Spore (Mac/PC DVD) - PC and Console Games (Electronic Arts)

From the creator of The Sims comes the most ambitious video game ever made: here you don't just control a single family or city but control an entire species from a single cell organism to a galactic conqueror. As impossibly complex as that might sound, the most impressive thing about Spore is just how accessible and fun it all is. The game is split into six evolutionary phases, starting with almost action-style gameplay at the microscopic level. From there you move to the creature phase on dry land, before going on to the tribal phase and the beginnings of society and technology. From there it's onto the city phase, which plays a bit like SimCity, and from there to the Civilisation phase which plays something like, you guessed it, Civilization. The final phase takes part in outer space where by hook or by crock your species must reign triumphant.

Each phase has its own editing tools associated with it for things like vehicles and buildings. By far the most fun though is the creature tool, which allows you to create your own fully animated lifeform from scratch using a huge range of limbs, facial features and colourings. What's also interesting is that the other planets in the galaxy aren't all pre-populated by the game. Instead, by connecting online you can upload your races, and download those from other people, to fill the galaxy with civilizations from other players around the world. Any one of the six phases would normally be enough for any one game on its own, but this looks like it's going to turn out to be the world's first everything simulator.
HARRISON DENT

Customer Reviews of Spore (Mac/PC DVD)

M. Cree Esq

19th November 2008

Balls
DRM or not, this game is boring. Boring at the start, moving on slightly to annoying. Well, at least there's a bit of variation!

It has all been said before - annoying DRM, gameplay too basic. Honestly, this game should've been marketed as a kid's game. As it was not, we'll assume EA/Will Wright prefer to insult their customers' intelligence.

Burvs
UK
18th November 2008

Waste of money
I was really disappointed with this game. The game-play is very repetitive and whilst the creature creation mechanics are fun for a while, you quickly realise that the design of your creature has little impact on your species' success or failure.
It's nothing like the innovative game I thought it would be.

Worst of all, having played it through and decided I won't be playing it again, I can't sell it second hand because of EA's restrictive DRM. So all in all a complete and utter waste of money which has left me vowing never to buy another game with DRM.

hanzb04
Cambridge, UK
14th November 2008

SPORE - Please give me more!
One of the most hyped up games of the year has now been released, and I have finally resurfaced to tell you about it. Made by the creator of the SIMS, SPORE was never going to be a disappointment. There are some pretty obvious similarities, like the graphics, SPORE has the same simple futuristic 3D animations and idiot proof options tabs, and just like the SIMS I did feel a bit like God on a power trip. But this is where the similarities end, SIMS fans be warned. You are now in control of evolution. Life for you starts out as a single Spore in a tide pool; you must fight your way through life, evolving and reproducing until you can walk on land and create a future for your species in space. Travel through six evolutionary phases by making friends and killing your enemies, whilst all the time moulding your creatures for their survival. As exciting as this sounds, at times the game does become a little tedious and almost too easy; this may have been because I played it on `easy', but still, it is a shadow of what it could have been. Despite these flaws I did admittedly become quite addicted, and found letting my peculiar and ugly featured aliens go, extremely hard. Overall I would say it is definitely worth a bit of your gaming time, but do not expect the epic adventure we were all led to believe SPORE would be.

C. M. Wright

13th November 2008

RUBBISH!!!
My friends convinced me to get this game. I thought that the demo creature creator was fun so i got it. But it was absolutely rubbish. On my pc it froze at tribal stage, so i installed it on my mac. In creature creator was black i couldn't see anything so i had to make something on my pc and then load it onto my mac. Really annoying. Then it really wasn't fun at all. Just annoying. Sireously do NOT but this game no matter what anyone says it RUBBISH!!!!

Ms. C. L. Harwood
Oswaldtwistle, Lancashire, England
8th November 2008

Don't hype it up too much.
The reason so many people have rated this game 1 is because the expected so much and therefore were disapointed. Obviously Maxis cannot make a game that satisfies all people, so it is no reason to rubbish a game because it is not exactly what people wanted. I also think as a third reason people like to jump on the bandwagon of Spore not being good as all the PC magazines have rated it highly.

I personally find it very enjoyable. I did not have a level of expectation before I bought it, I had just seen my boyfriend play it and it looked really fun (which it is). I liked previous Maxis games (the Sims, Sims 2 etc) and this looked of the same style so I was right to think it would appeal. It is of course very different to other Maxis games, as it combines a number of different gaming styles into one game. For example, I had never played a strategy style game before Tribal Stage in Spore.

The most impressive aspect of Spore is the sheer size of the game, and how everyones game is different. It may seem that once Space stage is reached, the game is almost over. However, when you zoom out it is obvious to see the game has barely begun. The number of places to visit is virtually limitless, and each planet is different and has different potential.

What makes this game so original is the amount of content created by the player rather than the game designers. There are a number of different creators where you can design anything from a creature to an religious water vehicle. The possibilities for designing and building are unlimited, so many hours can be spent experimenting and building a masterpiece, which can then be uploaded and shared with the rest of the world!