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!

So either you've decided to pick up Darkspore on our recommendations, or you've already made that decision yourself! Either way, while getting into the game is quite easy to do (the tutorial is great!), there's still a lot to learn.Tread on for some tips to staying alive in Darkspore's PvE and PvP!

PvE Tips for Darkspore

Remember to check your objectives tab on the bottom center-right of your screen. Getting gold medals in objectives increases your chances of getting rare loot after the level is complete, so you should always be going for gold!

Sometimes objectives are time-based, but they often end up being the last "hidden" objective, so you don't know that you're being timed until the middle of the level. If you're going for gold medals, your approach to the level should be based off of fulfilling your objectives quickly without distractions.

Don't be afraid to run away! If you're low on health against a boss or some enemies, remember that you're not obligated to stay in their face, taking all the hits. It's possible to "kite" a boss with some ranged heroes by walking in circles and occasionally turning around to take a pot shot.

Use your squad switches to create powerful combos. At the early levels, I loved walking into crowds with Revenant, using his area-of-effect fear, switching to SRS-42 and then doing a missile barrage on that spot. There are hundreds of other great combinations you can use in PvE, and they should become an integral part of your strategy.

Be flexible. Since all Darkspore enemies who are the same type as your hero get huge damage bonuses, it's obvious that players should bring different types to each level. That being said, you should also remember that a hero's archetype, like Sentinel, Tempest and Ravager, also play a big role in how effective you are in combat. It helps to at least have one ranged unit and one strong damage dealing unit in your squad so that you can play a variety of different roles.

PvP Tips for Darkspore

PvP in Darkspore is all about space control: managing where your opponents are in relation to you, and blocking off places where they can go. In this way, while straight damage dealing heroes are good in PvP, consider the utility value of units like Magnos, as his ability to push and pull players around the arena leave him in constant control.

Pick squad abilities that make up for your other heroes' weaknesses. By example, SRS-42 has difficulties when opponents are in his face, so putting Magnos in the group will give SRS-42 a knockback wave to give him some space. Even though it's tempting to get tons of damage dealing spells in your squad slots, remember that you're not dealing any damage when you're dead.

Use your squad switching ability as a tactical way of avoiding incoming damage. You can actually switch just before getting hit by a spell, and the spell will go on cooldown while you take no damage. For World of Warcraft Arena veterans, think of your squad switch as a trinket that you can use every 15 seconds. If you see a Magnos turn to suck you in, just switch as he does it, and now he has no way of catching you!

Keep your eyes peeled for players who mistime their switches. After switching, there is a 15-second cooldown where you cannot switch again. If you see an opponent do this, and he switches to something squishy, be sure to capitalize by blowing him up! Alternatively, don't commit everything to killing an opponent that hasn't switched, because he might be able to dodge a lot of incoming damage with good timing, ultimately putting you out of position.

Be sure to check the different versions of your heroes to get the best abilities. Even though it looks like there are multiple copies of your hero at different levels, they actually have one different second-slot ability, meaning that you can customize your team even more by specializing more towards what skills you need.

Senior Staff Writer Chris "Pwyff" Tom