Even as a kid, I was obsessed with animals; everything great and small. I read all my grandma’s National Graphics magazines and would lay on her carpet watching David Attenborough documentaries on a lazy Sunday, hanging onto every word coming out of his mouth. ‘Empire Of The Ants’, developed by Tower Five, is a photo-realistic third-person, RTS that had me squealing in delight after placing you into the 6-legged boots of a singular ant.

Waking up on the first day of Spring, after hibernating all Winter, we get introduced to a lone colony of ants gently tending to their nest and larvae. This nest is Bel-O-Kan, just one site in a federation of ants. You are the ant named 103,683, and you, like the many, many others, are hellbent on protecting the Mother. She has big plans for the colony, and despite it being massive, the world outside is even bigger.

Now that Spring is in full season, our ultimate and mortal enemy, the Termites, are encroaching on your territory, and although you might be a lowly worker ant, you have the spirit of a soldier ant and will lead the troops to victory. From floods to relocating the forces; everyone has their role in the colony. Using your antenna to detect pheromones in the air or to communicate pushes the narrative along, and each character has a unique style of curiosity and charm, so this was one story that kept me fascinated as I watched it roll out in front of me. It screams documentary and I loved it.

The gameplay itself is split into two types. Firstly, the bread and butter is the RTS-style gameplay, where you control your army. Here you’ll dominate territories in a larger-scale war. Controlling different types of legions, you must conquer points of interest and nests to take up a map. Each class has different abilities, From Gunner ants that shoot acid at range, heavies, like Dor Beetles, that muscle the enemies, Supports like snails adding a slimy shield, Worker ants collecting resources to replenish the legions, and Aphids that boost health but are vulnerable to attack; there are a few more creepy crawlies to help in the war to expand.

Controlling these legions means pointing in a direction and leading them there to attack, and taking over bases means you can upgrade your legions to be stronger, build defences from enemy attacks, build perk stores and information centres to buff legions, and finally, and most importantly to you, add powers. Powers are important to you as a leader, as you can scurry in to provide buffs for a short amount of time; heal your legions, induce rage in them, and increase their speed. Just a few amongst many more personal buffs that have a cooldown. This gameplay is super fun, I just wish there were more upgrades that you work towards as the same ones over and over can get boring towards the end.

The second part of the gameplay is more adventure-based. As a lone ant, you might be given objectives like collecting intel, hunting food sources or rescuing missing party members. This means you can scurry up vertical surfaces,  jump from place to place, or scan items for their scent while exploring an area. It plays more like a platformer, and completing objectives will move you onto a new colony in a different location that may need your help.

This mode is also just plain whimsical fun. I even found myself joyful bullying a millipede to the point I was footballing it around the map as it quickly curled up into a ball while I crawled all over it. These little touches are smile-inducing and break up the game for an overall enjoyable experience. There is a Multiplayer mode too, but unfortunately, since I was the only one in the group with a code prelaunch, I didn’t get to test this element out, but I love the thought of it.

Graphically, the game is shockingly impressive. Cutscenes could be straight out of a documentary, and so astounding that my partner mistook the game for a TV show as he hovered over my shoulder. You, as a viewer, might almost need to do a double take to make sure it isn’t an episode of ‘World Around Us’. The ‘gameplay is equally as breathtaking in graphical design, with each legion very distinct in photorealism and nuances of the critters they represent.

Snails are sluggish and slimy, Wasps sharp and aggressive and Warrior ants will fling and mual dead termites like a ragdoll. It is all very cool. There is always something to look at, whether it’s the ferns you scurry up, the stars twinkling in the sky, or enemies creeping towards you trying to flank around. The graphics alone make this a wonder.

The music also complements the high quality of everything else. Whimsical flutes, pianos and woodwinds layer the scene, the soundtracks are very well composed. Sound effects are so natural with birds whistling, leaves rustling in the breeze and ants chirping and chattering amongst themselves. It is a very sensory game and feels so comfortable in the quiet moments.

The only issue I had, and it’s only minor, is that you’ll sometimes wrestle with the camera. Camera angles can be a tad annoying, but they are easy to tug back into place, and this is especially the case when traversing; scurrying can land you on the underside of a leaf or rock, pinning the camera. It doesn’t take too much time to correct this action though.

‘Empire Of The Ants’ is a refreshing and innovative look into the RTS genre. It had me hooked every step of the way, even if the gameplay variety sagged a little towards the end. The beautiful atmosphere created by the graphics and sound had me glued to the screen. Mesmerised by the cute and endearing colony, I felt the dire need to protect them. This is one game where the ants don’t go marching 1 by 1, but Tower Five should definitely ‘hurrah’ at their outstanding achievements on this one.

Written by: Stacey