EA and Maxis have announced Darkspore, a follow up of sorts to Spore, the divisive 2008 release from industry legend Will Wright. Where the original was largely concerned with simulating the evolution of a single species, the new game invites you scour the galaxy, collect hundreds of different aliens and march them into battle. You’ll also be required to mix and match body parts in order to forge entirely original combatants. Frankenstein meets Pokémon? As grisly as it sounds, Darkspore may be just that.

Described by its publisher as an action RPG, the new game appears to be much more combat focused than its predecessor. Having said this, battles will probably be won or lost before a shot is fired. Each creature will have its pros and cons, so selecting the right balance of troops will be critical. You’ll also have the opportunity to test your little warband online, with both cooperative and adversarial modes in the pipeline.

Darkspore is due for release on PC in autumn 2011. It will be interesting to see if the new game features any of the mythology established in the original game.