Introversion's Multiwinia takes the surprisingly varied gameplay of their previous title, Darwinia, and adds one aspect that had been entirely missing: multiplayer. Featuring an interesting take on typical real-time strategy conventions, Multiwinia is a fun game that does not get mired down in over-complication, but unfortunately also suffers a bit because of this.

The game's story follows the original, in that the Virus which first infected the Darwinians has turned their peaceful, Tron-like world into a warzone. Now they are no longer Darwinians, but Multiwinians, and possess an increased capacity for combat. The story itself ends there, as the single player is nothing more than a series of skirmish maps with no connecting narrative. Since the solo campaign's maps are available from the onset, this obviously results in a lack of progression in the traditional sense. Given how Multiwinia is meant to be played as a multiplayer game, this isn't a big deal, but it would have been nice for practice purposes if there had been a bit more in the way of single player depth.

Battles can definitely get hectic.

One of the biggest drawbacks of Darwinia was its somewhat complicated control scheme and gameplay. Although there are now only two tutorials to help ease players into the game, Multiwinia is far more accessible, as selecting and manipulating a group of Multiwinians is much easier. That is, of course, when they behave as expected. There are times when your troops will unexpectedly run off while attempting to engage the enemy, which can be a little annoying. Granted, this doesn't happen too often, so it's far less of a issue than it probably could have been.

In total, there are 44 maps spread across six game modes for both single and multiplayer. These modes are mostly variations of one another, but there are still enough differences in each to make them feel unique in their own way. For instance, Capture the Statue mode is a takeoff of Capture the Flag, wherein a player's Multiwinians must find and bring an item back to their base that is far larger than themselves. Past the initial comedy of watching a group of microscopic characters try to pick up and carry something humongous, the statues themselves are funny in their own right. Some of these in particular stand out, such as a "place your ad here" sign or the return of a Portal fan's best friend; the companion cube. It is little touches like these that make Multiwinia a continually entertaining game.

As mentioned previously, there are several game modes that include Assault, Blitzkrieg, Domination, King of the Hill and Rocket Riot. Although most of these are self-explanatory, even the basic modes have their own twist. For instance, Assault is simply a defense map, where players must protect their weapons of mass destruction, while Rocket Riot has you venturing out and attacking to gain points used in refueling your rocket ship. But perhaps the best feature in Multiwinia is its complete lack of resource management. Gameplay in standard mode is simply about defending your own structures, finding and acquiring new ones, and increasing your rank by attacking opposing forces. Although this may sound somewhat simplistic, it belies the strategy within the game itself. There are several ways to defeat enemies, and the game becomes increasingly hectic as more players join in.

That is, however, until crate drops come into play. Multiwinians can be sent to collect these crates, which feature bonuses from air strikes and armored carriers to huge monsters and mini nukes. Occasionally, they even contain virus outbreaks, which can then in turn infect your entire army. The problem is that these don't necessarily spawn at random, but rather closer to players losing a battle. As games progress, it's entirely possible for the reward from one of these crates to radically shift the balance in favor of the weaker player. Although this isn't a constant issue, it occurs just enough to contribute to some aggravation. Fortunately, crates can be disabled, so if you're looking for a fair match, it's prudent to turn this option off.

Multiwinia features the unique visual style first introduced in Darwinia.

Multiplayer is obviously the main point behind Multiwinia and thankfully, playing with others works quite well. You can host or join a game with up to four other people, and many of the maps are specialized for specific player counts. Although head-to-head battles will go by the quickest and easiest, there is an entirely different skill set necessary to succeed during the three and four player games. The problem is, there simply aren't many game variations available. Although the aforementioned crate drops can be switched off, past that, there is very little control to be had over a match. It's unfortunate that there is no map editor or an ability to change spawn points, because the lack of variety can hurt your long-term enjoyment of the game.

Graphically, things appear simplistic from afar, but the sheer amount of action on-screen is a sight to be seen. The art style still looks fantastic, and with all the activity that can take place at once, it runs surprisingly smooth. There are a few dropped frames and stutters, but they occur sparingly and hardly impact performance. The sound is also decidedly retro, with the music being slightly eerie. The combined sound of bombs and weapons firing coupled with the agonized shrieks of your Multiwinians creates a memorable, if not somewhat creepy, atmosphere.

At the end of the day, Multiwinia is both a fun and different type of strategy title. Although it appears similar to Darwinia, the core gameplay has been updated in all the proper ways. By refining certain elements from its predecessor and adding a much-needed multiplayer component, Multiwinia provides a deceptively simple but unique strategic experience that's well worth checking out.