In the computer world of thugs, rebellion, and sin there's a little game called Darwinia.
The only catch came after I started playing the game, at which point I realized that this was far from being a simple novelty, but the darwinians were in fact just the cornerstones of an amusing game that surpassed my expectations on multiple levels.
Darwinia is not truly a strategy game, but then neither is it anything else. Part of the game's ingenuity spawns from its colorful hybrid form. There is no reason you cannot turn it into a strategy game, but then neither is there a reason it can't be a third-person shooter game. The same goes being an adventure game; Darwinia does not seem to try and walk a line between these different ideals, but instead appears to ignore them entirely and treads on its own path. The result is surprisingly effective. It forms the basis for a game that is simple but nevertheless blooms in complexity and depth.
Darwinia was quite apparently designed for an eccentric audience. Hardcore strategy gamers, stat-builders, and most FPS players will be deterred by this game's artistic feel, and agreeably so; the kind of story and gameplay, not even to mention graphics, that can be expected out of Darwinia are very whimsical and fantastic and won't be enjoyed too much by the above-mentioned kinds of gamers.
Outside of those just referred to, I would easily recommend this game to anyone who needs a cheap game to play for a couple of hours. For $20, the game does not disappoint. The action is intense, the amusement to be had is quite extensive, and the replay value is definitely there. The only thing that could bar from liking this game is that to get something out of Darwinia you have to put something in. You must have an interest before you start; observing the game at face value will avail you nothing, but delve in with the desire to have fun and you will not be turned away.
The graphic design of this game surpasses most any other game I have ever played. Let me finish. This is one of the only good games out there that will run on a standard laptop with a stable framerate. Coupled with the fact that the artistic combination of two dimensional and three dimensional effects is nothing less than outstanding in appearance, I have to concede that Introversion's graphic design is truly superior to that of many other much larger corporations. No game on the market can give you highly intense explosive combat with as stable a performance as Darwinia, and that is the shameful truth.
Recommended for:
-Half-life 2 owners (go Steam!)
-Gamers that don't have much cash to spend
-Strategy gamers (who are tired of all these stupid / disappointing sequels; i. e. Age of Empires 3)
-Laptop Gamers
NOT Recommended for:
-Half-life 2 owners that bought it so they could play Counterstrike: Source
-PvP MMO players
-Most anyone that already owns an X360 (be sure to note the date of post)