Empire of the Ants Review
The beauty of nature never ceases to enthral us, and while many of its mysteries have been revealed by pesky scientists figuring out how stuff works, that hasn’t diminished its beauty or wonder. Empire of the Ants – based on the Bernard Werber novel of the same name – is the first game to fully capture that beauty and wonder on modern systems, bringing the insectoid kingdom to life in a way that simply wasn’t possible before.
It will give you some insight into our household that the first few hours of Empire of the Ants were accompanied by hooting, hollering, whistling and gasping. Our now-teenage son has always been fascinated by ants and other bugs and creepy crawlies, and it’s an interest that’s spread throughout the house (at times quite literally when ants have escaped from his ant farm).
Empire of the Ants first and greatest trick is its visuals. Utilising Unreal Engine 5, it is nearly photorealistic, and the natural landscape of woods and gardens play home to some of the most stunning ant and insect-based animations you will have ever seen. Everything is alive, everything is moving, and as the colony sets about individual tasks you can wander about as Ant 103,683rd, marvelling at just what Tower Five have created.
The visual magic is enhanced by the audio, in particular the orchestral soundtrack, which lends itself perfectly to magnifying the sense of wonder and drama. It’s particularly high-quality, making Empire of the Ants feel as much like an animated film or an Attenborough documentary as it does a video game.
You play sister Ant 103,683rd – I didn’t know that all ants are female prior to playing, and that was only the first of many things I learned along the way – and you’re the ant that everyone seems to turn to in times of need. Bel-o-kan, your home colony, is consistently under attack by outside forces, or in need of expanding and protecting its territory, and you are a very singular ant amongst many.
There are different mission types for you to tackle in
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