Darwinia

 PC
User Score
7.8

Generally favorable reviews- based on 140 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 102 out of 140
  2. Mixed: 16 out of 140
  3. Negative: 22 out of 140
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  1. keefbaker
    Oct 27, 2013
    10
    Cannon Fodder mixed with Tron. Fantastic atmosphere and brilliantly stylized visuals. Recommended for everyone who likes a good blast and an interest in the cyber.
  2. tech-noir
    Jan 28, 2012
    4
    In the first five minutes, you will realize that this game offers close to zero instruction on how to play, and its in-story help mode/tutorial are deplorable examples thereof. Then, about 30 minutes into the game you will realize that the path finding is probably the absolute worst in any game you have ever played. The controls and operational methods are so inadequate and poor that youIn the first five minutes, you will realize that this game offers close to zero instruction on how to play, and its in-story help mode/tutorial are deplorable examples thereof. Then, about 30 minutes into the game you will realize that the path finding is probably the absolute worst in any game you have ever played. The controls and operational methods are so inadequate and poor that you will wonder if this is the result of a bug (or many bugs), or even if the game has been installed correctly. Proceeding past the second mission without help is impossible. Because Darwinia does not explain itself to the player, you will be forced to search on Google for help and explanations, as this is the only way to make sense out of this presentational disaster. Further, because many aspects of the game are obscured by terrible presentation choices, you will feel as if the game does not allow you to play it. You will not know how to do several things that are required to achieve many of the mission objectives, thanks to the developer's choice in being vague and uninformative. The goals in Darwinia are explained so badly, that once again, I imagine that this portion of the game is also among the worst in any game I have played. The developers clearly did not have any care in designing a game that is intuitive, user friendly, and enjoyable. The feeling is that Darwinia is simply not complete, nor is it fully operable by the user. It is as if there are numerous amounts of game play that were not done to completeness, leaving the player at a loss and in frustration. In addition to the aforementioned problems, you can not save during a mission. The game does all the saving for you, after you complete each mission objective and at other seemingly random moments. This means, that you sometimes have to restart a mission from the very beginning, if something does not go according to plan. This is totally unacceptable. If the rest of the game was better suited, this saving problem would not bother me as much. The responsiveness of your units is atrocious. Ordering the units and Darwinians around is quite problematic, as they simply do not respond as they should, nor are they very useful to your commands. The processes required to order them around are tedious, slow, and unresponsive. They have such a difficult time maneuvering around the map, it's disgruntling. These shortcomings are so major, that enjoying the game as a whole is an arduous chore as you progress through the missions. Slowly, as you learn to endure Darwinia's league of problems, there are minor and sparse hints of quality gaming behind it all. Achieving the mission objectives as you hurdle past the developmental shortcomings and obstacles can give the player feelings of accomplishment and relief, since Darwinia is so inefficient and unfriendly. After all, this takes more work than it is fun. The creativity from the developers is undeniably present. The plot and storyline are original, going along well with the artwork and aesthetic style. Each map is basic, but they do have their stylistic charms. The missions can be repetitive, but at least they make sense in relation to the story. Unfortunately for the developers, creativity does not equal a quality product. There is a serious and widely known bug that will not allow you to deploy new units to the map, and the only way around it is to quit and restart the game. There are also some placement glitches that mysteriously do not allow you to deploy units. Darwinia is all about being an annoyance, a bother, a bore; a game with severe flaws that barely works or provides the player with anything remotely enjoyable. It is an incredibly tedious and inconvenient game. You will be spending your time and money better elsewhere.… Expand
  3. Ross
    May 12, 2006
    4
    I just cannot see what all the jumping up and down is for. All these 8's and 9's, for a game where you cannot actually fail? Where is the challenge in that? To me it was just a fairly entertaining way to pass several tens of hours doing exactly the same thing over and over. In the end I got bored and it now just languishes morosely in my steam window. If you want existentialism I just cannot see what all the jumping up and down is for. All these 8's and 9's, for a game where you cannot actually fail? Where is the challenge in that? To me it was just a fairly entertaining way to pass several tens of hours doing exactly the same thing over and over. In the end I got bored and it now just languishes morosely in my steam window. If you want existentialism with decent challenging gameplay, go download Mistake of Pythagoras mod for Half Life 2. Its free and actually worth dedicating hours of your life to.… Expand
  4. CodyC.
    May 30, 2006
    10
    This game was not only fun to play, but the overall experience made me feel involved in the world of Darwinia! A hands-down must-own.
  5. CodyS.
    Jun 18, 2006
    10
    Awsome game filled with adventure and strategy.
  6. TrickF.
    Aug 14, 2006
    10
    Awesome game for the retro-oriented crowd. Also a great community has sprung up around the game, and some of the mods are very well done, even better than the original storyline itself.
  7. JanS.
    Jan 7, 2007
    3
    While I really like some of the design touches, the gameplay is - quite frankly - broken. It's a tedious task to eliminate those virus infestations in endless dataspaces and the pathfinding is just frustrating. It's like Introversion didn't care if their game was actually fun to play. The premise and setting might be fantastic but gameplay has to work.
  8. JmattD.
    Feb 14, 2007
    10
    Simply astounding. Definitely not lacking in creativity. Pleasing to the eyes, as you're not over-stimulated by the environment. This game requires you to think, and it's a TON of fun!
  9. JimH.
    Apr 30, 2008
    10
    This game rules.Period.
  10. JoshW.
    Apr 30, 2007
    10
    Both the storyline and music make this one of the best games I've ever played. This game is proof that you don't need super graphics to make a super game.
  11. JimboA.
    Apr 3, 2008
    10
    Excellent throwback to simple graphics with challenging and mesmerizing game play. Highly recommended for hours of dreamy escape into cyberspace.
  12. CameronP.
    Jul 23, 2006
    10
    Excellent game! Original, unique, beautiful, and easy to play.
  13. JeffreyS.
    Aug 16, 2008
    2
    Unique but not worth buying.
  14. Kvusha
    Mar 20, 2011
    10
    Very difficult, painstaking, atmospheric and charming game. Excellent as a visual composes(tron) and musical. Want to continue the development of content and theme of this series.
  15. VentXekart
    Dec 24, 2010
    10
    An awesome game, not only is the setting beautiful and the story wonderful, but it also proves that you don't need high quality graphics to make a good game.
  16. Garreth
    Mar 7, 2005
    7
    Wow, it
  17. SteveK.
    May 18, 2006
    8
    The big attraction of the game is that it's simple; the premise is simple, the gameplay is simple, the controls are simple.
  18. DavidM.
    May 6, 2006
    10
    Very different, and fun. The graphics style makes it better.
  19. JoelB.
    Jul 4, 2006
    8
    Exccellent RTS with a real 'fun' challenge - but why no multiplayer?
  20. [Anonymous]
    Mar 14, 2005
    9
    Darwinia is by far one of the most artistically impressive and imaginative games to released this decade. While graphically the game cannot compete with big budget games, instead it utilises a refreshingly stylish retro feel and innovative gameplay to compensate. Be warned though this game is not for those who like flash graphics and gimmicks but unusually for modern gaming has an Darwinia is by far one of the most artistically impressive and imaginative games to released this decade. While graphically the game cannot compete with big budget games, instead it utilises a refreshingly stylish retro feel and innovative gameplay to compensate. Be warned though this game is not for those who like flash graphics and gimmicks but unusually for modern gaming has an engaging storyline and is most importantly fun.… Expand
  21. Mobius
    Apr 6, 2005
    8
    This is more like it, an original game now that is something you don
  22. ArnaudB.
    May 11, 2006
    10
    I can't believe how much poetry there is in this unique game!
  23. SwoopdaNoob
    May 10, 2006
    9
    Great, very addictive. Too damn short though. As I old timer I love the C64 style graphics and music. Gimme more!
  24. GeoffH.
    Jun 2, 2006
    9
    It's always great to see developers doing something new. Darwinia plays like nothing I've ever tried before, and while the mechanics got somewhat repetitive by the end, I found myself glued to it from start to finish. Plus, it was dirt cheap on Steam. Mainstream developers, take note.
  25. HuubL.
    Apr 10, 2007
    9
    Great game, great atmosphere. I'd like to see more content, that would make this game an absolute ten in my book.
  26. AnonymousMC
    Oct 19, 2005
    9
    First game I have played where I actually cared what happened to the little guys. What I really loved was the unique storylilne and concept. The only issue I had was that some of the user interface was clunky and when the action got critical the game would freeze whilst trying to execute a command. All round though I can't wait for the next installment.
  27. Xarius
    Oct 23, 2005
    10
    One of the most refreshing and original games to come out in a long time. A perfect blend of action and real time strategy, not to mention it runs on linux out of the box. A brilliant job by the people who brought us Uplink.
  28. AndréB.
    Mar 17, 2005
    10
    Really great game, it takes the fundamentals of rts and makes them shine!
  29. RyanV.
    Oct 3, 2006
    9
    Simple and wonderfully enjoyable. The slick retro graphics and nice soundtrack really took it above and beyond. I just wish that the game were longer or that they make an expansion/sequal.
  30. EvanG.
    Mar 25, 2006
    10
    Really cool game you should try the demo. What have you got to lose?
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Awards & Rankings

24
#24 Best PC Game of 2005
28
#28 Most Discussed PC Game of 2005
92
#92 Most Shared PC Game of 2005

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
84

Generally favorable reviews - based on 46 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 38 out of 46
  2. Mixed: 8 out of 46
  3. Negative: 0 out of 46
  1. Game Power Australia
    85
    The graphics in Darwinia while a throwback to times past, are superb.
    Read full review
  2. BonusStage
    95
    In plain English, don’t ask, "What’s it like?"- Just buy it, play it, and spread the word to anyone you know who’s a gamer about it by any legal means necessary.
    Read full review
  3. PALGN
    75
    It has a completely unique style, both in the audio, sound and gameplay departments that cannot be easily compared to anything else.
    Read full review
See all critic reviews »