Darwinia+ is a cruel master. You can’t help but feel for Darwinia+’s little green men. One minute they’re enjoying the charm of their colourful world and the next they’re exploding in a torrent of pixels. Call of Duty may try to elicit feelings of remorse and desperation, but it’s nothing compared to Darwinia+’s inhabitants. The Darwinians are nothing more than stick humanoids, but when they fall prey to the destructive power of the viral enemy, it leaves you feeling empty – they died for nothing.

The developers have managed to create a perfect vision of what a computer virus might look like. It’s similar to playing through a technological envisioning of The Incredible Journey, with measures of Tron thrown in for 21^st Century substance. The rolling hills are littered with tribal architecture. There’s a distinct mixture of technology and classicalism. It is unique, but considering Introversion’s pedigree, you’d be hard pressed to expect anything but.

It’s not just a case of style over substance. In the XBLA version, you can take direct control of units – a design choice that betters the flow of the game by focussing the player’s attention on Darwinia+’s action. You can throw grenades, call in airstrikes and generally cause as much mayhem as possible. You begin to feel attached to your squad as they traverse the landscape, eradicating the virus that threatens the Darwinian’s quaint world. The strategic elements of its PC cousin have been simplified to welcome the introduction of a controller.

This isn’t necessarily a bad thing – the original Darwinia suffered from repetitive, often stagnant mechanics. Self described as a ‘director’s cut’, Darwinia+ feels streamlined, its focus improved. On a large screen, the game comes alive. Occasionally it’ll overwhelm you with choices, but a well designed control scheme reduces the feeling of disorientation. The research system holds you by the hand, slowly increasing Darwinia+’s complexity which allows for a gradual learning curve.

It’s vital for a game that can become manic in its multiplayer. The brief matches, (last seen in the PC standalone title Multiwinia), pile the pressure on so quickly, that only gamers with the quickest reflexes can cope. The relaxed pace of the singleplayer is lost and those searching for a causal romp online will find themselves struggling.

Having played the previous two titles on PC, it’s difficult to recommend Dawinina+. Those who haven’t will find much more enjoyment from Introvision’s retro-celebratory work. It’s a unique experience that stands out in a marketplace that’s swimming with mediocrity. It’s priced perfectly (1200 MS Points) and is unlike anything else on XBLA. Even if you stay clear of its multiplayer component, the offline campaign still manages to provide enough enjoyment to satisfy even the most sceptical of gamers. It’s different, and for that very reason, it deserves to be tried.

7.5/10