Review: It Returned To The Desert — Radioactive Giant Ants Threaten Glint Rock

I could not be more excited about it! This retro game is a PC-only title available on Steam created and published by a solo developer by the name of Tim Rachor.

For those who have been gamers for quite some time, or as the kids nowadays call them: “boomers”, and for those familiar with the classic game It Came from the Desert, you may notice some similarities, but It Returned to the Desert boasts its own unique story and characters.

There is a TLDR review at the bottom if you just want to get the short version of it. There’s also the video review with some gameplay action if you’re looking for a more interactive medium.

From the research that I did, this is not a remake. It’s more like a heavily influenced game, sort of a spiritual successor with different characters and a unique story as well. However, there are a lot of similarities like the mini-games it contains. I believe there are 8 mini-games inside. That’s a lot for you to be entertained with.

You play as Dr. Hendrik, a geologist investigating a crashed meteor in the town of Glint Rock. Things take a strange turn when giant mutated ants appear as the main antagonist. It’s up to you to gather allies, manage them and stop the invasion. I won’t go into more details because I truly believe it’s an awesome story and you should be experiencing it without any major spoilers.

It returned to the desert really has a distinct retro vibe and it shows right from the get-go! As soon as you launch the game, you’re prompted to open the manual and select the correct option to be able to play it. This very old security measure took me by surprise because it’s been a while since I’ve seen it.

The last game I remember having this was Championship Manager 93, where you had to check the box to answer…