by Ethan Guttman
When I first started “Darkspore” I was delighted to finally play this game because the creature creator tool (one of it’s noteworthy features) sounded great. When I finished the day I was very disappointed. I expected much better gameplay.
“Darkspore” is made by “Maxis”, and is published by “EA”. “Darkspore” is a Hack and slash RPG with an overhead display like “Diablo.” It requires Internet connection at all times, and an “EA” account.
In the game you are a crogenitor—a guy that creates hero creatures using genetics. The gameplay is basically the same as your standard hack and slash game. It’s really forgettable. You click to perform basic attacks like swinging your claws. And, you keep using the abilities you earn with each hero creature as you progress through each level. You get a new creature at each crogenitor level. To get to new level you… that’s right… hack, hack, and hack… This is basically the only thing you need to do to win the game… hack.
Where “Darkspore” gets interesting is in its creature customization. Darkspore lets you to put gear and detail on any part of your pre-set creatures. Gear is a creature characteristic like “increasing damage,” and detail are aspects of appearance put on for fun, like goggles.
To be honest, I was disappointed. It would have been 10x cooler to be able to make your own creatures.
One other novel element of “Darkspore” is being able to bring teams of three creatures onto the battlefield, each of which is effective against other types of enemy creatures according to their powers. There are a hundred creatures available (although that still wasn’t enough to keep me interested). I have a short attention-span…
There is player vs. player mode, as well. This mode doesn’t actually work that well, as you can end up with a more-experienced competitor who can easily beat you. That alone essentially ruined the mode. Then there’s campaign mode, which is boring and dull. In this mode you can play in matchmaking for up to four players, or just by yourself.
In the campaign you’re forced to endure a boring AI called “Helix” say this and that. The story is superficial. This game can be played without even knowing the story. It’s mainly an excuse to go around and kill things!
If that weren’t bad enough, the visuals are poorly done. They make Darkspore look like a game from the early 2000’s. The cut scenes are just 2D cartoons with a few added special effects. The atmosphere of this game is mediocre and not engaging.
I had many other problems. One was simply learning the game—there weren’t enough tutorials. The only tutorial was in-game, and you learned by doing. So, it took me about ten play-through to actually figure out how everything worked.
I wish I could say that, with a few changes, this would be a great game. Sorry. This game is not worth $50.00. If you really want Darkspore, wait for a sale—a deeply discounted sale.