MilitAnt (Video Game Review)

Xibalba Studios has released MilitAnt for PS4 and PC.

MilitAnt delivers side-scrolling and action platforming for an all new gameplay experience on PS4 and PC. Fans of classic side-scrolling shooters will feel a kind of familiarity when playing MilitAnt, but also notice that it offers some unique and exciting to the genre.

You start out in the game as an Ant. Your character is deep underground within these cavernous tunnels full of vibrant and beautiful colors. It is the duty of the Ants to guard their most precious resource, a substance called Crystalite. This rare substance helps fuel the Ants economy and powers all of their most basic technology and weapons. After years of war, the insect world has found a slice of prosperity by trading among each other. However, with any resource, there are those who want all of the power for themselves which has caused powerful factions to rise to control it. The peace that the kingdoms have worked so hard for is on the brink of being destroyed.

When you boot up MilitAnt, the action starts immediately, and gamers are threw into an invasion. The Termites are attacking the Ants’ colony and it is up to one fearless Ant solider to stop the invasion. The Ant must now venture out of the familiar world he knows while making his way through the mines of the colony to the world above.

MilitAnt has some beautiful environments to explore and the controls are very responsive during combat--outside of the aiming mechanism. However, the spawning mechanism in the game is rather chaotic and annoying, since enemies have the ability to spawn anywhere within your path. For example, say you are making some decent progress through the level, and with every step you took, an enemy just spawned right where you was standing at the time. That is MilitAnt.

Your character in the game is really never given a real name and there is no real plot to the game. So trying to develop some kind of emotional attachment to your character to continue playing is almost nonexistent. There are over eight stages that have you visiting the realm of the Beetles', decimated wastelands and even a jungle to battle a wide array of enemies and bosses.

MilitAnt allows players to form their own personal arsenal consisting of flamethrowers, sentry guns, and electric beam rifles through completing objectives and collecting Crystalite. However, the game's aiming system is far from simple to use, which makes locking onto enemies almost an impossible feat. Since you are an Ant, you have four hands to carry weapons, which creates an entirely new level of entertainment during hand-to-hand combat. You can create a perfect strategy to unlock and equip some of the best combinations in the game but the aiming system still greatly impacts your progress.

In the end, MilitAnt is an averagely fun side-scrolling platformer, that has a few holes of mediocrity, but can still be enjoyable nonetheless. MilitAnt delivers some beautifully detailed environments alongside an immersive soundtrack to keep you fighting even through the bad times. To learn more, visit the official MilitAnt website.

Score: 5 out of 10
Reviewed for PS4