Kingdom Come: Deliverance II dev-stream and live action series out this week
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA, 5 NOVEMBER 2024: Kingdom Come: Deliverance – the story-driven open-world RPG and prequel to the much-anticipated Kingdom Come: Deliverance II – has now sold over eight million copies worldwide.
Developed by Warhorse Studios and published by PLAION it allowed players to live life through the eyes and actions of Henry, a young man on a quest to avenge his murdered parents.
This significant milestone comes as the studio gears up for the long-awaited sequel, set to release on 11 February 2025.
The development team will be hosting a special Twitch stream tomorrow – 6 November – at 4am AEDT featuring a look around Kuttenberg, one of the central cities in Kingdom Come: Deliverance II, along with a live Q&A session. Everyone is invited to join for a closer look at the world of Kingdom Come: Deliverance II and an opportunity to interact with it’s developers directly. You can find the stream here Twitch.tv/warhorsestudios.
And there’s more! A four-part live-action video series, starring Tom McKay and Luke Dale – the two main characters in the game – will be making its debut on Friday 8 November. The first episode, set in Kutná Hora, offers a humorous and action-packed look at the duo’s adventures, full of the same mischief and challenges fans love from the game.
Kingdom Come: Deliverance II will release on PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series S|X on 11 February 2025.
About Warhorse Studio
Warhorse was founded in 2011 by industry veterans Dan Vávra, creator of Mafia and Mafia 2, and Martin Klíma, formerly of ALTAR. Combined creativity of the experienced team gave birth to the Kingdom Come: Deliverance Saga – an open world, realistic, single player RPG set in medieval Czech Kingdom. Kingdom Come: Deliverance successfully released on 13 February 2018 for PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One and sold over 6Million copies. https://warhorsestudios.cz
Warhorse Studios is a PLAION company.
About PLAION
PLAION is a dynamic and diversified business in the global entertainment sector, masterfully crafting franchises that captivate audiences worldwide. Boasting a vast network of eight game development studios, fifteen regional publishing offices, three game publishing labels including Deep Silver, and PLAION PICTURES as an independent film publisher and distributor, the company extends its influence with merchandise production and expansive distribution capabilities across the globe. Founded three decades ago, PLAION has firmly established itself within the entertainment arena. With a diverse range of services and solutions, PLAION stands as the premier publishing partner for console and PC games across both physical and digital channels. Moreover, its strong foothold in the Virtual Reality (VR) domain highlights the company’s commitment to varied gaming experiences. PLAION is an Embracer Group company.
About Deep Silver
Deep Silver is PLAION’s flagship publishing label, and the home of captivating gaming worlds from the gripping post-apocalypse of Metro, to the twisted paradises of Dead Island to the authentic Medieval landscapes of Kingdom Come Deliverance. For more information, please visit www.deepsilver.com
I Am Future doubles down on its unique vision – what if survival games were relaxing and not stressful? What if post-apocalypse could be without all the doom and gloom? The game invites players to build a cozy rooftop base of their dreams on top of a skyscraper amidst a flooded megapolis.
Players can create, decorate and expand their camp while farming, fishing and cooking to their heart content. They can turn old-world devices into useful gadgets with a satisfying manual dismantling mechanic, hire cute robots to automate chores around the camp, or explore a serene post-apocalyptic city, make new friends, and find out the secret behind the fall of humanity.
Since its Early Access launch in August 2023, I Am Future has sold more than 100.000 copies on Steam, garnered great user reviews with 89% Very Positive score, and received four major content updates along with numerous improvements and fixes.
Over the past year, the game introduced a slew of new features and mechanics like solar-powered electrical grids, relationships with NPCs, weather effects, new explorable areas, camp decorations, multiple new buildings and characters, and more. I Am Future supports controllers and is Steam Deck Verified.
“This is somewhat of a personal project for me.’ – says Eugene Kisterev, CEO at Mandragora – ‘I started developing I Am Future by moving from a big city to the countryside. I really wanted to convey the simplicity and serenity of life, which is sometimes lacking in a rapidly developing world. Over a year ago, I Am Future was released in Early Access, and since then, we have continued to develop the game, evolving and nurturing the original concept. Like any person on Earth, each of our players already contains the source of their own future, and we hope the game instills this reassuring and inspiring feeling. We are happy to invite new and returning players to version 1.0, which adds exciting content and provides a finale to our story mode.’
I Am Future: Cozy Apocalypse Survival launches in 1.0 on Windows PC via Steam, Wednesday, November 13, 2024, for $19.99 USD, and features a limited-time 35% discount. The game offers English, German, Russian, French, Spanish (EU), Brazilian Portuguese, Simplified Chinese, Japanese and Korean language support.
tinyBuild started as an indie game developer and morphed into a developer-publisher you can’t miss. Our dedication to creating long-term partnerships and elevating recognizable franchises has resulted in many successful collaborations with talented developers from all over the world. The company has released dozens of games, including Hello Neighbor, Graveyard Keeper, SpeedRunners, and more. Although headquartered in the Seattle Area, USA, the company has established a strong global presence with studios across the US, Netherlands, Latvia, and throughout Eastern Europe.
About Mandragora
Mandragora is a worldwide remote studio composed of highly talented individuals with a sole focus on creating PC games set in post-apocalyptic eras. They’ve created a variety of original IP across multiple genres such as Skyhill, Freaky Awesome and now I Am Future!
New York, NY (November 4, 2024) – Infogrames — a game publishing and distribution subsidiary of Atari — today announced the acquisition of the Bread & Fred publishing rights in an agreement with Apogee Entertainment. Bread & Fred is a popular co-op game developed by Sand Castles Studio.
Bread & Fred released for PC on Steam on May 23, 2023 where it garnered positive industry and player reviews. Exactly a year later, on May 23, 2024 a version was released for the Nintendo Switch. Infogrames will work with the Sand Castles Studio to bring more content and updates to the game, as well as extend the offering to the PlayStation and Xbox platforms in the coming months.
Bread & Fred is a casual but challenging co-op platformer where players must work together to help two cute and funny penguins, Bread and Fred, jump and climb to the top of a snowy mountain. The title has gained a loyal following as much for its ability to reduce friends to a fit of giggles or tears as for its unique gameplay mechanics, adorable characters and friendly NPCs.
“Bread & Fred rose from the indie ranks, representing a level of success that is possible with a small, talented team with a passionate vision.” said Scott Miller, CEO of Apogee. “We see this property as having many years of success ahead of it, expanding its appeal with new characters, gameplay modes, and its unique style of rage humor that has led to 10’s of millions of views on TikTok and other platforms.”
Players steer the penguin pals through an exasperating and sometimes maddening climb that requires precision with every jump. Tethered together, the characters can use their momentum to swing each other onto higher and higher ledges. But forget to anchor and if one falls they will pull the other down with them.
Solo players make their way up the mountain as Greg, who must use a rock on a rope (named Jeff), instead of a penguin pal, to swing his way uphill.
“Bread & Fred is a rare gem that casual gamers can sit down and enjoy with their hardcore platforming friends,” said Infogrames Manager, Geoffroy Châteauvieux. “This is a great opportunity for Infogrames to publish a successful game and help continue to grow its loyal fan base by expanding distribution. We are looking forward to continuing to work with Sand Castles Studio to support Bread & Fred’s long term development plans.”
Bread & Fred is the third title in the Infogrames’ portfolio, which include Totally Reliable Delivery Service and Surgeon Simulator.
About Infogrames
Infogrames’ purpose is to acquire IP and publish games that fall outside the core portfolio of IP associated with the Atari brand. With the launch of Infogrames, Atari is reviving a legacy brand known for game development and global distribution in the ‘80s and ‘90s.
Infogrames intends to actively manage its catalog of titles by expanding digital and physical distribution, and developing new collections and sequels. Consistent with Atari’s approach, Infogrames sees game preservation as a core component of its mission.
The original indie publisher, Apogee started in 1990 partnering with Id Software, Remedy Entertainment and many other indie studios, releasing iconic hits like Wolfenstein 3D, Rise of the Triad, Duke Nukem, Shadow Warrior, Max Payne and Prey. Today Apogee continues to discover indie successes like Bread & Fred, with over 10 projects currently in development.
About Sand Castles Studio
Sand Castles is a studio based in Barcelona, Spain. It was founded by 3 all-time friends that wanted to take on creative projects and love video games since, ever.
The video game adaptation of Bernard Werber’s best-selling novel Empire of the Ants is now in early access and will be fully available on November 7, 2024, for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S.
Paris, November 4, 2024 – Set out on an RTS adventure like no other! Microids and Tower Five present the official launch trailer for Empire of the Ants, bringing you a taste of the immersive world where every decision could mean life or death for your colony.
Early access is now open for pre-orders, with the official launch on November 7, 2024 for PC, PlayStation 5 et Xbox Series X|S. Fully optimized for PlayStation 5 Pro at up to 60 FPS, this experience promises smooth gameplay and stunning graphics.
An immersive solo campaign
Play through a 20-hour-long campaign inspired by Bernard Werber’s bestselling saga, where the fate of your colony rests upon your antennae. Choose your way to play, whether you’re looking for strategic combat and challenges or you prefer exploring the environment and fast-paced tactical missions.
Dominate the online ranked multiplayer
Challenge your friends in thrilling skirmishes or prove your strategy skills in player-versus-player mode: ranked 1-vs.-1 matchmaking and three free-for-all matches. Custom Private Lobby available to train your skills against a friend or AI. The multiplayer mode is cross-platform compatible, allowing players on all consoles to play together.
Discover PC Digital Deluxe Edition:
Full Game on PC with 3 Days Early Access
Digital Artbook
Exclusive Wallpapers
Downloadable Soundtrack
About Empire of the Ants
Immerse yourself in a miniature ecosystem in the heart of the Fontainebleau forest. You play as the 103,683rd ant, determined to defend its colony. In Empire of the Ants, every decision counts, every movement is strategic, and each conquest showcases your skill in navigating a world where the small are powerful! Strategy, exploration, combat, and alliances with local fauna are essential to overcome the many challenges awaiting players.
Developed by the La Rochelle-based Tower Five studio using Unreal Engine 5, the Empire of the Ants video game offers players a real-time strategic experience inspired by Bernard Werber’s iconic saga. Players will dive into an exhilarating adventure, tasked with growing an ant colony through tactical and strategic battles within a world of enormous scale. Strategy, exploration, combat, and alliances with local fauna are essential for overcoming the many challenges that await players.
“THE WORLD OF THE INFINITELY SMALL IS SET TO UNLEASH ITS GREATEST BATTLE”
Bernard Werber’s saga has captivated millions of readers worldwide with its fascinating universe and reflections on human nature. We’re thrilled to offer players the chance to experience this universe from a new perspective with this video game adaptation.
Empire of the Ants Key Features
EMBARK ON AN EXTRAORDINARY ADVENTURE – Take on the role of a courageous ant, from a third-person view, and discover unique abilities that will aid you in strategic battles and explorations.
A 3D REAL-TIME STRATEGY GAME WITH GRADUAL DIFFICULTY – The game provides an accessible experience with tutorials to teach newcomers the basics of RTS, while offering adjustable difficulty and advanced mechanics for seasoned players.
EXPLORE VAST ENVIRONMENTS AND ENCOUNTER LOCAL WILDLIFE – Traverse a photo-realistic forest, meet other ants and forest creatures along the way, and interact with them.
IMMERSIVE AND PHOTOREALISTIC – By pushing the boundaries of photorealistic effects, Unreal Engine 5 sets new standards, particularly for rendering plants and fauna.
SEASONAL STORYLINE – The game offers a storyline that follows the rhythm of the seasons, influencing fauna attributes like speed, resistance, and buffs.
SOLO CAMPAIGN & MULTIPLAYER: A STRATEGY GAME WITH PROGRESSIVE DIFFICULTY – Complete the story mode and extend your experience with intense online battles.
Globally known for the The Empire of the Ants trilogy, The Thanatonauts, and more recently The Time of the Chimeras, Bernard Werber will soon publish his new novel The Empire of the Angels with Albin Michel publishing.
Empire of the Ants is available now on Steam, GOG, Epic Game Store, and on the PlayStation Store and Xbox for 3 days of early access/pre-orders and on November 7, 2024 for everyone else
About Microids
Microids is a French video game publisher. Founded in 1985, Microids’ editorial strategy now focuses on four major areas: adventure games, racing games, retro gaming and games inspired by iconic titles. By collaborating with renowned studios and authors (Revolution Software, Pendulo Studios, Eden Studios, Benoît Sokal, Paul Cuisset, Philippe Dessoly and Pierre Adane), Microids has become a major player in international video games. Taking inspiration from legendary titles, Microids reaches a wide audience and creates original adventures which give gamers the chance to play as some of their most beloved characters.
About Tower Five Tower Five, indie video game studio located in the charming coastal town of La Rochelle. Founded in 2017 by video game enthusiasts, each with their own area of expertise – art, technology and design, Tower Five is dedicated to creating engaging Real Time Strategy games for consoles such as PS5, Xbox and Switch.
Our founders, with more than 20 years of experience each, have combined their skills to bring a unique approach to video game development. At Tower Five, we believe in creative freedom and responsibility towards our players. As a small-scale indie studio, we strive to create enriching and memorable gaming experiences for our community.
About Bernard Werber
Fond of drawing and writing, Bernard Werber published his first book, Empire of the Ants, in 1991. He went on to write two sequels, The Day of the Ants (1992) and The Revolution of the Ants (1996), making him one of the most popular science fiction novelists in France and across Europe during the 90’s. Bernard Werber created many other stories including renowned series like The Thanatonauts & The Explorers of Science and dipped his feet in the video game medium, collaborating with Microids on an adaptation of The Ants in early 2000. With more than 35,000,000 books sold globally and his writing translated in 35 languages, Bernard Werber is one of the most popular living French authors in the world.
(OCCULT HQ) Nov. 4, 2024 – Take your role at the helm of the End of The World in Worship’s hands-on Steam demo available from today until the game’s release in early 2025. Worship will kick off the Save & Sound Festival—an online event featuring sales and demos on Steam—today at 10 a.m. PST. The wholesome and also horrifically disturbing roguelike from Chasing Rats asks would-be cult leaders to develop a group of pikmin-like followers to assist in delightfully murderous endeavors to bring about the End of Times (Steam page: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1548180/Worship/).
Behold the grotesque delight that awaits in an all-new trailer released today
The demo, teeming with an hour of eldritch horrors and sacrificial rites, is the first taste of the world of Worship. As a cult leader, you must gather your devout, converting new souls to your cause to feed the insatiable hunger of the unseen gods. As you grow your following, you will find your jolly followers serve many purposes, all splendidly sinister. While this demo supports lone souls only, Worship will launch early next year with four-player co-op, inviting you and your chosen cultists to reign together.
They will purge heretics who stand in your way, offer their blood to restore your strength, and aid in unraveling puzzles. Finally, kneel at the altar and pray for a Test of Faith. Complete it, and you will bring the world one trembling step closer to the end of days as you gain more power.
Worship takes players into a realm of unspeakable horrors, where blasphemy reigns supreme and the macabre is not just celebrated, but rewarded. In the company of up to four cultists, bring chaos to the world in blood-soaked mayhem, where every moment is drenched in the thrill of your sinister pursuits.
STALCRAFT: X is a large-scale MMOFPS set in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone. Today, this time-tested project is rapidly evolving, reaching new online peak records, with tens of thousands of people logging in every day.
The unique atmosphere of the Exclusion Zone, balanced levelling system, open economy, and nonlinear storylines have been providing players with a unique experience and an immersive game world for more than 10 years.
From October 30 to December 4, players will experience a new event – Black Raid, where everyone will take on the role of a Black Market mercenary. Players will be tasked with infiltrating a secret base on the isolated island of Boral, (a place where dangerous experiments were once conducted) to steal cutting-edge technology and evacuate before time runs out.
Along the way, they will encounter atmospheric locations, exciting missions, and the most dangerous enemies – zombified predecessors and mysterious Murmurs operatives. Complicating matters are also creatures with unique abilities, emerging from the dreadful experiments.
The event offers an exciting session-based game in a mode that combines features of the Extraction Shooter and Battle Royale genres, where stalkers will battle not only against competitors from among other players but also against smart and cunning NPCs. Their goal is to complete various missions on the map, each of which promises unique challenges.
With the start of the event, stalkers will have a great opportunity to complete the autumn seasonal battle pass thanks to the increased amount of experience. They will also have the chance to compete in the rankings to secure an honorable position in the league and claim unique prizes. Additionally, they can look forward to new interesting nonlinear quests in the open world and the opportunity to obtain an exclusive skin!
About STALCRAFT: X
Players will spend their time in the open world of the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone. Locations are filled with many kinds of PvP and PvE activities, beloved by fans of Stalker, such as searching for artifacts, mutant hunting, exploration of uncharted locations, doing quests, creating laboratories and participating in faction wars. For those who have less time to play, there are various session modes to experience.
A living open world
The open world of STALCRAFT: X is truly alive, and players create unique situations for each other, forging loyal friendships and relentless enemies along the way. While exploring the game world’s many locations, other factions’ players may shoot you, but you won’t lose all your gear and progress; instead, you’ll only leave part of the resources you’ve collected during that trip. This ensures you retain the thrill of each raid, while setbacks are not overly fatal.
A unique combination of FPS and RPG
The balance of weapons is not typical for open-world MMOs, and somewhat resembles session shooters like Counter Strike and Call of Duty. We define the shooter component as fast-paced, tied primarily to reaction and shooting skills. At the same time, you will remain motivated to progress further on as, over the years, the developers have managed to achieve a unique combination of FPS and RPG mechanics.
Progression and open world economy
Don’t let the MMO genre scare you away — there is no levelling mechanic, and you progress through the game by obtaining new equipment. You can acquire it in many ways, including buying it from other players — because STALCRAFT: X has an open economy. You can become a legendary merchant without leaving the base! And by the way, there are no game wipes.
The distribution model
STALCRAFT: X is distributed for free, and there is no catch here — monetization is organized according to the P4T (Pay for time) and cosmetics model.
Any items can be obtained through playing the game, however, the soft monetization method allows you to speed up some areas of character levelling.
In case you missed it, catch the previously released STALCRAFT: X10th Anniversary Day X update official trailer below
STALCRAFT: X is available to play for free now via Steam and the EXBO launcher.
About EXBO
The history of the company began in 2014, when a small team of modmakers launched its first servers, transforming the fan-inspired idea of an online S.T.A.L.K.E.R. game based on Minecraft. By 2024, STALCRAFT: X has become the most popular online shooter in the post-apocalyptic Chernobyl setting, unique in its blend of MMOFPS features with an open world and economy.
Team – Developers with unique knowledge and experience. Our team consists of cheerful, hardworking guys from all over the CIS, who are true professionals in their field. Every one of them has a long journey behind, filled with numerous challenges!
Mission – Develop our unique segment in the MMOFPS genre, a result of STALCRAFT’s: X 10-year evolution; Reinvesting the game’s success into company growth and new exciting projects.
Key Markets – CIS, NA, EU, SEA We spent many years refining all the game mechanics and creating a complex ecosystem before we started opening servers in new regions.Today, our project is confidently gaining popularity in various countries around the world. STALCRAFT: X is very addictive, so it only takes a few hours of play for newcomers to get hooked and spend thousands of hours on the game before they start to get bored.
The creator of the Silent Hill series, along with his team of creative minds, is finally back at the helm of a new horror game. Slitterhead delivers a blend of the eerie atmosphere of Forbidden Siren with the high-speed movement and combat of Gravity Rush, creating a gameplay experience unlike anything else.
We tackle the first few missions of Slitterhead, as the spirit named Hyoki awakens to his abilities and purpose. To navigate the decadent Kowlong, Hyoki can possess humans and even dogs. However, possessing people is the only way to face the Slitterheads, though not just anybody will suffice. Fortunately, Hyoki has a heightened compatibility with certain individuals, unlocking powerful combat abilities within them. We get to know more about these rare characters and the motives behind the Slitterheads’ killing spree.
Slitterhead – Gameplay
Set in the densely cluttered streets of “Kowlong,” filled with obscurity and chaos, this battle action-adventure game casts players as the “Hyoki,” an entity devoid of memory and physical form. His only motive is to eradicate the monstrous beings known as “Slitterheads” crawling around the city, disguising themselves as humans.
Roaming the vibrant neon-lit cityscape, players must seek out allies among humans known as “Rarities,” infiltrate and track dangerous organizations, and engage in battles harnessing the power of blood. As the suspenseful drama unfolds, delve into the mystery behind Hyoki’s existence and the appearance of the Slitterheads.
Slitterhead Developer: Bokeh Game Studio lnc. Publisher: Bokeh Game Studio lnc. Platform: Windows, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S Release Date: 9th November, 2024 Price: $49.99 USD
Recommended – “Slitterhead delivers an intriguing horror story and fast action, but its exploration sections feel watered down, lacking in player agency.”
4 November 2024 – Mythwright today announced Touch Type Tale – Strategic Typing has released on Steam for Windows PC with a 25% launch discount.
A totally unique offering developed by Pumpernickel Studio, Touch Type Tale is a strategy game players control by typing.
In a vibrant story narrated by Oscar-winning actor Jim Broadbent, players are invited to become the unlikely hero of Minsteria, a kingdom whose vacant throne is vulnerable to the grasping hands of sly nobles and warmongering bandits.
Touch Type Tale is controlled only by keyboard. Players will type to construct buildings, mine gold from ore deposits, maneuver armies down a strategic path and even pull the perfect pint. Players will face terrific typing minigames like a cook-off, shooting gallery, rhythm game, bullet hell, and a Grand Strategy challenge.
Touch Type Tale includes online PvP multiplayer, thirteen supported languages, and a range of difficulty settings to suit all levels of experience.
Touch Type Tale – Strategic Typing is available on Windows PC via Steam for $19.99 / 19.99€ / £15.99 with a 25% discount for the first two weeks of launch. Touch Type Tale – Deluxe Edition is also available, comprising the base game, its immersive original soundtrack, and a set of hand-drawn wallpapers.
Mythwright is an independent publisher founded by industry veterans. Established in 2024, Mythwright has already signed a range of exciting titles including Going Medieval, Bladesong, Innkeep, Deadstick – Bush Flight Simulator and Touch Type Tale – Strategic Typing.
ABOUT PUMPERNICKEL STUDIO
Pumpernickel Studio is an independent game studio made up of a team of three passionate developers located in Münster, Germany. The focus of the studio lies on streamlined strategy games with innovative game mechanics. Touch Type Tale is Pumpernickel Studio’s debut project.
Explore AI and tech’s influence on humanity in this interactive, branching narrative experience
Montreal, Canada, November 4th, 2024 – Signal Space Lab and Actrio Studio are proud to reveal their multimedia sci-fi interactive VR project Human Within. Coming to Meta Quest 2 and 3 on January 9th and coming soon to SteamVR, Human Within is a one-of-a-kind VR interactive experience that explores the profound influence of AI and advanced technology on society, highlighting the potential threats if misused.
Directed by Avi Winkler and Anne Weigel, Human Within unfolds in a modern world where Nyla, a cyber engineer, and her sister Linh, are employed at Forward Industries. Together, they pioneer a groundbreaking supercomputer by harnessing the human brain’s processing power. However, when Nyla seeks to disengage from the project, both sisters are detained, compelled to continue their work amidst suspicions of their employer’s hidden motives. In a daring bid for freedom, Nyla is forced to connect the technology to Linh, and use it in the very way she feared it would be.
Human Within combines a thrilling branching storyline with video game playability. Its blend of original storytelling and gameplay features offer players a distinct interactive experience. It differentiates itself with a unique integration of technical features that includes:
User Involvement: Experiencing the story from Linh’s consciousness within a virtual internet space provides a unique way to observe the events taking place and have a level of participation unlike anything else.
Point Cloud Interactivity: Explore environments in digital recreations. These sequences serve as pace-breaking moments where users engage with the story even further, bringing a whole new degree of interactivity to the mix.
Choice and Consequence: At key moments in the story the events that take place are defined by the user’s choices. These moments define how events unfolded in the past and determine how it all ends in the present.
Style Variety: The story is told across a unique combination of three distinct visual styles: The Internet Space blending 2D film and 3D graphics, Flashback Scenes with interactive 360 degree stereo film, and Point Cloud recreations with 6 dof 3D environments.
Signal Space Lab began pre-production of Human Within, in 2019, including script writing and prototyping the experience under the creative direction of Avi Winkler. Director Anne Weigel and award-winning German producer Actrio Studio joined the project and wrapped principal photography in December 2023. Human Within then began its festival tour in October premiering at FIVARS in Toronto on October 3rd and Beyond The Frame Festival in Tokyo on October 25th-27th, 2024. Supported by Meta, Canada Media Fund, Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg, and Filmstiftung NRW Germany, Human Within aims to raise the bar for interactive narrative VR experiences.
“We wanted to explore how advanced tech affects the human experience, and how we connect to one another,” said Avi Winkler, Creative Director at Signal Space Lab. “Launching at a time of rapid advancements, like ChatGPT 4.0 and Neuralink, Human Within no longer feels like science fiction, but rather a timely reflection on the shifting realities of modern life. We felt it was important to use VR to tell this story, as it immerses viewers in the reality of now – and where we’re headed – in a more immersive, nuanced way than through a traditional film or video game. Technology can be both terrifying or connecting. Ultimately, it’s what we do with these tools that matters.”
About Signal Space Lab Founded in 2014, Signal Space Lab is an award-winning interactive creation studio specializing in immersive XR entertainment, video games, and audio production. Our goal is to advance the art of interactive media by imagining and producing original, innovative, and memorable experiences that materialize into sound, visual, and gaming environments.
To someone like myself, Empire of the Ants kind of came out of left field. I feel the game just kind of popped up during the last year, and it immediately caught my eye with its photo-realistic visuals and interesting take on strategic gameplay. Truth is, Microids released a game with the same name over two decades ago, which like this one, was based on Bernard Werber’s novel. There is history here, and an important story to tell. Can this studio make such a niche subject accessible to all and still manage to create a hit for consoles, or is this one story best left to the pages? Let’s find out.
Story
I’m going to be careful with detailing the story too much here as if you are unfamiliar, the element of surprise is what really sets this title apart. Players take control of a young female ant by the name of 103,683rd, who is tasked with several objectives to protect and ensure the continuation of her colony Bel-o-kan through all means possible. It’s a simple enough plot with a deeper meaning, but for this game – the story goes so much further just the well-written dialogue.
This narrative is told through moments. Moments of grief, triumph, and wonder. As you explore, the world just continues to open up around you, where the player has the freedom to feel out the environment at their will or head back to the story which usually leads to battle. There is no human dialogue here, but I remained completely immersed and captivated during my playthrough. Maybe I a just a sucker for nature documentaries and this feels like it’s just missing the commentary of Sir David Attenborough. Truthfully, it’s the intensity that comes due to the importance of the missions you are tasked with, and how difficult they may seem to achieve. This isn’t a “hard” game to play or understand, but you can empathize with the characters here due to how gripping those little story moments become.
Gameplay
There is a bit of everything when it comes to genre in Empire of the Ants. The combat acts as a real-time strategy experience, where your player commands entire legions at the press of a button. It has platforming elements, where you must cross plants, rocks, and leaves in order to progress further. The simulation comes in with everything feeling so realistic, right down to the flutter of a butterfly wing or the flick of an antenna. Somehow, the game is able to pace itself to put together an amazing campaign, where the player never just sits and waits, but is tasked to explore this world and learn the means of survival.
The combat is kind of the centrepiece here. Think a bit of Pikmin, where you control your little colonies to attack. No, you don’t play as an attacker, but you command hundreds at once. Utilizing the controller that is pretty well mapped with commands, players point and select, and watch their colony go attack enemies that may be at large. Colonies are broken up into several different sub-species that can be upgraded by collecting food and materials that keep each nest thriving. To simplify it, you basically go to the next with open chambers, summon your legion (or upgrade them), add specific elements to strengthen by using a dial command based on your stock, and watch battles unfold. It takes a moment to get used to it all at first, but it expands greatly with options as you progress.
All ants (or other bugs that ally with you) have weaknesses and strengths, and the player must understand the paper/scissors/rock-styled card system to correctly coordinate their legions correctly in order to pull off a successful victory. There are spitters that fire projectiles, workers, standard soldiers, beetles with heavy defence, and so on. There are very detailed mechanics in place but made accessible by simply following the formula and ensuring all your nests remain protected while in battle. If a nest goes down, so do its chambers that may have pivotal upgrades, as well as legions associated. Lose your home base and the battle is lost. These moments are intense and satisfying, as constantly upgrading makes things interesting and never gets stale due to how expansive and engaging the combat is when it truly comes together. The player can also launch abilities to cause legions to swarm in rage, boost speed and even heal, which keeps everything very hands-on and engaging.
Combat isn’t the only element by a long shot, however. Exploration makes up a good chunk of gameplay as well. Finding items and “scanning” them through scent makes you want to explore as that leads to finding materials and food for battle. The missions also include having to find missing ants with ant pheromones, which is like an internal radar of sorts that leads you to find a small creature in such a vast place. It sounds easy, but these missions can be tougher than the battles as there is usually a looming danger such as rising water or predators that can quickly make you start the mission over, so you always have a looming sense of urgency during even the easiest hunts.
The controls luckily are tight and responsive. This is a lot of simulation, and the shift to being a platformer can be something else when you are an ant. You can jump, but the jump is charged and only launches one way. This means you have to crawl, aim, jump, and continue to move through dangling leaves and fauna. The camera can be a bit annoying, but honestly – it wasn’t too much of an issue here. Sure, I had moments where I missed jumps due to the camera, but I just retried and was fine to continue whatever I was doing. It’s odd how well that still works and it shows that this team really tried to perfect camera angles, which I am sure was difficult due to the giant sizes of literally every piece of environment in the game. The nature of the gameplay is so accurate you will find yourself looping on a twig – as that’s how ants walk. Because you’re an ant, these minor flaws are forgivable.
Audio
When I first started playing, the soundtrack really didn’t reel me in a lot. Sure, the gentle melodies were sweet in tone, but it wasn’t anything to stand out. This list of tunes however really starts to come together as you get to more intense moments, creating a rich, warm atmosphere that feels super realistic, yet calming and profound. The little sound effects do amazing things as well to pull together the world around you. The small crunches of leaves under your little ant feet, the sounds of winds whistling through trees, and so on really make it feel like you’re immersed in this vast trekked landscape. It’s truly special.
Visuals
I have played a lot of games on my PlayStation 5, and I always kind of look for those visual blockbusters that you can show someone to impress them with how realistic they look. Empire of the Ants is one of those games and may be one of the most graphically stunning games to release to date. The colours, the models, and the heavy amounts of detail where you can see almost every seed of soil just create visual candy for the eyes. I’m no myrmecologist, but Tower Five absolutely did their homework to study these creatures, and their hard work can be seen in almost every frame and polygon within. The animations are also fantastic. Sure, there are some wonky kills at times where a bug will fly up after being hit, but it looks so realistic that it’s hard to really find anything here to complain about.
Overall
Empire of the Ants is a technical masterpiece. The gameplay is rich with strategic elements that feel engaging and fluid while the world is enchanting and a joy to explore. Some games hit you by surprise, as you may have not expected there to be something so complex with a subject so small, but Tower Five really went out of their way to make this tale come off as epic. It isn’t the concept execution that was done so well here that makes it such a marvel. It functions on a console with such ease and creative optimization, making it accessible to anyone with a genuine curiosity. I spend a lot of time flipping through sales and shops, trying to find something that stands out or just feels different, as so many studios just seem to constantly try to point everything in the same direction. Empire of the Ants is one of the stand-outs as it dares to take risks, and pulls them off with such effortless finesse. Big things do come in small packages.
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