In Evolva, the player has to fight against an alien parasite that has infected a planet. This parasite has an army of vicious guardians to protect it, and they will have to be defeated if the player is to ultimately defeat the parasite itself. The player takes control of a team of customizable creatures called Genohunters and guides them through a world that mixes the excitement of a fast paced shoot-em-up with the tactical elements of a strategy game.

The game uses Computer Artworks' A-Life technology to create a believable environment inhabited by intelligent creatures. "Players customize their Genohunters as they play through the game, gaining a wide range of Genetic weaponry which include Fire breath, Giant Claws, Electricity weapons, Gene Disruptors, and much, much more. By the end of the game their Genohunters will be totally customized and unique. Players can then use them in multiplayer deathmatches or email them over the internet for other players to use," says William Latham Creative Director of Computer Artworks Ltd.

The Genohunter is the ultimate adaptive warrior that can be deployed in any combat situation. The Genohunter adapts itself by absorbing the remains of fallen enemies and then, after analysing their DNA, mutating itself to incorporate any useful abilities that the creature may have had. For example, if a Genohunter kills a creature that has the ability to jump high, it will mutate its own body and increase the size of its legs to emulate this ability. With over a billion potential variations, no two games or two players should ever have the same set.

In the game you’ll assume the role of one of the Evolva who are the elite military commanders of the day. With a team of Genohunters in the belly of your ship, you are sent to defeat the armies of the Parasite and ultimately the Parasite itself. You do this by controlling your set of Genohunters from the safety of your ship orbiting above the planet.

Clearly the Genohunter’s AI must be good, but rest assured the other creatures in Evolva will demonstrate sophisticated levels of AI as well. Thanks to the fuzzy logic controller incorporated into the highly complex game code, you’ll never know for sure if an indigenous creature will flee or attack—the response will be dependent upon a number of factors such as your attack formation or the presence of a group of like creatures.

Based upon the animated genetic morphs we’ve seen so far, it looks like Evolva could very well live up to the advance billing set in motion. In fact, rumors on the web have circulated that it will be one of the first titles developed for PlayStation 2, although Sony won’t confirm or deny this and has yet to make any official announcements. Evolva will be distributed by Interplay and is expected to hit the shelves around October.