Formicide Demo

Multiplayer is a vital component in any video game, or at least in those that have the potential to be fun when enjoyed with other people. In fact, some games are designed to be played in multiplayer only, and many such examples have managed to gain insane levels of success. Hence, you only need to look at names like Half-Life or Quake to see that a sturdy multiplayer component can substantially increase the lifespan of your game.

Formicide is not as serious or as gory as the titles mentioned above, but it can be just as fun and rewarding. In fact, if you do not expect a lot of depth gameplay-wise, the game is quite enjoyable and full of interesting moments, especially thanks to the variety of tactical options at your disposal. Unfortunately, there are some flaws with it as well, but since this is merely an unfinished version, you can expect those imperfections to be ironed out.

To start off with, the game is in 2D and it both looks and plays like a platformer, which is rather unusual for a multiplayer shooter. You play as ants instead of humans, with multiple choices when it comes to class and weapons. As such, you have to use these weapons to eliminate the opposing forces while capturing the interest points scattered around the maps.

To make matters more interesting, the maps are also littered with various traps that can kill in an instant, such as spikes and holes. However, some of the ants also have the ability to interact with the terrain and destroy it, using rockets, flames, or various powerful rays. Not only that, but it is also possible to create new terrain, in case you want to strategically block certain passages for a short period.

As far as the technical issues are concerned, the game runs in full-HD resolutions and it looks pretty smooth, even if the entire thing is only in two dimensions. You can see that the special effects have been nicely integrated and designed to fit in with the rest of the visual elements, which is always a nice touch. Decent sound effects are also part of the mix, but don’t expect anything too wild in this regard.

Thanks to the different classes, the clever 2D maps and the destructible environment, Formicide has the capability to become more than an indie experiment, as long as the developers keep working at it. Hence, if you want to try something different for a change, Formicide can keep you busy for a while.