The once ambitious SPORE was struck by many – an unprecedented study by the editor of creatures, honestly modeled in real time with a giant galaxy and, unfortunately, no less huge than this galaxy, boredom. There was simply nothing to do in it, except how to create more and more strange creatures by which Kunstkamera is crying. But ambitions and the potential laid down in the game did not disappear without a trace. Studio-developer Maxis I decided that since nothing sensible has come out with the global strategy, it makes sense to change the genre and build a Diagolid under the name on a slightly altered Spore engine Darkspore. It is simply indecent to leave such a project unnoticed, so it is worthwhile to figure out what happened as a result.
From the past with greetings
The beginning of the game is quite banal: our alter ego falls out of the tamer of anabiotic sleep on a flying does not understand where the spaceship and, of course, does not remember anything. Apparently, the function of deprivation of memory was also built into that camera. Fortunately, we will not have to suffer from amnesia for a long time. Everything that we should know about the past, a local autopilot will immediately tell a pleasant female voice, illustrating his speech with very beautiful videos. It turns out that our sclerotic alter ego is one of the last surviving Krogenites, the ancient people, who decided to play in the gods at the peak of their power and create ideal creatures with the help of experiments on DNA. At first, they were accompanied by success – five species have been bred that have unusual abilities like managing nature and energy flows, lifting undead and much more depending on the type of genetic code. The crown of work became the so -called “genetic heroes” – unusually powerful creatures that are much superior to their fellow tribesmen in everything, real titans.
But, as it usually happens, self -confident creators eventually finished off. During the experiments with the new “exponential” DNA, a mistake was made that had catastrophic consequences, and the galaxy absorbed a dark dispute – either a disease, or biological weapons, or something else, unrecognizably ugly organisms, giving rise to bloodthirsty monsters. CROGENITS and their genetic heroes could not do anything-all their citizens fell, and the latter of the once great race scattered through the galaxy in ships with cryocamers, so that one fine day to wake up and try to fix at least something.
Now that the artificial intelligence of the ships completed the analysis of what was happening and calculated the strategy for the fight against a dark dispute, the time has come for our intervention. On board, in addition to the autopilot and awakened crogenite, the remains of genetic heroes are also stored. Only these titans can fight the dark spores on equal terms.
DNA hunters
Gameplay is the most reminiscent of the old Diablo old woman. Looking at the character from a height, we cut hundreds of creatures in the labyrinths of crazy planets and sometimes collect falling genetic material (in Darkspore He is assigned the role of money) and equipment items. For the destruction of monsters, Croenitis receives experience and grows in levels, which allows him to open new heroes and expand the assortment of the store built into the ship. The heroes themselves do not grow in levels, they can only be strengthened with the help of new equipment.
Before each mission, we need to choose three warriors. They will not allow everyone to take everyone on the field – only one, but as soon as it is required, it can be replaced with any of the remaining ones (and they come out with the supply of health and energy that they had at the time of sending to the reserve). Each of the wards has five unique skills. The first works passively (for example, the appeal of the pet or the attending aura), the second is used when pressing the left and right buttons of the mouse (ordinary weapon blow), and the rest using 1 – 5 keys. Why from 1 to 5, you ask, because there are only three skills left? The fact is that the third
ability of the character becomes available to two others. As a result, everyone gets seven skills – five unique and two, which were shared by the associates. Against the background of the same Diablo, it is scarce, but with a competent choice of the fighters of the arsenal, there is quite enough, because the heroes in Darkspore They are completely different from each other: a lanky pyromancer throws fiery balls and lets fiery jets, the spider sucks the souls and shoots them at the enemy, shocks the ground with a goleep and holds a blow to the enhanced armor, and the living tree calls the allies and heals. The team found a place for undead and robots, animals and elementals, magicians and other strange creatures – there are only a few dozen of them, each has its own story and role in battle. It should also be noted that the heroes receive increased damage from the creatures of the same species with them (undead from undead, robots from robots, and so on), so that when forming the detachment, you have to carefully look at who to encounter the assignment.
The campaign in the game is divided into several parts, the action of each of which takes place on the new planet. From an abandoned laboratory, we go to the dead world of undead and vile parasites, from there to the jungle, teeming with wild animals and for some reason robots, and so on. At the end of each stage, we are awaiting a nominal boss with a pile of valuable trinkets. All parts inside are divided into several sub -levels, for the passage of which they also give prizes – the more these very hubborn we will master, without choosing a reward, the higher the chance to get the best quality equipment, however, falling out for absolutely accidental.
Multiplayer provides a choice of the cooperative passage of the campaign, very funny due to the ability to combine heroes, as well as the arena in which players can be measured with each other. In the company with friends Darkspore It blooms – new creatures appear at the usual levels, which cannot be overcome without outside help (for example, monsters that paralyze and slowly kill their victim), and just select the optimal team for each specific task becomes much more interesting than alone, because some abilities, because some abilitiesthe characters strengthening the allies are intended specifically for the “coop”.
Laboratory of Dr. Moro
But these are all new items, it is time to remember that we have a project from the creators of Spore. It is enough to go to the editing section of the heroes to see the legacy of the previous game Maxis. In fact, we have a slightly redesigned editor from the “dispute”, adjusted to the needs of the new genre. The functionality has changed, now it is impossible to transform creatures the way it pleases – the basic structure of the bodies is constant, it will not come out to remake the spider into the humanoid. However, the scope for creativity still remained, and considerable.
Items bought for DNA glasses and found at the levels are just all kinds of noses, ears, eyes, spikes, wings, scales, masks, antennas and the like, only in addition to a purely aesthetic effect, they also significantly strengthen those heroes on whichattached. True, sometimes they look frankly idiotic-like you, for example, a spider in a gas mask or a combat robot with leathery wings? But you have to put up with this. In addition to universal equipment, there are also objects suitable for only one type of DNA (for example, mechanical toys such as jet engines that can only be hung on robots), as well as a weapon unique to each character. Of course, it was not without the opportunity to paint their freaks as if you wish. And let the enemies burst the eyes of the ghost of a cheerful bluish-pink color in peas.
Also, heroes are strengthened by multi-colored balls-catalysts falling from enemies-they need to be placed in nine accessible cells (three lines of three cells). If catalysts of the same color are located in any line or column, then their effect will be enhanced one and a half times. Well, it was not without standard capsules of cheerful blue and green colors that restore energy and health.
Darkspore – A cheerful and pretty game that can be pleased to pass once, decorating heroes and exterminating hundreds of monsters to find a new equipment and … of course, decorate the heroes again. It is best to do this with friends, combining the characters’ abilities. But it is unlikely that anyone will agree to the “second circle”-gameplay Darkspore Too monotonous.
Pros: diverse heroes;An interesting editor of the characters;great style;Unusual universe.
Cons: morally outdated graphics;The uniformity of the gameplay.