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Anthill Review


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878817438_Anthilllogo.thumb.jpeg.f9511e83ce29bfbf0315e3082736fd20.jpegWith the release of Anthill on the Switch, Image & Form has nearly completed their invasion of Nintendo's hybrid console—only SteamWorld Tower Defense is not available on the Switch! But back to Anthill: this trail-blazing insect adventure, now published under the Thunderful banner, was originally released for smartphones back in 2011. As you might expect, the gameplay is based around touch screen controls, which is why Anthill on the Switch is playable only in handheld mode. Don't worry though: the touch controls and simple, addictive nature of the game make Anthill a delightful handheld experience.
 
You play as a colony of ants with a simple goal in each level: defend the hill from enemy insects, gather food, and increase the size of the colony. There is some charmingly goofy dialogue at the beginning of most levels but otherwise there's no storytelling focus in Anthill. What makes the game unique though is its twist on traditional tower defense mechanics. Instead of placing stationary defenses around your hill you actually draw pheromone paths for your ants to follow (hence the touch controls). You can draw any number of pheromone trails, but each trail corresponds to only one type of ant. Basing the gameplay around these paths may not sound like a significant difference at first but it offers a fresh, challenging perspective on real-time strategy.
 
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For example, a large boss bug may be scuttling his way toward your hill, so you draw a path for your soldier ants to attack it. It'll take time for the soldiers to actually walk that path though, so some basic preemptive defenses are a good idea, such as spitter ants that can attack from a distance. Your hill may be attacked from any angle, so you have to be prepared on all fronts while still ensuring your worker ants are collecting food to produce more ants. Drawing on the touch screen ensures speed and a decent amount of precision, and thankfully the ants are smart enough to go a little off the trail if there's something they need to pick up or attack nearby. There are only four types of ants at your disposal (the last type is bomber ants that can be sent to a specific part of the map with a tap on the screen) so the gameplay doesn't get too complicated, but there's still enough depth to keep you fully engaged as your colony grows.
 
And like many tower defense games, Anthill can be wonderfully addictive. With real-time strategy gameplay there's never a moment to rest on your laurels, so you'll constantly be scanning the battlefield for places to shore up your defenses or opportunities to collect more food from defeated bugs. Some levels throw curve balls at you, such as limiting the number of ants you can deploy, and there's a decent amount of variety in the types of enemy bugs, including spitters and bombers of their own. Your attention can't help but be glued to the game, and then once you've got the basics down and know how to protect your hill while still collecting food, you'll start to become addicted to getting a high score on each level. Just finishing a level may not be too difficult, but earning a high score is a definite challenge by the second half of the game, and there's nothing more satisfying than seeing your horde of ants efficiently rack up points. You're also awarded stars based upon your score in each level, and stars can be used to permanently upgrade your ants, so there's a real incentive to earn top marks.
 
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This Switch version of Anthill includes all of the DLC levels that were added to the original game over time, which adds up to a decent sized game. It'll take several hours just to play through every level, but earning a high score on each will bump up your play time even further. Anthill also includes a few endless mode levels that let you flex your colony management skills and keep playing until your hill is overwhelmed, which can be a great way to just zone out and enjoy an afternoon. The only downside to the game's replay value is that it tracks how many stars you earn on each level but not your numerical score, which would have been even better for seeing how well you've perfected your strategy on each replay of a level.
 
The visuals in Anthill aren't anywhere near as elaborate or eye-catching as Image & Form's more recent games, but they're cute for what they are. Aside from the few character designs that pop up when ants are talking, the majority of the game's graphics are utilitarian since you need to be able to take in any changes on the map at a glance and see what kinds of bugs are approaching. In that regard the graphics do a fine job, and since you can only play in handheld mode anyway there's little need for anything more elaborate. The soundtrack has been updated from the original smartphone release and sounds great—it's just the right amount of catchy rhythms that keep you in the zone while playing without distracting from any of the strategy gameplay happening on the screen.
 
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Anthill offers a fresh, fun take on the tower defense formula in a compact, handheld package. The restriction to handheld mode might disappoint anyone that strictly plays with the Switch docked, but the benefits of touch controls are simply too useful in this trail-drawing game. More importantly, the game's simple concept yet addictive nature ensures you'll be glued to the screen no matter what, whether you're tackling endless mode challenges or are just trying to earn a high score on every level.

 
Rating: 8 out of 10 Ants
 
Review copy provided by publisher
 
Anthill will be available on the Switch eShop on October 24 for $9.99.
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