Greenskull
March 5th, 2010, 01:33 AM
The video review for Darwinia+ is just below. What is said in the video is the same as the text below it so you can choose which you'd rather do: watch a video or simply read.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fVvuXVWOeHU
Darwinia+ is a game that stands out from all the rest. As the player you arrive in Darwinia, a digital world created for artificially intelligent polygons created by Dr. Sepulveda. Unfortunately, you arrive at a time of crisis. Darwinia has become overrun by a virus, threatening to destroy years of research. That's where you come in. Your job is to take control of tiny programs in an effort to combat the virus and bring the tiny Darwinians to safety.
The gameplay in Darwinia+ is simple yet satisfying. To take out the virus, you control squads. With the press of a button you can take complete control over them. You decide where they move, shoot, toss grenades, and throw airstrike markers. This element of the game makes it less of a Real Time Strategy game and more of a top down shooter. The other main unit you control is the engineer. Engineers capture structures for you as well as collect the souls of the dead viruses to be converted into more Darwinians. You need to manage your units by making sure to clear the path with your squads to ensure your defenseless engineers are safe.
The world of Darwinia is primitive yet beautiful. The polygonal landscape looks great. The water moves and the hills and mountains cast shadows upon themselves. The entire game is in full 3D and you can move the camera anywhere you please. If you want to be up close to the action, that's up to you. But if you prefer you can also stay back and play it more like a typical RTS.
Most missions in Darwinia have you capturing gates and transporting your Darwinians to them. By pressing X on a Darwinian, you promote him to a leader and he directs the rest of the Darwinians where to go. As you progress through the game you unlock more types of units and you can upgrade each of them. By selecting something to research, the meter on it gradually fills until that skill gets upgraded. The missions in Darwinia are neither easy nor hard, as you can never actually lose. You can make as many programs as you see fit as long as you have enough slots for them. If you lose a unit you can easily just make another at a point you have captured. The main struggle in the game comes from taking out the red plants that shoot eggs, for when the eggs hatch you have even more viruses to deal with.
Darwinia's multiplayer mode entitled Multiwinia pits you against other Darwinians in a battle for control of territories. All Darwinians start with weapons, so you only have to worry about directing them. You will get the occasional box drop, which, when captured, grants you a powerful upgrade. You even get retribution powerups when you are eliminated. Unlike the singleplayer component, Multiwinia is very fast-paced, so you need to be quick on your feet and have good strategies for taking out your enemy.
Darwinia is a very different game than what you're used to playing. If you are interested in trying something new or you just love all Real Time Strategies, Darwinia is definitely worth looking into.
Final Score:
7.5/10
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fVvuXVWOeHU
Darwinia+ is a game that stands out from all the rest. As the player you arrive in Darwinia, a digital world created for artificially intelligent polygons created by Dr. Sepulveda. Unfortunately, you arrive at a time of crisis. Darwinia has become overrun by a virus, threatening to destroy years of research. That's where you come in. Your job is to take control of tiny programs in an effort to combat the virus and bring the tiny Darwinians to safety.
The gameplay in Darwinia+ is simple yet satisfying. To take out the virus, you control squads. With the press of a button you can take complete control over them. You decide where they move, shoot, toss grenades, and throw airstrike markers. This element of the game makes it less of a Real Time Strategy game and more of a top down shooter. The other main unit you control is the engineer. Engineers capture structures for you as well as collect the souls of the dead viruses to be converted into more Darwinians. You need to manage your units by making sure to clear the path with your squads to ensure your defenseless engineers are safe.
The world of Darwinia is primitive yet beautiful. The polygonal landscape looks great. The water moves and the hills and mountains cast shadows upon themselves. The entire game is in full 3D and you can move the camera anywhere you please. If you want to be up close to the action, that's up to you. But if you prefer you can also stay back and play it more like a typical RTS.
Most missions in Darwinia have you capturing gates and transporting your Darwinians to them. By pressing X on a Darwinian, you promote him to a leader and he directs the rest of the Darwinians where to go. As you progress through the game you unlock more types of units and you can upgrade each of them. By selecting something to research, the meter on it gradually fills until that skill gets upgraded. The missions in Darwinia are neither easy nor hard, as you can never actually lose. You can make as many programs as you see fit as long as you have enough slots for them. If you lose a unit you can easily just make another at a point you have captured. The main struggle in the game comes from taking out the red plants that shoot eggs, for when the eggs hatch you have even more viruses to deal with.
Darwinia's multiplayer mode entitled Multiwinia pits you against other Darwinians in a battle for control of territories. All Darwinians start with weapons, so you only have to worry about directing them. You will get the occasional box drop, which, when captured, grants you a powerful upgrade. You even get retribution powerups when you are eliminated. Unlike the singleplayer component, Multiwinia is very fast-paced, so you need to be quick on your feet and have good strategies for taking out your enemy.
Darwinia is a very different game than what you're used to playing. If you are interested in trying something new or you just love all Real Time Strategies, Darwinia is definitely worth looking into.
Final Score:
7.5/10