š Crafting a Microscopic, Yet Epic World š
With the new real-time strategy game Empire of the Ants set for release on November 7, players will be able to fully immerse themselves in the surprising world of insects, thanks to near-realistic graphics built in Unreal Engine 5. In this article, we will show you how Tower Five studio, a young studio based in La Rochelle in France, achieved such a remarkable result!
[h2]A Meticulous Inspirational Work by Tower Five[/h2]
An adaptation of Bernard Werberās famous novel, which vividly portrays the daily life of these incredible insects, Empire of the Ants naturally opted for a realistic artistic direction. āWhile itās sometimes necessary to bend reality a bit to better serve the narrative or gameplay, we generally aim for a very authentic rendering of the settings and characters,ā explains Jean-Charles Schaeffert, Lead Artist at Tower Five.
To accomplish this ambitious goal, the 15-person team began with extensive research. Regarding environments, the studio spent a week in the Fontainebleau Forest, southeast of Paris, observing nature and taking photographs. The forest also inspired the developers in terms of level design, so much so that those familiar with the location will recognize certain levels. Finally, Tower Five even used a 3D scanner to capture real objects: roots, tree stumps, and even iconic elements of Fontainebleau like the Bilboquet rock!
Equally meticulous effort went into realistically representing the various charactersāants, termites, soldier beetles, scarabs, and many more. The team amassed a large photo library and frequently consulted encyclopedias like the Delachaux Guide to Insects of France and Europe. āWe even have some real specimens preserved in resin blocks,ā Jean-Charles adds, āallowing us to observe them under a magnifying glass from every angle.ā The objective: to be as close to reality as possible.
[h2]Advanced 3D Techniques with Unreal Engine[/h2]
Once back at the studio with all these inspirational elements, the team sat down at their computers to recreate our world in three dimensions. Jean-Charles notes that Tower Five focused on several key points, such as the resolution of the models for maximum detailāour heroine 103,683rd, for instance, consisting of over 50,000 triangles. The consistency of lighting, regardless of the time of day or weather conditions, was also a major consideration. Not to mention the texture definition, for a crystal-clear rendering even up close, as well as reflections, particularly on water surfaces.
Although Empire of the Ants will be Tower Fiveās first photorealistic game, the studio boasts experienced developers (like Jean-Charles, who has nearly 20 years in the field), who have previously worked on similar projects. Their asset is also the Unreal Engine 5, with features like Nanite allowing for an almost unlimited increase in triangles, or Lumen, which almost perfectly mimics the behavior of light. Jean-Charles doesnāt mince words: āA project like this, with so much realism and detail, wouldnāt have been possible without Unreal Engine 5. Ten years ago, it was still science fiction; the techniques I used in advertising and cinema are now in real-time because the tools are finally ready.ā
Thus, thanks to Tower Fiveās attention to detail and the latest technologies, players will be able to dive into the world of Empire of the Ants on November 7 as if they were really there. To enjoy these sumptuous visuals, it wonāt be necessary to have the latest graphics cardā Empire of the Ants will also release on PS5 & Xbox Series consoles.
š Wishlist Empire of the Ants now
https://store.steampowered.com/app/2287330/Empire_of_the_Ants/
š¬ Stay connected!
Official Empire of the Ants Reddit - Official Empire of the Ants Twitter - Tower Five Studio - Twitter - Facebook - Instagram - TikTok - Discord
[h2]A Meticulous Inspirational Work by Tower Five[/h2]
An adaptation of Bernard Werberās famous novel, which vividly portrays the daily life of these incredible insects, Empire of the Ants naturally opted for a realistic artistic direction. āWhile itās sometimes necessary to bend reality a bit to better serve the narrative or gameplay, we generally aim for a very authentic rendering of the settings and characters,ā explains Jean-Charles Schaeffert, Lead Artist at Tower Five.
To accomplish this ambitious goal, the 15-person team began with extensive research. Regarding environments, the studio spent a week in the Fontainebleau Forest, southeast of Paris, observing nature and taking photographs. The forest also inspired the developers in terms of level design, so much so that those familiar with the location will recognize certain levels. Finally, Tower Five even used a 3D scanner to capture real objects: roots, tree stumps, and even iconic elements of Fontainebleau like the Bilboquet rock!
Equally meticulous effort went into realistically representing the various charactersāants, termites, soldier beetles, scarabs, and many more. The team amassed a large photo library and frequently consulted encyclopedias like the Delachaux Guide to Insects of France and Europe. āWe even have some real specimens preserved in resin blocks,ā Jean-Charles adds, āallowing us to observe them under a magnifying glass from every angle.ā The objective: to be as close to reality as possible.
[h2]Advanced 3D Techniques with Unreal Engine[/h2]
Once back at the studio with all these inspirational elements, the team sat down at their computers to recreate our world in three dimensions. Jean-Charles notes that Tower Five focused on several key points, such as the resolution of the models for maximum detailāour heroine 103,683rd, for instance, consisting of over 50,000 triangles. The consistency of lighting, regardless of the time of day or weather conditions, was also a major consideration. Not to mention the texture definition, for a crystal-clear rendering even up close, as well as reflections, particularly on water surfaces.
Although Empire of the Ants will be Tower Fiveās first photorealistic game, the studio boasts experienced developers (like Jean-Charles, who has nearly 20 years in the field), who have previously worked on similar projects. Their asset is also the Unreal Engine 5, with features like Nanite allowing for an almost unlimited increase in triangles, or Lumen, which almost perfectly mimics the behavior of light. Jean-Charles doesnāt mince words: āA project like this, with so much realism and detail, wouldnāt have been possible without Unreal Engine 5. Ten years ago, it was still science fiction; the techniques I used in advertising and cinema are now in real-time because the tools are finally ready.ā
Thus, thanks to Tower Fiveās attention to detail and the latest technologies, players will be able to dive into the world of Empire of the Ants on November 7 as if they were really there. To enjoy these sumptuous visuals, it wonāt be necessary to have the latest graphics cardā Empire of the Ants will also release on PS5 & Xbox Series consoles.
š Wishlist Empire of the Ants now
https://store.steampowered.com/app/2287330/Empire_of_the_Ants/
š¬ Stay connected!
Official Empire of the Ants Reddit - Official Empire of the Ants Twitter - Tower Five Studio - Twitter - Facebook - Instagram - TikTok - Discord