Windows

Empire of the Ants

En bref, on peut dire que Les Fourmis constitue une très bonne alternative au classique jeu guerrier. Utilisant complètement toutes les facettes de l'univers de ces insectes, on se plait à contempler la masse grouillante de fourmis s'activer. L'aspect guerrier est tout aussi bien réussi et en fait, chacun des aspects du jeu tient véritablement la route pour former un ensemble homogène et innovant.

Das Spiel lebt sehr stark vom ungewohnten Szenario; doch nach der anfänglichen Begeisterung merkte ich bald, dass so viele Neuigkeiten gar nicht drin stecken. Und die Steuerung will erst mal erlernt sein, wartet aber auch danach mit kleinen Macken auf, die besser noch abgeschliffen worden wären. Trotzdem ist das Ameisen-Imperium insgesamt ein richtig nettes Spiel, das willkommene Abwechslung für gelangweilte Strategen bietet.

To sum up my experience with Empire of the Ants, I would have to say that it was interesting, different, and even entertaining. Microids, the game's developer, actually put quite a bit of thought into this game. The interface will take a bit of time to learn, especially for those seasoned veterans. The use of the priority task system is an interesting twist to the design of the game. It has been implemented well, but sometimes it is still very difficult to balance the collection of resources with the everyday maintenance of the anthill.

Das Szenario ist interessant, die Grafik erzeugt angenehmes Wald- und Wiesenflair, und die Bedienung flutscht ohne Probleme. Leider will aber der Funke bei mir nicht überspringen. Mit den unpersönlichen Insekten kann ich mich einfach nicht identifizieren. Echtzeit-Strategen auf der Suche nach einer unverbrauchten Spielwelt dürften vielleicht Gefallen an den Ameisen finden.

Empire of the Ants had a lot of promise but unfortunately failed to live up to much of it. The graphics are rich and detailed but the game suffers from serious stability problems and slow gameplay. The game does have a certain appeal initially but quickly loses its novelty. I found myself wishing for the gameplay of Maxis’ Sim Ant using the graphics of Empire instead of the lackluster strategy found here. Unless you’re a huge ant fan you will want to give this one a miss.

Perhaps at a lower price, it'd be an appealing curiosity. At its current price-tag, Empire of the Ants is decidedly non-essential. But if they do an expansion pack where the end-of-game baddy is a five-year-old kid with a kettle of boiling water, add fifteen percent.

Mit einem originellen Szenario bringt Imperium der Ameisen zumindest thematisch frischen Wind ins Genre. Das Feld-, Wald- und Wiesen-Gewusel artet leider schnell zur Geduldsprobe aus. Dabei ist der erste Eindruck durchaus positiv: Mit ordentlicher 3D-Grafik, detaillierten Einheiten und stimmiger Soundatmosphäre überzeugt Imperium der Ameisen in technischer Hinsicht. Spielerisch macht sich aber schnell Ernüchterung breit: Sie erfüllen hauptsächlich genretypische Aufgaben (Karte erkunden, Rohstoffe sammeln usw.), die durch die biologische Thematik wesentlich erschwert werden.

When all is said and done, I still think this kind of game holds a bit of potential. The idea is really great and the gameplay holds glimmers of what could have been. Sadly, it falls a quite a bit short of perfect. The lack of character and sorry graphics slap the game down at the surface and some interface and gameplay ideas wound the title a little deeper. It still may be of interest to some gamers that have read the book or really have a thing for insects, but don't say I didn't warn you.

In addition to the single-player campaign, Empire of the Ants offers skirmish and multiplayer modes, though they're both limited, and the multiplayer mode lacks a server browser for finding opponents. Regardless of the mode you choose, you'll likely find that neither the combat nor the nest building is very interesting or entertaining. The former tends to be simplistic and boring, and the latter is equally dull since it is hard to relate to and lacks the depth and vivacity you'd find in comparable games.

Here's a real-time strategy game set in an insect world straight out of a National Geographic nature show. Based loosely on the book of the same name (no, I haven't read it either), Empire of the Ants puts you in control of a massive ant colony, striving to survive amid all of nature's various threats to our six-legged heroes.

I found Empire of the Ants to be intriguing by reading the back of the box, and imagining what the game would actually be like, but once I sat down and had some quality time with it, I wish I was back in my place where I imagined what it would be to play the game. I guess we will all have to wait for a game that truly, and thoughtfully, brings the classic SimAnt into the 3D world, with the same fun gameplay and strategy elements that made it a classic in the first place. Microids has tried to make a game that would be remembered in the real time strategy genre for years to come, instead we get a game that tries to do everything right, and instead comes up short on almost every aspect that makes a game a classic.

Хотелось бы надеяться, что в следующий раз этот одновременно близкий и столь далекий для нас мир будет воссоздан более реалистично. В конце концов, тема тоже не последняя. Ведь смотрели же мы все "Звездный десант". Ведь нравилось же. Так что будем ждать у муравейника погоды…