The storyline is appropriate for you computer gurus as it is based on the invasion of the Darwinian virtual world by a red virus. When we heard this and were just starting to play the game we weren't very impressed. Honestly, it just seemed like a basic "kill the baddies" with poor visuals. After getting through the beginning stages and getting some in-game research accomplished, the abilities started piling on and we found ourselves having fun. With such a simple concept and interface, the game is surprisingly satisfying.

The menu above (yes, it's a menu) shows you the locales that you have visited and need to visit next. Each of these locations serve a purpose and after accomplishing the objectives on the map, you gain control of the region. Helped by the programmer, Dr. Sepulveda, you re-conquer the virtual world by eliminating the virus in that section and slowly rebuilding the world of Darwinia. After the first few, many of the maps rely on you to move Darwinians around to certain buildings or points in order to complete the objective(s). They're moved along paths between "Officers" which are promoted Darwinians and of course you control the paths and create the officers. The Darwinians have a little personality; sometimes you'll see them running around or roaming the land lost; other times they'll jump and run from invaders, stand and fight, or try some guerilla warfare to fend off the invading virus.

The virus actually comes in many forms, all of which are red. From ground sliding worms to jumping spiders, from giant floating crab-like creatures to chain-like creatures reminiscent of Centipede. They can all navigate certain terrain, as can your characters. Most of the units can make it through the water/substance that separates the land masses. You're able to control units and further units are researched and developed by the programmer throughout the game. He also provides you with tips throughout the game. You run programs to create units such as Squads, Armour, Officers, Engineers, and more. The engineers are key because they collect the energy left from slain viruses, take it to an incubator under your control, and from there Darwinians are born. You're able to prioritize the research of the coder to have him develop what you want next. From rockets to air raids as well as number of units in a squad and the amount of energy an engineer can bring in at one time, the research weighs heavily on your success or failure. We also like the fact that if you have the unit selected, for example a squad, you can control where they fire their weapons; but should you deselect the group they will assault any opponents in the area.

The graphics won't strain your videocard extensively and the sound is of good quality. The graphics are pretty basic but are definitive enough that you know what each model is. They style gives the game it's own character and isn't a huge drawback - depending on your personal preference. Sounds are appropriate for the game and include very appropriate audio tracks.

There isn't a lot of options in the menu but one feature we really enjoy is the auto-save feature. You neither have to click save nor wait for it to save. Whenever you leave a map it's progress and state is automatically stored for next time. Therefore you could actually be working on more than one level at a time and if you get tired of looking at one, if have others unlocked, you can go visit one of them and start hacking away at the virus from another angle. The biggest downside we found with this game is that there's no multiplayer whatsoever. Singleplayer is O.K. but multiplayer would really improve this game.

Overall Darwinia is a good singleplayer game. While the visuals might not wow you, the gameplay will. While we can write about the game all day, the best way for you to decide whether to purchase it or not is to play the demo on Steam. It's free to play the demo and will give you a taste of what you can expect. Graphics aren't impressive by any means but they do have a unique style. With a price like this and the gameplay, if you don't mind a solo course we recommend you start saving the sentient Darwinians ASAP -after you try the demo.