The game of life
This is rather an abstract little game but one which is quite intriguing, if a little pointless in the end, and which makes for an entertaining time waster. It plays out a little like a mixture of Civilization and SimEarth so if you're into either of these games, you might want to take a look here. The player is basically given control of one of the earliest animals to walk the planet and is charged with helping the creature to survive, spread and ultimately evolve into something more than it started out as. Of course, you have to face a number of hazards along the way, including the ever changing planet itself, rocked as it is by various geological catastrophes, while there are other animals out there to compete with and which will happily munch on you. There are more than 150 species to encounter during the course of your epic journey, including dinosaurs, while you can a variety of scenarios to play through, including several notable periods from Earth's history, or you can try and go the whole hog and make it all the way from the beginning of the world to the end. Perhaps the best thing about Evolution is the concept itself, which is intriguing and at least occasionally addictive. Playing the game is pretty simple, but the awkward interface hampers things a little. Further adding to the game's problems are the dull visuals and the fact that the gameplay itself just isn't that exciting. Although there's a certain sense of interest in seeing how your creature fares, there's just to much pointless hanging around waiting for something to happen and ultimately, this makes Evolution a curiosity rather than a must play.
