As a seasoned gamer with decades of experience under my belt, I must confess that my initial foray into the world of Empire of the Ants left me both baffled and intrigued. The game’s unique premise had me hooked from the get-go, but its quirks, while minor, were enough to disrupt my immersion.
The real-time strategy game titled “Empire of the Ants” turned out to be more engaging than expected. It boasted a distinctive concept and controls that surprisingly adapted well to console controllers. The visuals were impressive given the team’s size, and it featured remarkably authentic representations of ants and insects, some of the most genuine in any video game, not just in gaming, but across recent media as a whole.
In this game, you assume the character of Ant 103,683. Throughout the captivating narrative that unfolds, your mission will be to safeguard the lives of ants in your colony and those from neighboring colonies. To accomplish this, you’ll forge alliances with various local insects and creatures.
In this game, you’ll encounter natural sounds that are often overlooked – like leaves whispering in the breeze, water gently flowing, birds cheerfully chirping, and animals making their unique calls. Remarkably, these sounds have an incredible level of realism.
In essence, the gameplay of this title is reminiscent of Nintendo’s Pikmin series, particularly Empire of the Ants, as they bear a striking resemblance. This likeness stems primarily from the fact that both games are real-time strategy titles, focusing on small creatures in nature, gathering resources, and protecting their bases. The parallels between the two games are immediate and apparent. It’s not only an accurate comparison but also a flattering one because the Pikmin games have been widely regarded as the only successful translations of the real-time strategy (RTS) genre to consoles, and Empire of the Ants performs admirably in a similar fashion.
If you’re an expert in real-time strategy (RTS) games, you’ve likely encountered the “console challenge”. These types of games perform exceptionally well on PCs with keyboard and mouse setups, enabling quick control over numerous characters and objectives spread across the screen. Additionally, players can quickly execute intricate actions by assigning them to various keys on the keyboard. Essentially, converting even fundamental RTS controls for console gamepads tends to decelerate the gameplay and make it clumsy or difficult.
On the PS5 console, where our review was conducted, a well-structured interface and logically assigned control keys enable players to effortlessly manage vast ant armies, instructing them to assault, safeguard, and forage across numerous bases and tasks within the game’s map.
As a gamer, I’ve found that the most surprisingly enjoyable aspect of this game isn’t about fighting battles or constructing bases. Instead, it’s the moments when I’m wandering around the world or the hubs all on my own.
The game is designed to be beginner-friendly, offering a thorough tutorial that covers not only its controls and interface, but also essential real-time strategy fundamentals such as establishing bases, expanding them, gathering resources, and winning complex battles. Initially, missions are relatively simple, but they gradually intensify, testing your grasp and proficiency in the game’s mechanics.
The real-time strategy aspect of this game is genuinely impressive. The single-player campaign offers a range of diverse scenarios that keep things engaging and fresh, weaving an intriguing narrative with captivating gameplay. As you progress, the game introduces more complex mechanics and systems to manage, like weather conditions. You can also uncover and utilize new powers for your armies in combat. Moreover, the online multiplayer mode, complete with leaderboards, adds depth and longevity to the game, especially for those who find themselves enjoying the game’s mechanics.
As a passionate enthusiast, I’d like to share my appreciation for the mesmerizing aspect of this game that lies beyond combat and base construction. Instead, it offers an immersive experience of exploring the intricate world on my own terms. There’s a certain tranquility and contemplative quality to wandering through maps, discovering and cataloguing points of interest, and climbing every surface the game permits, seeking out unique vantage points for a closer or more unusual perspective.
At times, the camera may struggle to follow the speed of the player character, resulting in it getting too close to textures or surfaces within the game. This can reveal the seams or imperfections in the rendering process, and unintentionally mar the otherwise pristine visual appeal of the game.
In this setting, though it’s captivating due to its photorealistic look and the moments of accidental beauty it offers, it also presents challenges related to readability and character identification. For instance, your character might blend in with the environment, making it hard to follow them on screen, especially against earthy or wooden backgrounds, or among groups of other insects. A feature to highlight or outline the main character would have been beneficial for easier tracking. Strangely, this feature is already available within the game’s settings, but it only functions for map objectives and interacting NPCs, not for the player character. I hope they consider expanding this functionality via an update, as it could prevent those brief moments of confusion or annoyance that this issue can cause.
The camera and control system in this game struggle to match the full 360-degree movement freedom it offers. Often, you’ll find yourself climbing a steep or curved surface, only for the camera to lag behind or lose track altogether. If the camera manages to keep up, the controls may not adapt accordingly, causing you to spin in circles until you regain your bearings. Even when these issues don’t arise, the main character might unintentionally grab onto tiny objects like twigs or leaves and continue moving around them, sometimes for a few seconds before you notice. These are minor inconveniences, not major problems, but they can disrupt gameplay flow and cause annoyance.
At times, the camera might struggle to follow the player character’s movements, resulting in it getting too close to textures or surfaces, revealing the seams or flaws in the rendering process and unintentionally marring the game’s otherwise stunning visual appeal. From pixelated textures to harsh foliage edges, from flickering shadows to minor pop-in effects. These issues are usually minor and serve more as a testament to how exceptional the rest of the game looks, but players with a keen eye for graphics in games may want to be aware of this beforehand.
In many games, the main idea and presentation aren’t emphasized as strongly as they are in “Empire of the Ants“.
Despite having a smaller team and lower budget than many other popular games, the level of production quality in this game is quite impressive. The visual aspect is clearly top-notch, but the audio design is also worth noting.
Simple sounds of the outside that we possibly take for granted – including the sound of the grass rustling in the wind, the sound of water flowing, the birds chirping, the cries of animals – all of that is in this game with a shockingly high degree of authenticity. The impressive part is not only the depth of texture to these sounds, but also how appropriate they feel for the scale. You are, after all, a literal mite-sized ant. Not only will all of this sound louder to you, but also different. Throw in a surprisingly ambient soundtrack and the game sounds almost as good as it looks – which is some incredibly high praise.
Many issues encountered within the game stem directly from its commitment, yet this dedication enables “Empire of the Ants” to offer an exceptionally distinct gaming experience that sets it apart not only by its premise but also through its exceptional execution. The occasional blunders and flaws are minor, and for the most part, “Empire of the Ants” functions smoothly to deliver a remarkably engaging game. This unique title will appeal to enthusiasts of real-time strategy games or casual players seeking relaxing, contemplative play or an unexpectedly thoughtful narrative.
This game was reviewed on the PlayStation 5.
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2024-11-06 17:41