Video games are amazing because of their flexibility. Almost anything can be recontextualized as a video game, and with how technology has advanced, there is no limit to what developers can imagine. One of the most underutilized aspects of games is how players can assume the role of anything, yet so few games allow gamers to be something inhuman and minuscule.
One of the best examples of a game in which players are shrunken to a few centimeters is Pikimin. Being so small in a game dramatically alters the way players feel in the environment. While Pikmin is a whimsical and cute action-RTS with a dark bent, what if its premise is taken to its logical conclusion?
In 1991, Benard Werber wrote his novel Les Fourmis, which explores the world from an ant’s perspective. The premise was so fertile for a game adaptation that it got adapted as an RTS in 2000. The concept is so utterly pregnant with possibilities that it has another adaptation that looks up the action while taking advantage of the latest Unreal 5 technology. How many ants can fit on-screen? Find out in our Empire of the Ants review!
Empire of the Ants
Developer: Tower Five
Publisher: Microids
Platforms: Windows PC, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5 (reviewed)
Release Date: November 6, 2024
Price: $39.99
Empire of the Ants is about the 103,683rd sister ant and her service as a soldier in the Bel-o-kan ant nation. The book this game is based on is a surrealist sci-fi story where ants and humans communicate with each other. That is not what this game is about at all.
Empire of the Ants (2024) does not feature human characters. Instead, it focuses exclusively on 103,683rd’s tour of duty to save ant colonies from natural disasters and invading termites. The story had a lot of promise early on. Dialogue is written in a pragmatic style that feels like how a bug would talk but with militaristic flavor.
The few ants with dialogue read like they are weary from a tireless life. Some speak like they have a thousand-yard stare from witnessing their sisters bite the dust by the thousands. Empire of the Ants story is very basic and lacks a plot, but there was an effort to imply a hint of character among the swarm of insects.
The first thing anyone will notice about Empire of the Ants is its visuals. This is an utterly gorgeous-looking game. It doesn’t resemble a video game in most angles and looks more like a nature documentary at first glance. Unreal Engine 5 is put through the paces on PlayStation 5 and renders hundreds of highly detailed bugs at once in photo-realistic outdoor environments.
Up close, the ants seem kind of cute. Animators made them almost cat-like, putting a lot of personality in their movements and poses, especially for 103,683rd. The artists downplayed the monstrous, animalistic aspects of insects and injected character where they could without compromising the grounded commitment to realism.
The macro photographic effects to render the illusion of scale is a surreal experience. It is otherworldly to explore environments as something so small and weightless. The level of detail verisimilitude is stunning. You can smell the loam and nature in the crisp forest air.
Regretfully, the story is not as epic as the initial impressions would imply. 103,683rd does not get much character development and the is no arc for the story. The scenario is mission-based and while 103,683rd can explore cute hubs and speak with some NPCs, there isn’t anything to latch onto. There are no revelations or gut-punches like in Pikmin or the novel this game is based on.
When not taking it easy at a hub-nest, Empire of the Ants features two kinds of missions; battles and exploration. Battles are what most gamers might expect from a game like this; real-time strategy with elements of tower defense. Players will still assume the role of 103,683rd, but will command legions of different soldiers to battle with a simple rock-paper-scissors-style system against other insect legions.
Admittedly, Empire of the Ants is not really like an RTS or Pikmin. It has more in common with the likes of Overlord. There is an emphasis on taking over nests, upgrading defenses, and sending legions to acquire resources. The interface and controls are streamlined and make it easy to command legions as simple as aiming and shooting, with shoulder buttons cycling through available armies.
Once the intricacies of insect warfare are understood, the battles are fairly easy. 103,683rd doesn’t do any of the fighting, she is meant to find a safe area to perch herself for a wide view of the field. When upgrading nests, she gains abilities to buff the legions or debuff foes. Liberties like this are highly unrealistic and don’t make sense for ants, but it does help diversify the gameplay.
Sadly, the ant life-sim aspects are almost non-existent. There was an opportunity for more detailed game mechanics like death spirals, nutrition management, colony fission, and forming bridges. Empire of the Ants keeps the gameplay and strategic elements firmly casual and simple for normies who don’t care to know about the full extent of ant behaviors.
The other module of Empire of the Ants is the exploration missions. There are where the game takes on 3D platformer sensibilities and players explore or traverse a vast environment. Sometimes 103,683rd has to reach a destination and other times she has to find some lost ants.
The search and rescue missions can be sensory overload due to the insanely detailed graphics making it hard to parse a single ant in the brush. The pheromone detection operates like a WiFi signal and feels more like trying to find good reception than searching for your buddies. It’s still an engrossing experience playing as a tiny insect and being able to crawl around on everything from any angle.
Exploring is not as epic as the scale implies. Invisible walls will prevent players from forging their own paths. Sadly, 103,683rd can’t even explore the nest and there are no battles with larger animals like frogs. There are no levels set inside of houses either. It’s too bad that the entire game is set outdoors because exploring a human home from an ant’s POV would have been incredible.
Empire of the Ants is a fun and beautiful-looking game that mostly sticks to landing. The exploring stages are relaxing and the battles are chaotic thrills festooned with countless insects moving independently. The visuals will impress most gamers, but some might find the gameplay to be too simplistic.
Empire of the Ants is an exceptional entry-level strategy game that lets players relax once in a while during exploration-based stages. Some things are unrealistic or inaccurate but are in service of making an enjoyable experience. At the very least, it has some of the most realistic visuals on current-gen consoles.
Empire of the Ants was reviewed on PlayStation 5 using a code provided by Microids. You can find additional information about Niche Gamer’s review/ethics policy here. Empire of the Ants is now available for Windows PC (via Steam), Xbox Series X|S, and PlayStation 5.
