Darkspore Preview

The guys over at FileFront managed to find some time to post a quick preview of Darkspore after spending some time with Maxis' action RPG at this year's PAX Prime. The usual snip:
Each of these abilities are mapped to the number keys on the keyboard, and they fire off immediately. Each ability has a (very brief) cooldown period before they can be used again.

You can switch between any of your three creatures at any time. It's often strategic to do so, as different enemies require different abilities in order to counter. For instance, if you need to get up close and personal and deal some melee damage, switch to the Goliath and use his Energy Slash attack to take them down.

One additional layer to the combat system is the (Overdrive Meter.) As you fight, the Overdrive Meter will gradually fill up. When it's full, you can trigger Overdrive, which gives your selected create the Passive Abilities of all of your creatures combined. This is a key mechanic to use in boss fights, or when you're surrounded by enemies.