I've been trying out The Universim recently. It has a lot of the same ideas, but gets rid of many which I felt didn't work. Most notably, there is no creature bound to your will. I think the game is better for the omission. Version 1.0 is slated for January, and is supposed to include interplanetary colonization.
I remember all the marketing and promises for Black and White 2 that were never realised. It doesn't feel like they really managed the first sequel, let alone another one.