Empire of the Ants marches to PS5 November 7: Details on crafting a realistic microscopic world
blog.playstation.comWith the new real-time strategy game Empire of the Ants set for release November 7 on PS5, players will be able to fully immerse themselves in the surprising world of insects, thanks to near-realistic graphics built in Unreal Engine 5. In this article, we will show you how Tower Five, a young studio based in La Rochelle in France, achieved such a naturalistic result!
An adaptation of Bernard Werber’s famous novel, which vividly portrays the daily life of these incredible insects, Empire of the Ants naturally opted for a realistic artistic direction. “While it’s sometimes necessary to bend reality a bit to better serve the narrative or gameplay, we generally aim for a very authentic rendering of the settings and characters,” explains Jean-Charles Schaeffert, lead artist at Tower Five.
To accomplish this ambitious goal, the 15-person team began with extensive research. Regarding environments, the studio spent a week in the Fontainebleau Forest, southeast of Paris, observing nature and taking photographs. The forest also inspired the developers in terms of level design, so much so that those familiar with the location will recognize certain levels. Finally, Tower Five even used a 3D scanner to capture real objects: roots, tree stumps, and even iconic elements of Fontainebleau like the Bilboquet rock!
Equally meticulous effort went into realistically representing the various characters—ants, termites, soldier beetles, scarabs, and many more. The team amassed a large photo library and frequently consulted encyclopedias like the Delachaux Guide to Insects of France and Europe. “We even have some real specimens preserved in resin blocks,” Jean-Charles adds, “allowing us to observe them under a magnifying glass from every angle.” The objective: to be as close to reality as possible.
Once back at the studio with all these inspirational elements, the team sat down at their computers to recreate our world in three dimensions. Jean-Charles notes that Tower Five focused on
Read more on blog.playstation.com
