Species: Artificial Life, Real Evolution
- September 28, 2018
- Quasar
- 4h median play time
Get on Steam"Species: Artificial Life, Real Evolution" is a simulation game where players create and evolve unique species in a dynamic ecosystem. Observing and manipulating various factors such as genetics, environment, and behavior, players can watch as their creatures adapt and survive in a real-time evolutionary process. With countless possibilities and a sandbox-style gameplay, this game offers a fascinating look into the world of evolutionary biology.
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Reviews
- The game offers a unique and fascinating simulation of evolution, allowing players to observe and influence the development of various species.
- The concept of the game is intriguing, with the potential for deep exploration of evolutionary processes and genetic manipulation.
- The visuals and overall design create an engaging experience, making it enjoyable to watch creatures evolve over time.
- The game is plagued by frequent crashes and performance issues, making it frustrating to play for extended periods.
- The user interface is clunky and unintuitive, which can make it difficult for players to navigate and understand the game's mechanics.
- The game has not been updated in a long time, leading to concerns about its future development and potential abandonment.
- stability52 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game is widely criticized for its instability, with numerous reports of frequent crashes, graphical glitches, and overall poor optimization. While some users acknowledge its potential and enjoyable aspects, the overwhelming consensus is that it is currently too buggy and unpolished to provide a satisfactory experience. Many recommend avoiding the game until significant improvements are made.
“Great potential, but the game is bug-ridden to the point of being nonfunctional and the developer has abandoned it.”
“Constant crashes and glitches make it unplayable and just unpleasant to play; avoid this mess of a game.”
“It is extremely buggy, crashes every 5 minutes, and lacks direct interaction.”
- optimization45 mentions
- 18 % positive mentions
- 58 % neutral mentions
- 24 % negative mentions
The game's optimization is widely criticized, with many players experiencing significant performance issues, especially when the creature count is high or the world is expansive. While some updates have improved performance, the game remains poorly optimized for most systems, leading to lag and crashes. Overall, players express hope for future improvements but caution potential buyers about the current state of optimization.
“Despite its age, it's very well put together and optimized.”
“As of this review, the current version v0.12.0.8, the performance has been spectacularly improved compared to earlier versions.”
“Huge performance and stability updates and constant patches have cemented my hope for this game.”
“It is poorly optimized and you will lag in this game if there are too many creatures or the world is too big, no matter what.”
“Worse still, in order to manage the enormously poor performance, the game automatically tweaks the efficiency of food sources to avoid overbreeding.”
“Until the performance issues are resolved, I have to say to everyone - avoid!”
- gameplay34 mentions
- 32 % positive mentions
- 59 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized as a mix of engaging mechanics and frustrating instability, with many players noting frequent crashes and bugs that hinder the experience. While the core concept of an evolution simulation is intriguing, the execution often leaves players feeling that the mechanics are complicated and poorly explained, leading to a more passive, observer-like experience rather than active gameplay. Overall, the game shows potential but requires significant improvements in stability and user interface to enhance the gameplay experience.
“The gameplay is amazing, by the way.”
“This game goes from 0 to 100 in seconds, and is great fun once you figure out the mechanics, which are a little complicated.”
“Very fun and you learn things easily; it's beautiful. Looking forward to updates and more mechanics. It's very fun to watch or just push the critters for fun.”
“After trying for a long time to figure out this game, I've ultimately realized that gameplay is just watching timers and clicking a radiation button.”
“The gameplay itself is non-existent.”
“Most of the gameplay involves warping time and leaving the game running in the background for something to happen.”
- graphics29 mentions
- 17 % positive mentions
- 66 % neutral mentions
- 17 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with many users noting that they are outdated and occasionally glitchy, leading to crashes, especially on less powerful systems. While some players appreciate the smooth visuals and the portrayal of evolution, others feel that the graphics lack detail and polish, suggesting that improvements are needed. Overall, the game's focus on simulation and mechanics seems to overshadow its graphical shortcomings, but a desire for better visuals remains prevalent among the community.
“It's a lot of fun to watch your creatures truly evolve and survive, and the visuals are smooth and enjoyable. After 3 hours of mutating, I have most species walking on two or four legs with actual faces!”
“This game accomplishes a nice portrayal of evolution with some interesting graphics.”
“The graphics are excellent, and the development of the creatures is good as well.”
“Just be prepared for crashes and a few graphical glitches from time to time.”
“The graphics settings are limiting too.”
“I launch the game, see the horrible interface, start a new map, I see the ugly, simple yet somehow choppy graphics and hear the hideous soundtrack.”
- music13 mentions
- 31 % positive mentions
- 46 % neutral mentions
- 23 % negative mentions
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some players praising the soundtrack as amazing and enhancing the overall experience, while others find it either too loud or unappealing, wishing for options to mute it or add their own tracks. Technical issues with volume adjustments have also been reported, leading to frustration for some users. Overall, the music aspect is seen as a point of contention among players.
“Oh god this soundtrack is amazing.”
“☐ masterpiece music 10/10.”
“The occasional bits of music are really nice and enhance the experience.”
“I don't really like the music in this game and I wish that I could mute it.”
“Started with little to no sound despite making adjustments to volume, and unless the music was turned off, it would be so loud that it would hurt my ears and blow out my headphones.”
“I crashed the game because for some reason I can make the music volume go negative in the options.”
- humor10 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is widely praised, with players finding the creatures and gameplay elements to be both hilarious and entertaining. Many users appreciate the comedic aspects of the game, noting its ability to provide a fun and educational experience while also being a great way to pass the time. Overall, the game's humor contributes significantly to its appeal, making it a standout feature for players.
“The creatures are hilarious, and there are a ton of things to experiment with!”
“I'm unclear on what exactly I have birthed in this game and am fairly sure my soul is condemned for laughing at it.”
“Hilarious and educational.”
- story5 mentions
- 20 % positive mentions
- 20 % neutral mentions
- 60 % negative mentions
The game's story is minimal and largely revolves around the player's observation of chaotic, whimsical creatures interacting with the environment, as it lacks structured missions or goals. This sandbox simulation emphasizes exploration and creativity over a traditional narrative, leaving players to create their own experiences.
“And thus is the story of how, thirty minutes ago, I checked my game and realized that my land was covered in swarms of hundreds of peach-colored, amusingly x-rated creatures munching on bushes wherever they went.”
“Perhaps if there were missions or something, it might be better.”
“This is a 100% sandbox simulation game; there are no goals or missions.”
“That is the story of how, about half an hour ago, I checked on my computer to find a bunch of omnivorous, nightmare-like creatures munching on whatever they want.”
- grinding5 mentions
- 20 % positive mentions
- 20 % neutral mentions
- 60 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious, as the limited tools available in its early alpha stage lead to repetitive routines with minimal engagement. While some appreciate the lack of grinding, others feel that the overall experience may not justify the investment.
“Decent grinding.”
“It's an interesting game, but its early alpha stage restricts the choice of tools quite obviously, leaving you with a rather tedious routine of watching creatures thrive and die in a world where you can change only five or six variables overall. Eventually, you find yourself wondering, 'Why did I even buy this?'”
“A lot of grinding.”
“Your lifetime of grinding.”
- monetization1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The monetization aspect of the game is viewed skeptically, with users noting a lack of updates and communication from the developer for two years, leading to concerns about potential abandonment. While not labeled a cash grab, the game's numerous bugs contribute to a negative perception of its ongoing support and viability.
“The last update was two years ago, and there has been no communication from the developers on any platform. While I wouldn't call this a cash grab, it's very bug-prone and feels either abandoned or like the developer has given up.”
“The monetization model is frustratingly aggressive, making it hard to enjoy the game without spending money.”
“I feel like the game is designed to push players towards microtransactions rather than providing a balanced experience.”
