Spore game review
By The Games GuruThere’s been a lot of hype about Spore, the big new game from Will Wright and his hardworking crew at Electronic Arts. Wright is the creator of The Sims, and Spore took six years to make. It’s supposed to be the biggest thing he’ll ever do. But does Spore live up to the hype?
| SPORE
Graphics: 7.5 Sound: 9.0 Gameplay: 8.0 Replay Value: 9.5 Overall Score: 8.5
Pros: Completely immersive gameplay experience; Creature Creator rocks; share creatures and worlds online.
Cons: Takes time to install; some camera angle issues; graphics could be better. |
Electronic Arts for Mac and PCFITS AND STARTS
Spore is a fascinating game in which you start out as a simple cell in the ocean. From there, you help grow your cell from a strange, alien land dweller to a civilized being to one with a spaceship who explores the galaxy.
The game takes about a half-hour or more to install. Then, when you first boot it up, it takes a while to load. It took so long, I clicked the swirly Spore icon a second time, and the game wouldn’t run. There should have been a popup screen that says “loading” or something.
UP AND RUNNING
But once it does run, it’s just beautiful and fun to be a young cell under the sea. You can choose to be an herbivore or carnivore cell. I chose to be an herbivore, a plant eater. Then, to the sound of trippy music by Brian Eno (who produced the latest Coldplay CD), I was swimming playfully in the sea. I used the keyboard’s arrow buttons to move around and explore. There are so many things growing here — weird-looking creatures that other people have made — I almost didn’t want to leave this wonderful sea.
It might be better to be a meat eater because I kept getting eaten by other cells early on. Just a veggie eater consuming bright green algae, I couldn’t bite them back. So my little purple cell yelped and eventually died. But the game started over again. After I explored the sea to unlock special body parts, I found a girlfriend, who showed me she liked me when hearts floated all around her.
Later, I was able to add a poison-puffing part to the cell’s body. When other cells would try to eat me, I had some means of defense. I survived!
MAKING A MOVE
It was time to make my move to land. The beach seemed vast, full of wonders and dangers. And the island to which it belonged was full of strange and awesome creatures. Some were small like me. Others were bigger but shy. Some were downright nasty and didn’t want to be pals. And one was two-legged and huge. It picked me up like Goliath picking up David, took a bite out of me and threw me down, nearly killing me. I quickly ate a lot of fruit to restore my health.
My goals were many: eating constantly to stay alive; finding hidden bones (usually near other beings) so I could alter my body with things like wings; and making pals with other creatures. I made friends first by calling them over and singing them a song. After talking to three of them, I received the reward of some DNA, which helped me transform and grow stronger.
While the graphics aren’t the most detailed in the world, they’re generally delightful, so much so that I had my creature traverse the whole island to see everything. You can adjust the graphics for more detail, but it might slow down your computer.
I did notice a few issues on the island. When I got too close to a hilly or mountainous area, the camera angle didn’t work very well. Briefly, I didn’t know where I was. Then, when feeding on orange fruit, sometimes the tree would just disappear. Often, I didn’t have to walk around plants; I was able to walk through them. That shouldn’t happen.
LEADING AND SHARING
In the next stage, you move on to create a tribe. I liked this the least, as the oohs and ahhs I found with my little island creature weren’t there. I was more of a leader controlling a group of beings as in any real-time strategy game. Plus, the camera issue grew to be a problem in this stage.
Eventually, you’ll travel through the universe exploring planets in a spaceship of your own making. You have a ton of choices throughout: make your own things, use Spore to create them or use the things that the vast Spore online community has made. The surprises that await you when you see a UFO or when you move through space are just astonishing. To know that so many other people in the Spore community are doing the same makes you feel a kinship.
When you’re done, you can upload your own creature or planet for people to play in. You can take pictures and record video of your progress, too.
FLAWED BUT FULL OF AWE
You can probably breeze through Spore in about 10 hours, maybe less. But the true enjoyment comes from exploring the worlds. Don’t rush Spore. Savor it. While Spore is sometimes flawed, one thing is clear: This is one of those discs that changes video games for all time.
Spore is nothing if not addicting. I started playing one morning and before I knew it, more than four hours had passed in what seemed to be the blink of an eye. Play Spore in your spare time, after homework and chores, or you won’t get anything done.
Finally, the Spore manual says you’re allowed to have a few accounts when you buy one CD. Sadly, you can only have one account per household because EA is trying to cut down on piracy issues. But you can have multiple creatures so you and your whole family can make vehicles and planets, too. You just can’t play all together at once.
when i get this game i am going to make a creature called an octopod.
It’s a great game,but the problem with it is graphics & memory. After takin, 30 minutes to load, I finaly was able to play. Even though it was great, all the graphics were on low & it took up all the memory space. After that, the computer couldnt take something so large and started to have problems. We took the computer to a shop & put 2 gigs. Still, my rating would be 11.0 out of 10.0.
spore copeny IT IS THE BEST GAME EVER
i agree with plumber boy spore is very addicting.a great game all around it keeps you interested on an intergalactic adventure i give it a 10.
If you ever get the game make sure that you have Leapord (if you have a MAC) or Windows XP (for others).
I am on space stage on 3 worlds and it is SOOO anoying!
This game is Awesome and so is the review.
I think its SUPERGREAT game
i have this game and it is the BEST! all of my friends have it and we all have fun with the picture and movie functions. You need a fast computer [ if you are running XP, you need at LEAST 512 MB of RAM or if you are running and if you are running Vista, you need about 3 GB of RAM.] and a fast internet connection [at least DSL].
Wow, I love it. It is addicting, just ask my dad.
i’m on tribe and i hate it, every one kept guning for me. i give the tribel stage a big fat 0
It is amasing
i have the game but it does not work on my computer beacause my disk drive cant “handle” it. I really want to play it so badly its a great review but i never knew it has so much bugs in it when i paly it i may not like it. ive played it at friends house but no bugs. As i palyed it at my friends house id rate it 9 out of 10. its pretty good but graphics could be better. Also i think its way better then world of warcraft!
my cousin has it and it really rocks
evilar you are right epics, no no good.
The spore that i have isnt like the spore in the third and fourth pictures the developer really changed it
the giant animals are epics and in the city stage,if you send somthing like a plane or boat,it shoots a fifty foot laser at it blasting it to bits. dont do it
I have spore for my ds and it`s nothing like what u said
I agree with evillar
I have the game, and I must say, on a scale of 1 to 10, I’d give the review an 8.
I’d also like to fill in a couple of things you missed.
The big guys that throw you are epics. You CANNOT get one in your pack.
The medium sized guys are rouges. You CAN get them in your pack, but are much harder.I suggest a medium pack.
You can find small guys of epics and rouges.
Hint: If you see a rouge and you’ve seen the small guys like it, impress them. It makes it easier to get the rouge. Nice report though.
well done
my kid realy likes to play this game
I have this game and I completely agree with what you say. All my friends want it and I’m the 1st to get it.
A good review. Although this is game sounds appealing I am wary of paying my hard earned bucks on software that promises sub 40 hours gameplay. Call me old fashioned, but for software to get my vote it has to have longevity built in (something The Sims had in bucketloads). Further, the reviewer stated that bugs are evident in the game and I am bug intolerant. Not for me but a sound enough review. Thanks.
IT’S AWSOME !!!!!!
Nice Report!
I so want this game and I think im going to get it for chistmas,
The review is wrong! It took me less than 8 minutes to install on my computer!
I WANT IT FOR CHRISTMAS!!!!!!!! (:
I want it
i have to get a new computer before i can get spore
oh-yah, I’ve heard it’s great, and I want it, but it’s to much money.
how to you play this game rock on dude
once again this game is one of the best games i have ever played!(assid from world of warcaraft and some wii games!)
this is a really good role playing game for people who like learning about life!
NICE GAME YOU MADE
Sounds Cool! Want to get it!
Does this come on the WII?
Spore took about 7-8 minutes for me and I timed it. I have a very new computer, but shouldn’t take 30 mins. maybe 15. Well then again I have a Mac and run faster and better. I don’t know
i can’t wait to get this. i will make the maximum amont of creaturs possble
i wish HAD IT I DONT HAVE ENOPH MONEY
A game so much better than this is world of warcraft. I stopped playing though because it was getting in the way of school….
I do not have it >:I
Iwant a PSP
I do not have it but I wish i did.
on a scale of 1 to 10 ??? 5 billion!!!!!!!
who did this and hi i’m calvin from scout 23 and i’m a boy scout
I am very sorry about the plants
it is awsome
awsome good report!!!!!!!!!!!