Still not sure about Darkspore? Check out our experiences! Starting fresh in this action RPG? Read on for some great starter PvE and PvP tips!

Today marks the official launch date of Maxis Studios' Darkspore, and I've been looking forward to it for quite some time. I've already managed to polish off Valve's Portal 2 and now, with co-op memories still fresh in my mind, I've wanted nothing more than the opportunity to bring a few friends together for some classic dungeon crawling, monster mashing goodness. 

For many players, however, Darkspore may very well be the first action RPG they get their hands on, especially for those who were attracted to this game for its Spore-based creatures rather than its combat or other mechanics, especially given the broad marketing strategies that Maxis has utilized. As well, there are probably thousands of you out there who are still waiting on the fence or have perhaps not yet heard about this game! But fear not, for ZAM has you covered!

We've rounded up our collective experiences on Darkspore as it progressed through the closed and open betas for those still wondering if this is a game worth picking up. And for everyone just starting fresh in Darkspore, head to page 2 for a few key tips in PvE and PvP!

• Editor-in-Chief Darryl "Togikagi" Gangloff's interview session with Darkspore's Executive Producer Mike Perry: Way back in February, when Maxis Studios was really gearing up to bring Darkspore to the masses, Editor-in-Chief Darryl "Togikagi" Gangloff sat down with Darkspore Executive Producer Mike Perry to talk about what make's Darkspore unique, as well as some of Maxis' development thoughts that went into the project.

• ZAM's first hands-on look at Darkspore: Hard to believe it's been two months since my first hands-on experience with the game! While there were a number of changes and fixes made to the game over the course of the next two months, the core Darkspore experience has remained unchanged. In our first preview, I praised the deep character customization that goes just beyond simple aesthetics, as well as the smooth combat.

• Mike B. aka Fony checks out Darkspore on the BFF Report: In episode 61 of the BFF Report, Mike B. aka Fony took a whirlwind playthrough of Darkspore, and he found himself really enjoying Darkspore's Spore-based creature customizer. If you're looking for a great breakdown of the game, watch this video!

• Senior Staff Writer Chris "Pwyff" Tom visits Maxis Studios for Darkspore Day: Just a few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of visiting Maxis Studios in San Francisco to really see what was going into this game and what was in store for the future. Not only did the visit solidify my praise of Darkspore's deep, easy to understand systems, but it also alleviated my fears about Darkspore's PvP potential. While winning the Darkspore Day PvP tournament with my partner, Kyle of RPGFan.com, was a great treat, I was happier knowing that Darkspore has great potential when it comes to fostering a competitive community or, if Maxis wants to pursue it, even an eSports scene. Very few games in the industry have that rare combination of being understandable from a spectator level while still maintaining that depth that attracts competitive players, and Darkspore has that.

Darkspore Launch Day Trailer

And if our launch day roundup was good enough to convince some of you to check out Darkspore, head on over to page 2 for some starter tips in Darkspore's PvP and PvE to help you get right into the game!

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