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.
Reviews
- The game offers a unique and fascinating simulation of evolution, allowing players to watch their creatures evolve over time.
- The developer is responsive and actively working on updates, showing dedication to improving the game.
- The ability to manipulate environmental factors and observe the resulting changes in species is both engaging and educational.
- The game is plagued by frequent crashes and performance issues, especially with larger populations.
- The user interface is clunky and unintuitive, making it difficult for players to navigate and understand the mechanics.
- Many players feel the game is overpriced for its current state, as it still feels unfinished and lacks polish.
- stability52 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game's stability is widely criticized, with numerous reports of frequent crashes, graphical glitches, and overall poor optimization, making it feel unfinished and buggy. While some players acknowledge its potential and enjoy the gameplay despite these issues, many find it unplayable due to the severity and frequency of the bugs. Overall, it is considered a rough experience that requires significant improvements to reach a polished state.
“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.”
- optimization35 mentions
- 23 % positive mentions
- 57 % neutral mentions
- 20 % negative mentions
The game's optimization is a significant concern among users, with many reporting severe performance issues, especially when handling multiple creatures or larger environments. While some players have noted improvements in stability and performance in recent updates, the overall consensus is that the game remains poorly optimized, making it challenging to recommend until further enhancements are made. Despite its potential and engaging gameplay, the current optimization problems detract from the experience, particularly for those with lower-end PCs.
“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.”
“Soooo much potential but right now it's very glitchy and unoptimized.”
“Be warned, it's far from finished and more importantly still poorly optimized.”
- gameplay31 mentions
- 35 % positive mentions
- 55 % neutral mentions
- 10 % negative mentions
The gameplay of the game is characterized by an interesting concept and engaging mechanics, though many players find them complicated and difficult to master. While the game offers fun and unique experiences, it suffers from frequent crashes and bugs that hinder the overall experience, leading to frustration. Players appreciate the potential for evolution simulation but express a desire for more polish, stability, and additional features to enhance gameplay.
“The gameplay is amazing, by the way.”
“Fun and engaging gameplay that leaves you with many 'wtf' moments.”
“This game goes from 0 to 100 in seconds, and is great fun once you figure out the mechanics, which are a little complicated.”
“The game mechanics are too dull and hard to learn in order to have a fun experience.”
“Get this game if you can handle frequent crashing, for occasional gameplay.”
“The gameplay itself is non-existent.”
- graphics27 mentions
- 19 % positive mentions
- 70 % neutral mentions
- 11 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some players appreciating the smooth visuals and the portrayal of evolution, while others criticize the outdated environmental graphics and frequent glitches. Many users note that a powerful graphics card is necessary for optimal performance, and there are calls for improvements in both graphics quality and user interface. Overall, while the graphics are deemed decent by some, they are seen as needing significant enhancements to fully realize the game's potential.
“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.”
“Although this game does not have high graphics, this game is a built-in experience of a simulation of evolution, and you act as though you're a god with the survival of the fittest.”
“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, such as volume control malfunctions, have also been reported, affecting the enjoyment of the music. Overall, the soundtrack is appreciated by some but criticized by others for its execution and volume levels.
“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 mechanics to be both hilarious and entertaining. Many users appreciate the blend of fun and education, noting that the game's quirky elements provide a lighthearted experience that keeps them engaged. Overall, the game's comedic aspects contribute significantly to its enjoyment and replayability.
“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.”
- grinding5 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 0 % 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.”
“Your life-time of 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.”
- story4 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
The story is described as lacking depth, with users expressing a desire for missions to enhance the narrative experience. The plot revolves around the sudden appearance of bizarre, omnivorous creatures invading the player's land, creating a chaotic and humorous scenario.
“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.”
“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.”
“... 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.”
- monetization1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The monetization aspect of the game is viewed as non-exploitative, but concerns arise due to a lack of updates and communication from the developer, leading to speculation about potential abandonment or neglect. Players note that while it doesn't feel like a cash grab, the game's numerous bugs detract from the overall experience.
“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 frustrating, as it feels like you have to spend money to enjoy the game fully. It's disappointing to see such a great concept hindered by aggressive monetization tactics.”
“I understand that games need to make money, but the constant push for in-game purchases ruins the experience. It feels like the developers care more about profits than player satisfaction.”
