Empire of the Ants review

Hi. I’m Steven and I’m an Entomophile. It’s something that has been bubbling under the surface for a while now and that I have come to accept as a part of me. I’m sure that there are many of you out there that have for too long hidden your love of all things insectoid. In preparation for our eventual insect overlords (given the fact that insects make up more than half of the animal biomass on our planet), brushing up on their politics can only be encouraged and there’s no better start than by playing Empire of the Ants.

As 103,683rd, you’re a warrior ant tasked by your Queen to protect and expand the colony. From strategic RTS battles that demand you show brain over brawn, night-time stealth missions to investigate your insectoid opponents capabilities or some light platforming, exploring the wonders of this miniature world, there’s always something new to do in this expansive environment as you forge alliances with other species to continue the expansion and survival of your empire. With a 20 hour story campaign based on the book by Bernard Werber, there’s a surprising mix of gameplay styles here, set in ever changing seasons of this hunk of rock that we call home.

Speaking of which, this is a genuinely amazing looking world with a unique view of environments that you may not normally think about. A small earthen burrow becomes a gaping chasm to plunge into when you’re no more than a few millimetres tall. A spider’s web is no longer a thing of beauty to be admired but now serves as a warning, so as not to become a light snack for our eight legged friends. Sunlight falls through intricately patterned ferns, casting god rays across the dirt and grass before you, as scores of insects charge into the fray to defend your colony, an epic battle scene played out in miniature scale.

All manner of animals have been lovingly recreated in all of their crawly, slimy, buzzy beauty and these are what have really captured my imagination. From painfully slow moving slugs navigating fallen logs to butterflies flitting on the breeze, it’s a painstakingly crafted environment that wears its obvious love of the natural world on its sleeve. It’s all too easy to forget about the tasks at hand and to just gaze at the breath-taking landscape around you, even whilst surrounded by insectile death and destruction.

With this level of care and attention to detail, you would have to have a heart full of cynical stone to not be enraptured by the gorgeousness on show. All that’s missing are the gently soothing tones of Sir David Attenborough. Add that as DLC and you’d have the embodiment of a relaxed Sunday evening in digital form. Well, maybe there’s a few more viscous acid attacks and horrifically dismembered thoraxes, but you get the general idea.

The original orchestral soundtrack is a real star of this show. Strings soar and cymbals smash theatrically as your armies clash head to head, adding real sense of occasion and bombast to something that you might otherwise just glance at in interest in your own back garden. Melodies ebb and flow, accurately reflecting the mood of the moment, swelling as combatants clash and gently soothing in the sombre retrospective of battle. Add to this the sounds of birds chirruping, the leaves gently rustling in the breeze and the buzzing of wasps passing overhead, you are soon fully immersed in the splendour of our planet set to a fantastically arranged orchestra. It’s a heart-warming joy.

The control of an RTS game on console has always been a slight hurdle for many developers, with few games getting it right straight out of the gate but this issue has largely been negated by the perspective from which you view the world around you. Playing from a third-person perspective will see you scuttle over to a nest and make tactical upgrade choices by simply moving over the graphical markers that appear on the floor, with no need to memorise a six button combination to execute a simple task.

Select units with the shoulder bumpers, point your gaze in the direction you need to get things done, and with a single button press command your brethren to glorious victory or to a heroic death. It’s a genuinely easy system to grasp and focuses your mind to the task at hand, not transforming you into a panicked mess, fumbling for the correct command. It’s an easy introduction to strategic thinking and execution for any newcomers and a welcome breath of fresh air for veterans of the genre playing with a controller.

As you might expect, you’ll be taking command of legions of warriors, sending armies of ants and other species out into the undergrowth to take over hostile lands. Take over nests and utilise them for your own needs, gathering supplies and creating even more forces with which to dominate. With options for upgrades to create veteran units, support classes or even super-predators (larger species such as Rhino beetles or snails), there’s a wealth of strategic options to choose from as you travel throughout the world, fighting hard for each inch gained.

Combat itself has an easy to understand rock/paper/scissor format in the main, ensuring that you know just what you’ll need and where you’ll need it at a glance. It’s not just an antennae-off experience though. Whilst you’ll need to play the part of warlord and overseer, there’s a need to get very legs-on too. Once the necessary upgrade has been crafted in a nest, you’ll be choosing from a variety of pheromones, each offering buffs to your units that require you to get out there among the masses to activate. Shields for your comrades, a fear pheromone to spread throughout your enemies or just a faster reinforcement rate can make all of the difference to the tide of war. Just don’t get too caught up in the moment and be swarmed by aphids intent on tearing you limb from limb.

Beyond the single-player experience, there are a couple of multiplayer modes to challenge other player’s strategic thinking including a one on one battle, as well as a three-player free for all.

Empire of the Ants is a true celebration of our natural world that just happens to be disguised as a real time strategy game. It’s a more simplistic approach to the genre but has more heart than I would ever have imagined and I’ve found myself actually caring about the survival, the ups and the downs, and the stories told of the adventures of 103,683rd. It’s a beautiful study of the things that we often take for granted, if we even notice them at all. For me at least, it’s a reminder to take a moment to appreciate the little things.