Engaging campaign with a well-written and interesting story.
Approachable and accessible RTS gameplay.
Exploration and battles are much too slow.
Players can find a multitude of animals in the forest, which are unlocked for the bestiary.(Image credit: Windows Central)
Normally, when I review a game that is full of bugs, I’m not a happy camper.
But Empire of the Ants has me seeing the world from a different angle.
A very tiny, albeit strong, angle.
Empire of the Ants: What is it?
The novel was eventually translated into English, where it was dubbed Empire of the Ants.
Is Empire of the Ants playable on handheld consoles?
Players can find a multitude of animals in the forest, which are unlocked for the bestiary.(Image credit: Windows Central)
However, the forest setting provides its own challenges, dangers, and opportunities for storytelling.
This leads us to discuss Empire of the Ants' combat and gameplay.
On its surface, Empire of the Ants is a “baby’s first strategy” game.
Empire of the Ants excels at scale, making the player feel genuinely as small as an ant in a massive forest.(Image credit: Windows Central)
Combat missions typically focus on 103,683rd building up nests with defenses and then selecting a legion for that nest.
Players are maxed at seven legions, severely limiting how many units can be utilized in battle.
103,683rd visits hub cities between assignments, speaking with various Queens and sister ants for story bits.
Empire of the Ants is a stunning showcase of Unreal Engine 5.4’s visual capabilities.(Image credit: Windows Central)
The problem is that 103,683rd is a very small ant in a very big world.
It’s a notable shift in gameplay that slows down the overall flow of Empire of the Ants negatively.
That’s certainly not going to be the case with Tower Five’s version.
Empire of the Ants' narrative is compelling, but approachable.(Image credit: Windows Central)
However, there is still some room for improvement in the world of Empire of the Ants.
There’s no breeze blowing the foliage, and everything is just a bit too still.
Empire of the Ants also offers a cross-platform multiplayer mode with 1v1 or 1v1v1 gameplay options.
The ants previously held peace treaties with the termites, but now those pesky little vermin have got to go.
For a RTS, Empire of the Ants has a lot of unexpected platforming.
Empire of the Ants is built on Unreal Engine 5.4.
Finding the interactive points on items in the world can be a challenge, as they are often just small wisps in the world that are lost among the foliage and light.(Image credit: Windows Central)
The hub worlds offer dialog options and story exposition before you head off on your next mission.(Image credit: Windows Central)
The build mechanics surrounding nests are a nice UI layout, but the icons do not stand out enough from surroundings.(Image credit: Windows Central)
There’s a lot more platforming than I expected in this game.(Image credit: Windows Central)
Particle effects and lighting are exceptional in Empire of the Ants.(Image credit: Windows Central)
103,683rd can visit The Queen of her colony and others for missions.(Image credit: Windows Central)
Don’t let 103,683rd’s adorable little mandibles fool you. She strikes fear in the heart of many a termite.
