Empire of Ants – a wonderful RTS from the insect kingdom

While cinema has touched on the theme of ants from time to time, the gaming industry has long refused to work on the idea of ​​​​creating a full-fledged title in which they could be played. In the end, however, we waited, because the strategy Empire of the Ants was released, in which you go to the world of insects that “wish” to be controlled by someone using their mandibles.

• Platform: PC (review version), XSX|S, PS5
• Release date: 7.11. 2024
• Manufacturer: Tower Five
• Genre: strategy
• Czech localization: No
• Multiplayer: Yes
• Download data: 35 GB
• Game time: 11 o’clock
• Price: 1000 CZK (pairs)

The Empire of the Ants campaign takes you into the world from the pen of Bernard Werber.

Probably, few people would expect a plot from a game like the strategy Empire of the Ants. However, the reality is that you will still find the plot. The world here is based on the work of Bernard Werber. Antswhich details the fate of this species. In this work, you yourself turn into one of the ant “operators” who, on behalf of their queen, wage wars in various places so that the conflict does not transfer to the depths of the anthill, or even foreshadow its destruction. . In clearly defined locations, you have the opportunity to collect various scent trails and thus learn more about the local world and its inhabitants.

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The reworking of the game world itself, as well as the detailing of all the types of life that you can encounter, are undoubtedly among the main trump cards of Empire of the Ants. When you want to take a break, there is nothing better than just wandering around with your hero in accessible terrain and exploring other bugs. When you get tired of this activity, you can start a story in which you show the universe here that you are not just one of many, but an ant who can determine the course of history. Your abilities will take you to various locations where you will perform tasks for the greater good of your species.

The creators let you become Napoleon the ant

When you’re not exploring new locations or getting jobs, you’re mostly busy fighting the war. In the bowels of your above-average ant’s body, you will always be directed to one of many differently set maps, where tasks await you that you must complete in order to successfully complete a given mission. However, the ant itself is nothing without its fellows, so as soon as you arrive at the place, you need to gather your available forces and get to work. You are actually transformed into the role of a commander who sends squads of ants to their deaths. In early missions, you only have purebred ant squads on hand, which in practice means you only go with soldiers, workers, and a certain version of ants that shoot acid at their enemies.

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Each of the variations presented has a slightly different purpose and also provides an ideal opponent for the competition class of termites. However, ants are not the only power that will be given to you in Empire of the Ants. Their palette is not so diverse, so in addition to them you will also find, for example, aphids in the role of regenerating units, as well as hornets and hornets. Like regular ants, “elite” fighters have their own strengths and weaknesses, as well as special skills that set them apart from the rest of the deployed bugs.

Bugs hamper your efforts here

The uniqueness of individual battalions gives you the opportunity to use traditional tactics, full of flanking maneuvers and terrain work. The icing on the cake is the presence of battlefields that are not only represented by a surface, but can also be manipulated using twigs or other elements found on them. I really like the opportunity to climb up a hill with an ant and, following the example of Napoleon, send legions to where they are needed most. Back then I was content to build nests, which you expand in various ways, although you always have to work with the limited space they offer. Once you’re familiar with everything, there’s nothing stopping you from moving on to multiplayer.

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Thanks to the design of the individual elements, it is a single piece that you can devote a lot of time to. I probably wouldn’t have much reason to criticize if Empire of the Ants weren’t burdened with a lot of bugs of varying importance. Unfortunately, the small studio was unable to deal with technical errors of varying severity, due to which sometimes it is necessary to repeat some missions, because not everything works as it should. Let me give you an example: when I was sent to rescue worker ants, I found them all, but none could be activated, so my efforts were in vain. I hope the developers will somehow sort out this and other errors.

Empire of Ants amazes with its visual effects and tactical capabilities.

When a small studio releases a visually interesting game, you rarely expect it to be able to make more of an impression than just its graphics. However, Empire of the Ants succeeds, giving us an interesting strategy game full of ants that takes you on campaigns of conquest in the insect kingdom, where there is no shortage of spectacular battles numbering tens of legions.

Compared to other projects, this game is not particularly difficult, but in the end it doesn’t really matter. The only thing that will hinder your gaming experience are bugs, which we hope the creators can handle. If it weren’t for them, I would have easily achieved a higher ranking.