Playing through Darkspore makes me wonder if this is a precursor to a larger sequel, in which Maxis will expand on the concept. It feels like the linear level design is a kind of trial balloon that Maxis put up to help it gauge interest in a new game with more open worlds. Likewise, the limited customization options game me a sense of Maxis getting its feet wet in a Diablo-type game before bringing out a larger game that allows players to create Spore-like creatures from the ground up. Darkspore left me feeling like I’d had the appetizer for a grander main course. As excited as I may be for that to come out of the kitchen, I couldn’t quite fill up on Darkspore.