, which simply really feel a little bit lifeless and low-rent in comparison with the beautiful visuals in-game. The opposite is controlling your ant who, as an ant, is able to sticking to no matter floor they’re strolling on. That is nice for traversing logs, branches, leaves and bushes, however you may usually end up the other way up and circled, and never fairly certain which approach is ahead or again. You do get higher at it, however it by no means fully goes away. Thankfully, neither of these items is a dealbreaker.
Empire of the Ants is essentially a really tranquil recreation, punctuated by the extra action-packed RTS sections. It’s usually simply you and nature, with the mild music being changed by the sounds of crickets and distant birdsong. I don’t suppose it’ll be for everybody, however I actually loved every part’s alternating environment. That stated, it doesn’t maintain your hand, so that you’re usually left to discover and determine issues out for your self, which is definitely refereshing.