Spore

 PC
User Score
5.8

Mixed or average reviews- based on 2110 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 885 out of 2110
  2. Mixed: 446 out of 2110
  3. Negative: 779 out of 2110
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  1. AnonymousMC
    Sep 15, 2008
    0
    Absolutely greatest letdown in gaming history. A mile wide but an inch deep. user content system dosn't save it game it makes you want it to be something it isn't; a compelling and fun game. space phase is absolutely frustrating and not open ended in the least. forced to be a slave to greater empires who spring up immediately and some who hate you instanly for no reason and wontAbsolutely greatest letdown in gaming history. A mile wide but an inch deep. user content system dosn't save it game it makes you want it to be something it isn't; a compelling and fun game. space phase is absolutely frustrating and not open ended in the least. forced to be a slave to greater empires who spring up immediately and some who hate you instanly for no reason and wont let you do "diplomacy" with them. Add in the terrible DRM called SECUROM and you've got yourself a totally disappointing game the likes of which i've never seen before.… Expand
  2. PauloP.
    Sep 15, 2008
    2
    A bland game that falls quite short of its huge tall order. It would deserve a modest 5. Why do I give it 2? Because the protection scheme is just a disrespect for buyers.
  3. DaveB.
    Sep 15, 2008
    5
    Spore is an interesting program, but it's a terrible game. The creator elements, where players can sculpt creatures, buildings, and vehicles are very novel and pretty well done, but the actual gameplay is all five stages is unbelievably shallow. I understand that the game is supposed to be accessible, but the game doesn't start simple and gradually allow you to go deeper; it Spore is an interesting program, but it's a terrible game. The creator elements, where players can sculpt creatures, buildings, and vehicles are very novel and pretty well done, but the actual gameplay is all five stages is unbelievably shallow. I understand that the game is supposed to be accessible, but the game doesn't start simple and gradually allow you to go deeper; it starts simple and just gets boring. Unlike previous Maxis projects, the game - which doesn't take very long to get through - has virtually no replay value despite the available customization because there's no real challenge and most of the choices you make don't really matter. The creator modes are indeed very cool, but the game they support is totally just tacked on.… Expand
  4. FredS.
    Sep 15, 2008
    0
    DRM is all I can say. Game seemed ok, but I'm forced to return it to the store.
  5. SamM.
    Sep 15, 2008
    1
    Disappointing, not revolutionary and DRM is stupid. That's all I need to say.
  6. ES
    Sep 15, 2008
    2
    This game is horribly oversimplified. The creature creator is good, but none of the choices you make actually matter in the end. Yawn.
  7. BrandonS
    Sep 15, 2008
    1
    I'm not a crook, so don't treat me like a crook, this is not the way to treat your customers EA.
  8. JohnL
    Sep 15, 2008
    9
    Pros: Ability for creativity is nearly unlimited. Creators/Editors are fantastic. What you do in all the stages before Space stage drastically effect how you play the Space stage. Cons: UI is a bit oversimplified. Tribe and Civ stage are a tad boring - not enough room for creativity. Not quite what we were all hoping for. Summary: Worth $50, but not much more.
  9. miked.
    Sep 15, 2008
    9
    such a fun game. just wish EA would get their heads out of their asses and put their games on steam and ditch that crappy ea download manager.
  10. AdamD.
    Sep 15, 2008
    8
    great game. more of a casual play but a lot of fun none-the-less. a quick fix for the DRM 3 install issues... just back up your game data dummies.
  11. BenjaminW.
    Sep 15, 2008
    10
    the most original game in a long time. A compleatly diffrent experience than iv ever had with a game. i loved it 10++++
  12. AliciaC.
    Sep 15, 2008
    0
    This game is a rental not a purchase. Just wait for someone to crack it and get it free.
  13. TammyO.
    Sep 15, 2008
    1
    This game sucks the big one, and you KNOW which big one I mean. 5 different games that are no fun and hard to control (no modifiable controls and no invert mouse) and wassup with this DRM? Ugh! Gag me with the big one, I'm spitting this one out. Shame on you Maxis. Lost my faith.
  14. BenT.
    Sep 15, 2008
    10
    this game is absolutely amazing in a very random way i played for 7 hours continuosly after purchasing it well worth buying. once you get to the later stages is very complex.
  15. JackB.
    Sep 15, 2008
    1
    Worst pos I've ever purchased. Last time I buy something on the strength of its author. I thought this guy did the Sims?
  16. KenM.
    Sep 15, 2008
    0
    DRM need i say more? oh and the game is nothing like Will showed us 2 years ago.
  17. JeffreyC.
    Sep 15, 2008
    9
    This is a game that's like no other. The originality of the game and the broadness of the game makes it a great game worth playing. The game stages run through many genres. The only issue is its ambition is more than the practicality of the gameplay.
  18. AnneL.
    Sep 15, 2008
    3
    I've played flash games that are better than this disappointment, seriously. The game is lacking in all aspects.
  19. Peter.P.
    Sep 15, 2008
    0
    Damn, I already used up all my 3 activation as I used an USB flash stick. Aparently any hardware change, including adding/removing hard drives will use up an activation. And to the PC, a USB stick is a hard drive. Was a little fun while it lated, I only got to the tribal stage but it seemed a bit dumbed down. Beware of USB flash sticks if you plan to play this or any future EA products.
  20. madlep
    Sep 14, 2008
    0
    This game and it's SecureROM virus kicked me in the nuts and stole my baby, then set my computer on fire. Say no to invasive DRM!
  21. Vagabond
    Sep 14, 2008
    3
    So much they could have done, so little they actually accomplished. The very first stage is probably the only one that actually works. Creature stage is O.K nothing exceedingly good but no game killers either. Tribal stage is just akward, like a poorly programmed RTS game. Civilization phase has a few game killers for me. Namelly that you can't modify cars to be different. As soon as So much they could have done, so little they actually accomplished. The very first stage is probably the only one that actually works. Creature stage is O.K nothing exceedingly good but no game killers either. Tribal stage is just akward, like a poorly programmed RTS game. Civilization phase has a few game killers for me. Namelly that you can't modify cars to be different. As soon as you modify one they all change. No recon or tank vehicles unless you want ALL of them that way. Space is so full of bugs and poorly designed game elements that it hurts just thinking about it. Who honestly thought giving your civilization 1 ship period while all your enemies seem to have 20 at their disposal at any given time was a good idea. Having to zoom in to talk to people gets very tedius. Overall I think the second version of this game will be excellent. This feels too much like a failed beta… Expand
  22. intervaljones
    Sep 14, 2008
    0
    Bad DRM plus lies in the manual regarding the number of online accounts a game can have plus watered down gaming action = lowest possible score. Ignore the glowing reviews, they are obviously EA shills.
  23. BoP.
    Sep 14, 2008
    5
    Could have been more. Great Idea! Crap implementation. Now after 2 days of playing I'm gonna leave Spore in its corner and hope for some free addons and updates to come out so its fun to play again.
  24. ArvinS.
    Sep 14, 2008
    6
    Each stage feels rushed with an artificial ending; as someone said its like playing a bad version of five different games. The game really does lack depth and substance and is a huge disappointment.
  25. JaredL.
    Sep 14, 2008
    9
    the game turned out great... it can be a little quick to get through, but thats just me, racing to the end, but theres lots to explore. but i definatly think that Panzer S. is wrong in saying that you have to pay to stay out of war or run away to protect yourself... if you get attacked you go down to a planet and KICK BUTT!.. but thats also part of the problem.. you cant fight while in the game turned out great... it can be a little quick to get through, but thats just me, racing to the end, but theres lots to explore. but i definatly think that Panzer S. is wrong in saying that you have to pay to stay out of war or run away to protect yourself... if you get attacked you go down to a planet and KICK BUTT!.. but thats also part of the problem.. you cant fight while in the galactic view.… Expand
  26. BrendanD
    Sep 14, 2008
    10
    Anyone bored or disappointed by this game is interested more in games that tell them what to do and how to do it than in creativity. Despite what some reviewers seem to think, this is *not* dumbed-down. Instead, this is probably one of the most intriguing games that has yet come out of EA; and it certainly is the most interesting sim game yet. What is confusing so many on here is that Anyone bored or disappointed by this game is interested more in games that tell them what to do and how to do it than in creativity. Despite what some reviewers seem to think, this is *not* dumbed-down. Instead, this is probably one of the most intriguing games that has yet come out of EA; and it certainly is the most interesting sim game yet. What is confusing so many on here is that they assume the game should tell them what to do, where to go, what end goals should be, etc. This is not a game like Knights of the Old Republic or Halo or any of the other myriad FPSs and RPGs on the market. It's not even as limitedly defined as The Sims or SimCity. Instead, its only limit is the bounds of one's imagination. Unfortunately, it seems many of the fans reviewing this game have lost that sense of adventure and wonder, preferring to let programmers do all the work so they can use as little of their brains as possible. If you're a gamer like that, go back to WoW or Halo, the games that truly are for the masters. This is a game for those of us who still have a little bit of childlike imagination left.… Expand
  27. ColinB
    Sep 14, 2008
    2
    A bitter disappointment. Yes, the world is very pretty to look at, and the creature creator is a nifty little toy...but the game play is abysmal. The game shifts between different genres, hopelessly attempting to provide a unique and deep experience, but every stage is just becomes a boring, simplified genre exercise without any sense of adventure, fun, or immersion. It's like I A bitter disappointment. Yes, the world is very pretty to look at, and the creature creator is a nifty little toy...but the game play is abysmal. The game shifts between different genres, hopelessly attempting to provide a unique and deep experience, but every stage is just becomes a boring, simplified genre exercise without any sense of adventure, fun, or immersion. It's like I asked for a heaping bowl of thick, delicious chocolate ice cream that would take me a long time to completely savor, but instead I receive a small bowl of low-fat frozen yogurt in assorted flavors that is presented nicely but tastes like a loathsome combination of five kinds of Gerber's baby mush. And don't worry, I despise the DRM as much as the next man, but that did not affect my opinion of Spore. It is simply one of the greatest gaming failures in history. Will Wright's yacht has capsized...time to hop aboard the FAILBOAT!… Expand
  28. JonathanS.
    Sep 14, 2008
    0
    I've been looking forward to playing Spore for a very long time. I would've given it a 10, but I actually played it, and then I found out about the DRM restrictions. I really thought this would be a game for the players, but I guess money is more important. Good luck with the sales. I'm telling my friends to download it instead.
  29. GucioG.
    Sep 14, 2008
    2
    DRM and a lot of wasted potential. Overhyped, overdumbed, lacking in every aspect. After the initial "wow" factor is gone, there is pretty much nothing left. Simply not enough game in this game.
  30. DanyR
    Sep 14, 2008
    4
    So much potential crippled by so many bugs and incomplete, repetitive and downright annoying gameplay. I had great hopes in Spore, but I was Spwned by EA and it's miserable DRM, QA and lousy technical support staff. I don't blame Maxis though, EA is responsible for Spore's lack of real appeal for real gamers.
  31. EvangelineG
    Sep 14, 2008
    9
    I am surprised to see all the negative reviews! While certainly not perfect, this is a very ambitious, unique game. It does really rely on the creativity of the user...and maybe that's the problem. In an open ended game where your own choices construct your experience, you can end up with any number of flavours of games. I am having a lot of fun in mine! If you are a creative person, I am surprised to see all the negative reviews! While certainly not perfect, this is a very ambitious, unique game. It does really rely on the creativity of the user...and maybe that's the problem. In an open ended game where your own choices construct your experience, you can end up with any number of flavours of games. I am having a lot of fun in mine! If you are a creative person, don't be put off by all the bad reviews, you will probably really like Spore.… Expand
  32. V.B.
    Sep 14, 2008
    0
    DRM is a dealbreaker anyway, but the game has been reduced to nothingness. The design of your creature couldn't matter less. No significant evolution, which was supposedly the point of the game. You can make creatures that would never survive do just fine, which means there's no payoff to taking the time to design a creature well. Stupid, stupid game, and incredible disappointment.
  33. JimG.
    Sep 14, 2008
    3
    Constant attacking by pirates, micro management in space (spice pick up/delivery), useless allies, watered down version of game. Definately wait till a serious patch comes out!
  34. CraigS.
    Sep 14, 2008
    0
    I can't express more disappointment. Not only is the game over priced. It is terrible as well.
  35. AnonymousMC
    Sep 14, 2008
    1
    I was really anticipating this game, and I went out and bought it, before realizing the way overboard restrictions EA put on it. Caps on activation, it's locked to your computer hardware, only one master account through EA, and lastly, I've just about had it with SecuROM crap being installed on my box. Be warned, you are not buying this game, you are renting it. One day, itI was really anticipating this game, and I went out and bought it, before realizing the way overboard restrictions EA put on it. Caps on activation, it's locked to your computer hardware, only one master account through EA, and lastly, I've just about had it with SecuROM crap being installed on my box. Be warned, you are not buying this game, you are renting it. One day, it will cease to work.

    Suppose you bought the board game Monopoly and you opened it in the kitchen when you got home, only to discover a gadget attached to the board that would from them on only allow you to play the game in the kitchen. And if you tried to play in the living room, or play with more than 4 people, or bring it over to a friends house, or play variations on the set rules, the game would somehow not let you play it. Or if you moved to a different house, you would have to call Parker Brothers and get them to unlock the game before you could play it in your new house. People wouldn't stand for that, so why do people stand for this.
    I've had sort of a philosophical awakening based on my experience with Spore, and I've pretty much resolved to not buy any games with SecurROM and maybe not EA in general, as tough as that will be.
    Anyway, the game itself (once I got it running) was alright. I think they removed some things from it, because it didn't seem as in-depth as even the presentation Will Wright did on it. I love the idea, the execution is ok, but the DRM and installation is way over the top.    … Expand
  36. BrianA.
    Sep 14, 2008
    1
    Rating a 1 based on DRM. The DRM ruined this game for me, so I dont even play it anymore. I'm removing it from my PC and eating the $50 loss. I've learned my lesson. I'm no longer buying games as soon as they come out. I will wait to see how unfair the DRM is first.
  37. MargorieS
    Sep 14, 2008
    1
    I should have saved the $50. I heard this was the latest from the guy who made the Sims and I loved the Sims, but this is awful. The first 2 games are Ok, but not really fun, and then the 3rd game feels like I'm playing counterstrike or something. Bad game design, and stupid key commands. I can't get used to them (no invert mouse) and so it's really no fun to struggle along I should have saved the $50. I heard this was the latest from the guy who made the Sims and I loved the Sims, but this is awful. The first 2 games are Ok, but not really fun, and then the 3rd game feels like I'm playing counterstrike or something. Bad game design, and stupid key commands. I can't get used to them (no invert mouse) and so it's really no fun to struggle along trying to play. So many things wrong this stupid title.… Expand
  38. FrankN.
    Sep 14, 2008
    1
    I don't see what all the excitement is over this game. I was expecting it to be at least fun lol. Pretty boring, feels like 5 unrelated games none of which are fun at all, and omg the controls suck! And you can't change them. What a pos.
  39. JonE.
    Sep 14, 2008
    7
    Fun! But ultimately a bit shallow in terms of gameplay to keep me interested for more than a few weeks. Superbly presented and very cute, younger gamers will love this.
  40. JohnD.
    Sep 14, 2008
    1
    Aweful DRM, worse gameplay. The creators are great but the game is absolutely mind-numbingly dull.
  41. KilikiaT.
    Sep 14, 2008
    9
    This is honestly the best game I have ever played in my entire life! Sure the graphics are cartoonish, but that means you won't have to worry about the tiniest details in creation and it won't kill your graphics card. Very original, and the cheats it has makes it fun but not insanely easy! The only reason I give this a 9 is because this is a great game with a poor tutorial. This is honestly the best game I have ever played in my entire life! Sure the graphics are cartoonish, but that means you won't have to worry about the tiniest details in creation and it won't kill your graphics card. Very original, and the cheats it has makes it fun but not insanely easy! The only reason I give this a 9 is because this is a great game with a poor tutorial. Especially in the space stage. I mean it took me several hours to fully grasp the full space stage, especially the terraforming(everyone should seriously use the money cheat for this- seriously $150000 for an atmosphere generator). Anything less than a nine and the perso who gave the rating gave up in less than an hour.… Expand
  42. BobF
    Sep 14, 2008
    1
    The visuals were nice, that's the only positive thing I can say. The DRM restrictions, in my opinion, should be illegal. I returned my copy for a refund immediately upon learning of this. I upgrade my gaming PC 2 or more times a year including a fresh Windows install, 3 installs gives me an 18-month rental? I think not. I downloaded Spore for free off of Usenet. Is that any less The visuals were nice, that's the only positive thing I can say. The DRM restrictions, in my opinion, should be illegal. I returned my copy for a refund immediately upon learning of this. I upgrade my gaming PC 2 or more times a year including a fresh Windows install, 3 installs gives me an 18-month rental? I think not. I downloaded Spore for free off of Usenet. Is that any less illegal than what EA is doing? I think not. After an hour of play my opinion is the game play is very underwhelming, the game does not live up to its hype, and I've since deleted my free copy.… Expand
  43. sheshbenbesh
    Sep 14, 2008
    0
    Huge promise, Huge disappointment. the creature creator alone deserves a mighty "9", but the game itself is one of the worst letdowns since the beginning of the century. replayability - "0"
    graphics - "4", gameplay - "0". And the worst part about this game is the score it got from reviews. 86?! How much money did EA pay to get thrice the score the game really deserves?
  44. ChrisB.
    Sep 14, 2008
    3
    This game could have been good but it never settles down. Its like spinning plates, just end up rushing around in an attempt to get nowhere. Really badly thought out and generally not enough content. Shame.
  45. AnonAnon
    Sep 14, 2008
    0
    DRM has ruined this game, but that is not the only problem. EA and Will Wright have willingly admitted to dumbing down te game experience to the extreme just for good sales. Will, you have lost my respect.
  46. LloydB.
    Sep 14, 2008
    2
    Very simplistic, not nearly the level of detail I was hoping for, game play is linear, no complexity at all to the game.
  47. dc
    Sep 14, 2008
    1
    Spore was said to be a great game with a way innovative game play that would allow user to make the universe their own way... This needless to say did not happen not even close, most of the time it is the same repetitive actions of go here do as your told type play... Total let down on the side of EA they had a great idea and totally burned it at the stake. too easy and this game HAS Spore was said to be a great game with a way innovative game play that would allow user to make the universe their own way... This needless to say did not happen not even close, most of the time it is the same repetitive actions of go here do as your told type play... Total let down on the side of EA they had a great idea and totally burned it at the stake. too easy and this game HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH EVOLUTION! ITS MORE LIKE A CREATIONIST GAME - everything is set out for you and you do the same things every time you play it - no matter which role you take. The game itself is alright… Expand
  48. HelloGoodbye
    Sep 14, 2008
    10
    Spore is one of the most unique games ever created. Absolutely brilliant. Warning! Spore is not for anyone. you must be a creative and imaginative person to really play this game. This game is all about creating ridiculous species and plants. YOU GET TO MOLD AND SHAPE PLANETS o.O Now the game is severly bugged mind you. Which is to be expected... the game is a 3D modeling engine much Spore is one of the most unique games ever created. Absolutely brilliant. Warning! Spore is not for anyone. you must be a creative and imaginative person to really play this game. This game is all about creating ridiculous species and plants. YOU GET TO MOLD AND SHAPE PLANETS o.O Now the game is severly bugged mind you. Which is to be expected... the game is a 3D modeling engine much similiar to Maya, 3DS, and/or XSI. These programs use billions of calculus and physics equations every time you create an object. If it does too much it goes wacko. Much like the those modeling programs i stated earlier do when you work on them. The whole "they keep attacking me and i only have time to do that" attack at them focus mainly on their colony bomb the colony drop a colony pack heal and go for the next planet... Homeworlds... terraform them to T0 then leave planet and reenter and only one outpost to kill now. Each stage is a different genre so some will appeal to some and some will not appeal to others... Its a game of personal oppinion. Play a stage, make a creature and/or vehicle and make up your own mind. I think its brilliant even with its flaws… Expand
  49. ChristopherC.
    Sep 13, 2008
    1
    There is no gameplay to speak of,. just repetitive and unrewarding tasks. Such a terrible shame. If only some one in the testing department had tried playing it rather then making creatures. The creating components are good fun. but that
  50. MikeSternett
    Sep 13, 2008
    1
    Horrible. Choices mean nothing in this game. Where is the struggle to evolve versus extinction and the strategies and choices that should be required along the path. This game is so simplistic I can't believe I feel for the hype. Damn it this pisses me off thinking about it. Hell, I can't even see how its possible to stay in a stage like cell stage, the games seems to force youHorrible. Choices mean nothing in this game. Where is the struggle to evolve versus extinction and the strategies and choices that should be required along the path. This game is so simplistic I can't believe I feel for the hype. Damn it this pisses me off thinking about it. Hell, I can't even see how its possible to stay in a stage like cell stage, the games seems to force you to move on. Why can't I hang around in cell stage and get as big and powerful as all them GD hugh things trying to eat my little larval looking ass?
    In the creature stage, why am I the only stupid creature in the universe walking around either deciding to eat things or dance with them? If I sit in my nest for months nothing will wander up to me and try to become a ally. Sure, the random creature might wander by that wants to eat you but other then that... my fish tank at home shows way more advanced AI then spore. And once again, cn I hang around creature stage and become 10000 feet tall like those super one hit your dead creatures walking around...I think not.
    Overall, I have games with far more depth on my iphone then Spore has for PC's. Which reminds me, I bet I have have at least 8 times as much enjoyment and play time on the iphone version of spore then the PC one. But the iphone version is a completely different game.    … Expand
  51. BobJ
    Sep 13, 2008
    0
    Pure disappointment. It's boring. It's overly simplified. The editors don't do anything useful. Everything is too cartoony, so it feels like the target audience is 8-year-olds. The interfaces are clumsy and hard to use. The whole game is piss-easy, until the space stage, which is repetitive, unbalanced, unfair, frustrating, and hard to use, yet somehow still manages to be Pure disappointment. It's boring. It's overly simplified. The editors don't do anything useful. Everything is too cartoony, so it feels like the target audience is 8-year-olds. The interfaces are clumsy and hard to use. The whole game is piss-easy, until the space stage, which is repetitive, unbalanced, unfair, frustrating, and hard to use, yet somehow still manages to be piss-easy. And all the editors have a Nazi-like adherence to bilateral symmetry. Fixing all the problems Spore would be more like making an entirely new game than patching bugs. Spore is a very bad game, and the DRM is pure evil. DO NOT BUY THIS GAME!!! (and especially don't buy the strategy guide).… Expand
  52. MM
    Sep 13, 2008
    3
    Having eagerly looked forward to this gamea few years now, I'm more disappointed than most. Not only am I feeling let down, I feel that I've been lied to. Fact is, nowehre in the game does Spore even begin to simulate 'evolution.' The player is left to design their species to whatever parameters they wish. Play style has the most minimal effect on this. And don't Having eagerly looked forward to this gamea few years now, I'm more disappointed than most. Not only am I feeling let down, I feel that I've been lied to. Fact is, nowehre in the game does Spore even begin to simulate 'evolution.' The player is left to design their species to whatever parameters they wish. Play style has the most minimal effect on this. And don't be fooled -- intilligent design this ain't. Players are able to make the most outlandish creatures they can think up, no matter how infeasible they might be. You might think this is a plus. It's not. Aside from determining a few statistics (health, combat power, etc.), the choices made in designing your creatures have virtually no effect on how the game plays out. And later in the game they simply don't matter as the individual specimen isn't even seen. The central premise of the game, then, is entirely absent. But maybe we could forgive Maxisif the game were fun. It is not. The controls in each phase are extremely limited and it's often difficult to navigate around the map. It almost feels like an inexperienced developered rush a console game to pc; really, these are some of the worst controls I've had to deal with, a fact that's made even more inexcusible because of the simplicity of the gameplay. The gameplay of the first four phases can be summarized like this: click on neighbors to make them die. Progress to next stage. You can go about it differently, but the core mechanics are the same. Your race will reach the stars in a matter of hours at the most. At first, I thought the space phase completely reedemed Spore. Beautiful graphics, workable controls, and a lot to do. Well, first impressions are often wrong. The graphics are indeed first class, but the controls turn out to be worse here than in any other phase. You can't adjust the camera angle, combat is impossible (you're supposed to click on fast moving ships) and the minimap is frustrating. The user interface is cluttered. More than this, the freedom I expected -- and briefly enjoyed -- is curtailed pretty quickly once you realize that not only are you not alone in the galaxy, but you're surrounded by hostile alien races that WILL constantly raid your planets and thwart your efforts at retaliation by throwing three ships against your one, and so on. Moreover, there's more drudgery here than in any other phase; you have to establish trade routes, collect goods, plan colonies, and so on. All in all, it's not a good game. If the whole evolutionary thing weren't a gimmick and if the space portion were enjoyable, we'd be looking at a decent game. Until then (Spore 2?), don't bother. Oh, and though the DRM is atrocious (you won't be able to install this game more than three times -- after that, throw it out, it'll be unplayable), I don't think we need to factor that into the score. It's not likely that anyone would ever reinstall this.… Expand
  53. DKK.
    Sep 13, 2008
    2
    I am an EA fan, a Will Wright fan, and I could give a crap about DRM. I was ready to love this. I don't. It's beautiful, but it's boring.
  54. FrankH.
    Sep 13, 2008
    5
    I waited for Spore since 2005 when the first videos were showing up. It has remarkably high potential in concept. There are 4 pre-space stages to the game (cell, creature, tribe and civilization). Those stages can be played in roughly 3 hours. Once they are understood, they become completely trivial and uninteresting. Forget about any remote resemblance between the civ stage and Sid I waited for Spore since 2005 when the first videos were showing up. It has remarkably high potential in concept. There are 4 pre-space stages to the game (cell, creature, tribe and civilization). Those stages can be played in roughly 3 hours. Once they are understood, they become completely trivial and uninteresting. Forget about any remote resemblance between the civ stage and Sid Meier's Civilization -- Spore's Civ stage is a kiddy game that takes all of 20-40 minutes to finish. But Will Wright even said in some of the previews that the early stages were just tutorials for the "real" game, which is the Space Stage. This is where the game mechanics become ridiculously disappointing. Unlike other simulation-styled games, where you are actually competing against an AI (artificial intelligence) that is playing by the same rules you are, Spore expects the player to suspend disbelief by providing endless spaceships (if you die, you just get another spaceship for free) and the AI endless attack resources (so you get attacked on several fronts while you only have one ship to respond with). This becomes boring very fast as system after system is attacked, and there's no way to make progress. The alternative is to avoid war by paying off opponents whenever possible, and avoid meeting potential enemies by not exploring early. This eventually breaks down though too, with enemies that won't negotiate. In short Spore really is a kids game. For all the potential that Spore had from it's conception, WIll Wright turned what could have been fantastic into a dull experience.… Expand
  55. ThoughSporeWouldBeBetter
    Sep 13, 2008
    4
    Three Words: Space is Broken! I thought space was going to be the great and immense final chapter, the one to redeem the overall shallow game I was playing. No, I am not going to pay for expansions that should have been in the game in the first place. Even if the game was built for casual gamers (as Mr Wright indicated it was), the Space stage will drive anyone but the most dedicated Three Words: Space is Broken! I thought space was going to be the great and immense final chapter, the one to redeem the overall shallow game I was playing. No, I am not going to pay for expansions that should have been in the game in the first place. Even if the game was built for casual gamers (as Mr Wright indicated it was), the Space stage will drive anyone but the most dedicated away. Repetition is the key factor, and it isn't fun. It has left me frustrated, and pissed off. I basically spent $50 to get mad. Thanks Maxis! I was running out of ways to feel cheated (I guess it is a creative game after all). The only great thing about the game are the Creators, and even then the designs don't truly have a tangible effect on the game itself (more legs doesn't equal more speed, more guns on spacecraft doesn't equal higher firepower, etc...) Try the Creature Creator for free, skip this game, and if you need a fix for civilization, space, and old school games, buy the following three all for less money than Spore: Pacman (cell stage is same premise, without DRM!), any Civilization game (even the old ones are more complete than the civ stage in spore), and Freelancer (all the fun of an epic space game, without the hair pulling of spore space stage). You've been warned.… Expand
  56. LJ
    Sep 13, 2008
    0
    The lack of depth + drm issues makes me wish I had pirated this game.
  57. TomF.
    Sep 13, 2008
    8
    I, like most other users, had been waiting for SPORE for a long time. I think I was fortunate to be distracted by the initial hype because I didn't get the Creature Creator, and I was into The Sims and some other games while most other people were counting down to SPORE's release. SPORE is a brilliant conception, but it was not executed nearly as cleverly. What I do love about I, like most other users, had been waiting for SPORE for a long time. I think I was fortunate to be distracted by the initial hype because I didn't get the Creature Creator, and I was into The Sims and some other games while most other people were counting down to SPORE's release. SPORE is a brilliant conception, but it was not executed nearly as cleverly. What I do love about it is the cell phase - as a former biology student it's fun. Creature, tribal and civilisation stages are long, repetitive and tedious. The space stage is the best of them - I know it's difficult to achieve much when you have very little money, you need to fly from one end of the galaxy to the other to rescue your planet from alien raiders and your colonies from ecological disaster - but it's a good challenge. Like SimCity, if you have imagination, you'll get a lot out of it, as I have. I hope the DRM limit is not true, because I have installed it on two computers, each too slow to run it, before getting it going on a third, which is another family member's laptop that won't always be here to play it on. Overall, 4/5 or 8/10 is a good score. If this game was full-on in each of the phases, would it be the perfect game, or too much to handle? I can't go without mentioning the wonderfulness of the Sporepedia. This seamless, online connectivity tool is perfectly executed.… Expand
  58. JohnHammarberg
    Sep 13, 2008
    4
    Each evolution stage is like a separate game ranging from simple arcade to simple RTS to simple adventure/quest RPG, some stages are amusing but not great. The game just never excell anywhere. On the plus side, I can run it both my iMac or Windows laptop with crappy hardware and it still looks pretty good.
  59. NykaraB.
    Sep 13, 2008
    10
    So far I have really enjoyed the spore game play. My favorite parts of the game is the creature stage and space. I have never once seen a simulator with as huge an area of space with as many planets to colonize as spore has. I love it I can see myself playing there for many more hours to come.
  60. AnneR
    Sep 13, 2008
    2
    I've been waiting for this a long time. Now I'm bored and annoyed just getting one creature to the civilization phase. The controls are not intuitive and change with every phase so you can't get used to them. Phases last a very short amount of time. Nothing evolves. You get to add parts, but there's no sense of true evolution. And after awhile you can't add parts I've been waiting for this a long time. Now I'm bored and annoyed just getting one creature to the civilization phase. The controls are not intuitive and change with every phase so you can't get used to them. Phases last a very short amount of time. Nothing evolves. You get to add parts, but there's no sense of true evolution. And after awhile you can't add parts anymore either. I loved the CIV games. I loved SimCity and the Sims. I had a great time with Caesar and Pharaoh and Age of Empires, Diablo and WoW but this had none of the joy of any of them. Being able to install it 3 times is 2 too many.… Expand
  61. StephenK.
    Sep 13, 2008
    0
    If i felt comfortable installing this, it would be a 6. The game is VERY dumbed down with your characters appearance and evolution having little efect on gameplay other than aesthetic. But with the DRM issue of 3 installs, this game becomes unplayable, hence a 0.
  62. groovicusmaximus
    Sep 13, 2008
    5
    It is just not very exciting. My kid would probably love the initial stages, but they are pretty short.
  63. mikeh
    Sep 13, 2008
    0
    I wish I had my $50 back! This game was in development for so long, yet they couldn't make it interesting for more than a few hours?
  64. BobJ.
    Sep 13, 2008
    2
    Game is shallow and has almost nothing to do with evoloution.
  65. mikel.
    Sep 13, 2008
    7
    Overall, barely a mediocre game. Each stage was overly simplistic, even monotonic. Given the amazing potential of the tools for species and civilization customization, it is inexcusable that the actual gameplay is so dull, weak, and hallow.
  66. AlexD
    Sep 13, 2008
    2
    I am so disappointed of this game. It promised so much and fulfilled so little. It's buggy. It's dumb. Each game is a bad watered down version of a full game, it seems. Little freedom, opposed to a promised sandbox. The AI is nuts. The system usually consists of a bad AI, good AI or a middle something. This is really, really boring. Because the focus in the space-stage seems to I am so disappointed of this game. It promised so much and fulfilled so little. It's buggy. It's dumb. Each game is a bad watered down version of a full game, it seems. Little freedom, opposed to a promised sandbox. The AI is nuts. The system usually consists of a bad AI, good AI or a middle something. This is really, really boring. Because the focus in the space-stage seems to be this stupid RTS, and not the sandbox and content.creration. Some stages are fun, the editor is outstanding, but much else seems awfully half-assed. Sucks. Not much reason to say more.. I argued about Spore with a lot friends, for a lot of time, already. Sad, and I'd like my money back.… Expand
  67. dougs
    Sep 13, 2008
    5
    Really dumbed down. Crashed on me last night after a lot of progress in space stage and I dont feel like wasting time doing the same thing again.
  68. XhenkA
    Sep 13, 2008
    0
    This game is crippled by horrible, horrible DRM. Additionally, the gameplay has been simplified way too much. Spore was preseted on science symposiums for god's sakes, and the final product feels more like a children's game than a scientifically correct piece of software. Thanks to the DRM the game will also stop to function in the relatively near future (earlier if you reach This game is crippled by horrible, horrible DRM. Additionally, the gameplay has been simplified way too much. Spore was preseted on science symposiums for god's sakes, and the final product feels more like a children's game than a scientifically correct piece of software. Thanks to the DRM the game will also stop to function in the relatively near future (earlier if you reach you maximum of 3 installations quota). I would love to, but I simply cannot give it more than a 0 rating, as I would never recommend a $50 RENTAL for a mediocre game.… Expand
  69. bb.
    Sep 13, 2008
    0
    Spore is one of the worst executions of a game ever. The game unfairly forces you to cram through each level. When we go from level to level, why do we lose all the abilities and challenges presented in the previous level? At a minimum we should still have to manage all of those challenges (food in the tribal level, for example) if in a watered-down way. The levels are completely Spore is one of the worst executions of a game ever. The game unfairly forces you to cram through each level. When we go from level to level, why do we lose all the abilities and challenges presented in the previous level? At a minimum we should still have to manage all of those challenges (food in the tribal level, for example) if in a watered-down way. The levels are completely disconnected from each other. The game never actually increases in scope. As you progress it throws away everything you've accomplished up to that point. Very early on, Will Wright said the thing that's enjoyable about a game is the process of learning. Why did I spend all that time learning how to capture food, improve creature abilities, ally with tribes, conquer cities, etc? As you learn, the game throws away any purpose for having gained any of that knowledge. I'm not Sisyphus. Don't treat me like him. When I learn something, I want to use that knowledge to achieve something. When I achieve I want to be able to tell everyone "look what I achieved." In Spore, you can't actually achieve anything (without hundreds of hours of mind numbing inanity). It is not an open ended or "requires-imagination" game, either (unless you spend 100% of your time in the creature creator, to which I say don't buy the full version, because you've already been given the creator for free). When in space, the game incessantly nags you with "your home planet is under attack!" If by open-ended you mean I can decide to let my home world be destroyed, then you've really captured the harsh open-endedness of life, now haven't you? Will Wright was wrong when he said they'd acheived a great balance between the two development camps; the ultra-scientific, and the ultra-simple "Sim" camp. There is absolutely nothing scientific about any limits imposed in this game (building/ship editor costs, max cities per planet, max buildings per city, price paid for goods bought/sold at any planet). Nor is there any "fun" simulating in this game. Throwing attackers at my home planet consistently every three minutes is just aggravating. I truly wish I could get my money back. Do not buy this game. There are much more enjoyable games for your hard earned dollars.… Expand
  70. NathanH
    Sep 13, 2008
    3
    It's amazing that a game that's supposed to be about playing in a sandbox would be such a pain to play. It's more like a sandbox where a bully keeps throwing sand in your face. Want to explore space? Too bad, you have to solve dull and repetitive eco-disasters and pirate raids. Even trading is little more than flying aimlessly around, as the spice economy has no It's amazing that a game that's supposed to be about playing in a sandbox would be such a pain to play. It's more like a sandbox where a bully keeps throwing sand in your face. Want to explore space? Too bad, you have to solve dull and repetitive eco-disasters and pirate raids. Even trading is little more than flying aimlessly around, as the spice economy has no identifiable logic. All in all, a huge disappointment.… Expand
  71. williamv.
    Sep 13, 2008
    0
    all the stages of this game are boring and repetetive. the worst is all the micro management of the space stage. sure you're an all powerful alien space faring empire... but you can only make one ship at a time? you can't even make small ships to defend your planets? you have to micromanage stupid little details such as alien attacks or ecodisasters? seriously, c'mon, in all the stages of this game are boring and repetetive. the worst is all the micro management of the space stage. sure you're an all powerful alien space faring empire... but you can only make one ship at a time? you can't even make small ships to defend your planets? you have to micromanage stupid little details such as alien attacks or ecodisasters? seriously, c'mon, in much older RTS games it seems like you could make minions to carry out the tedious tasks. even in sim city you could build fire stations and police stations so you didn't have to do everything yourself. this becomes even more frustrating when other space faring groups attack your planets or when you attack theirs... they don't seem to have a "one space ship per empire" standard applied to them... just go to the center and talk to the gronk {think thats' their name}. they seem to have as many ships as they want and their development isn't bogged down by the minutiae of governance. and don't even get me started on the fact that you can't make ships to collect the spices from your colonies for you. seriously, i have to fly to each star system myself? when i could be exploring this massive universe you've given us? i own/inhabit over sixty star systems and if i want to keep them all and/or profit from them i have to continually watch over them and visit them like a super shepherd who can never, ever, leave his flock. the bottom line is that if you really want to explore and have fun with the game you're going to lose planets, star systems, or at least money because even though you're an all powerful space faring empire you can't seem to do anything except depend on one ship {piloted by the user} to do each and every little detail. other frustrations with the space age are the fact that trade routes give you no income. none. the only point of a trade route, it seems, is that eventually the star system in question becomes available to purchase. the second major frustration {outside of the paragraphs above} is the UI used when battling on a planet. the controls for the dog fights are atrocious and the camera angle, during the fighting, is unhelpful to say the least. there are so many little things that could have been changed to make the space age of spore truly glorious and truly fun. after a couple nights play on the game, {probably about 10 hours spent on the space age altogether}, i can honestly say that i'm completely sick of it. i was really looking forward to this game for the past year or so, but i've been nothing but letdown by the release {both gameplay and DRM are pretty crap}. i just can't believe they didn't fix or even seem to understand some of these issues during their beta testing. who do they have playing these games up at EA? maybe they'll fix some of these issues with patches, updates, etc. more than likely though anything that fixes or expands the game will be sold separately as an expansion pack. sorry EA, you won't be getting any more money from me or my friends in the spore franchise.… Expand
  72. Ben
    Sep 13, 2008
    3
    A real missed opportunity. I had been looking forward to this game for ages and am disappointed. Designing creatures/buildings/vehicles has little to no impact on how they perform in game - this being the case you may as well shut down the game and pick up some lego instead. The 5 stages seem completely disjointed, as performance in a previous stage has little to no impact on the next A real missed opportunity. I had been looking forward to this game for ages and am disappointed. Designing creatures/buildings/vehicles has little to no impact on how they perform in game - this being the case you may as well shut down the game and pick up some lego instead. The 5 stages seem completely disjointed, as performance in a previous stage has little to no impact on the next (you can also COMPLETELY redesign your creature whenever you like so there's no sense of progress either). All stages are far too simplistic and have some strange features - for example in the creature stage it makes no difference whether you add one spike or 50, your creature still has the same attack skill. Also I found the controls for the space stage atrocious - I seemed to spend the whole time scrolling in and out, which is as dull as it sounds. Its basically 5 slightly sub-average games rolled into one. I'd advise waiting until it comes down to £10 or so before buying, it's not worth more than that.… Expand
  73. AnonymousMC
    Sep 13, 2008
    8
    this is a great game and is very fun. The thing that bugs me the most is things like: the nagging by the game, in the creature stage there is like 4 attacks, and that once you beat it you are usually to lazy to start again bcasue its pretty much the same every time.
  74. JB.
    Sep 13, 2008
    1
    Biggest Disappointment of 2008. I followed Spore since I heard about it in '06. Seriously, WTF happened? Maxis had such a great game and then two years later I'm stuck with this buggy stripped down version. It feels like I am playing a kids game on a console. Spore had the most potential than any other game ever made but thanks to EA that opportunity is lost and Maxis/Will Biggest Disappointment of 2008. I followed Spore since I heard about it in '06. Seriously, WTF happened? Maxis had such a great game and then two years later I'm stuck with this buggy stripped down version. It feels like I am playing a kids game on a console. Spore had the most potential than any other game ever made but thanks to EA that opportunity is lost and Maxis/Will Wright is looking like a tool. Spore is an EPIC FAIL.… Expand
  75. DenebKaitos
    Sep 13, 2008
    0
    This game simply does not live up to the hype. For serious gamers Spore just does not deliver. Each of the mini secions feels shallow and incomplete. This would have been forgivable because it is important to bring new gamers into the genre. The DRM however only punishes legitamate copies of the game. Save yourself the hassle and download a liberated version.
  76. MattL
    Sep 13, 2008
    3
    I had really high hopes for this game, but i must admit i've been very disappointed with what my money bought me. The game is basically made up of the same type of minigames you can play for free on the web. The only good thing about it is the ability to design your own creature, vehicles etc... But that's it. So when you get out your $50 for what's effecitvely just a big I had really high hopes for this game, but i must admit i've been very disappointed with what my money bought me. The game is basically made up of the same type of minigames you can play for free on the web. The only good thing about it is the ability to design your own creature, vehicles etc... But that's it. So when you get out your $50 for what's effecitvely just a big box of lego, ask yourself how vivid is your imagination, because without excessive amounts spore will not entertain you.… Expand
  77. BrianK
    Sep 13, 2008
    2
    Incredibly disappointing gameplay.
    1) Cell Stage - fun for 5 minutes, after that its rather pointless
    2) Creature Stage - this is really the meat of spore - your evolutionary choices actually matter here. Unfortunately the gameplay is rather stale. 3) Tribal Stage - one of the worst strategy games I have played - the interface, camera controls, and minimap controls are horrible. Whats    Incredibly disappointing gameplay.
    1) Cell Stage - fun for 5 minutes, after that its rather pointless
    2) Creature Stage - this is really the meat of spore - your evolutionary choices actually matter here. Unfortunately the gameplay is rather stale.
    3) Tribal Stage - one of the worst strategy games I have played - the interface, camera controls, and minimap controls are horrible. Whats worse is that everyone's creatures are pretty much equal - technology may make a difference, but the giant claw creature should have some sort of attacking advantage against the round, fat, weaponless creature.
    4) Civ Stage - no citybuilding here. All of your designs and your creature are not purely asethetic. There are some minor vehicle differences, but the gameplay is so simple it doesn't really matter. Spore outdoes itself by providing an even worse strategy experience before. Luckily the game provides an 'i win' button - literally, a button you can push to just win at a certain point.
    5) Space Stage - talk about disappointing. Again, all of your design chioces are aesthetic only. You can have a flying cube as your spaceship and still be fine. Want to play around in the 'sandbox' that is supposed to be the spacestage - terraform and such? Well, you can't without money. And to get money you have to play a rather dull risk-esque game. Whats worse is that you have to micromanage everything. For some reason your all-powerful space-faring empire can only field one ship - you. You can't build fleets to take care of pirates, or eco-disasters, or even collect revenue from your planets. Nope - you have to do everything. Trade routes don't even give you money. If you want to actually explore there is no way to do it without constantly losing colonies.

    Besides the disaster of the gameplay, the DRM is horrible and you cannot install Spore on more than one computer, or have more than one account. So if you want to share it with a family member - too bad. You can't.

    The only reason this gets 2 stars instead of 1 is because its mildly entertaining to play through once ...
    Oh - and it will often crash on mac. And, if you want to install it on windows it will require 9 GB of free space, not 4 like the box says (the EA download manager requires an extra 5 GB to install).    … Expand
  78. MG
    Sep 12, 2008
    9
    I read a review somewhere on the internet that said Spore is basically 4 hours of an awesomely enjoyable tool creator, followed by the real game. he could not have been more right. The first 4 "levels" are really just to tweak you creature, buildings, etc exactly the way you want them, followed by the real "game" of the space mission. The open-endedness, charm, creativity, amazing I read a review somewhere on the internet that said Spore is basically 4 hours of an awesomely enjoyable tool creator, followed by the real game. he could not have been more right. The first 4 "levels" are really just to tweak you creature, buildings, etc exactly the way you want them, followed by the real "game" of the space mission. The open-endedness, charm, creativity, amazing toolset, and sheer bloody scale of the thing are what make it awesome. The game isn't for everyone. If you only enjoy "leave your brain at home" type FPS's, you'll likely find Spore boring. If you have more than the attention span of a 4 year old and enjoyed games like Civ, SimCity, Populous, etc, then you'll probably enjoy Spore… Expand
  79. NortonM.
    Sep 12, 2008
    0
    The game is okay. It's a bit shallow because it seems to lack depth in every aspect with the exception of creating a creature, which seems to have many customization options. Unfortunately, I won't be purchasing this product because I'm a firm believer in actually owning a product that I buy, especially if it's fairly expensive. If I want to rent a game, I'll take The game is okay. It's a bit shallow because it seems to lack depth in every aspect with the exception of creating a creature, which seems to have many customization options. Unfortunately, I won't be purchasing this product because I'm a firm believer in actually owning a product that I buy, especially if it's fairly expensive. If I want to rent a game, I'll take my business to Blockbuster Video. I will not purchase a game that I can only install on my system only three times, and I refuse to install any DRM-infected software on my computer! ...and no. I never pirated this game, nor have I downloaded or installed any pirated copies of this game on my computer.… Expand
  80. AnonymousMC
    Sep 12, 2008
    1
    Fails on a number of levels. The DRM makes the game unplayable for a great deal of paying customers, and once you're in, you're just playing sub-par flash games with spiffy graphics. The game shoves you from era to era, with nothing to do but complete some objective you're given for evolving or expanding, which is just awful if you're trying to create a versatile gameFails on a number of levels. The DRM makes the game unplayable for a great deal of paying customers, and once you're in, you're just playing sub-par flash games with spiffy graphics. The game shoves you from era to era, with nothing to do but complete some objective you're given for evolving or expanding, which is just awful if you're trying to create a versatile game engine. If you like flashy graphics and fawning over the creature creator, the creature creator already does that.… Expand
  81. JWon
    Sep 12, 2008
    2
    I think Spore sucks for the same reasons that have been stated repeatedly. Weak gameplay, crazy DRM, boring after the first two hours of play, ect. But what really makes this game suck are the hoards of people telling me that it's because I don't know how to use my imagination and am not "getting" the game. I get the game. In fact, I spent $50 to get the game. Noone's more I think Spore sucks for the same reasons that have been stated repeatedly. Weak gameplay, crazy DRM, boring after the first two hours of play, ect. But what really makes this game suck are the hoards of people telling me that it's because I don't know how to use my imagination and am not "getting" the game. I get the game. In fact, I spent $50 to get the game. Noone's more disppointed in the fact that instead of playing the game I've been waiting years to be released, I'm on message boards trying to save my fellow earthlings from wasting money on this insultingly stupid game. DRM is instrusive and unnessecary, but you can believe it's not the only reason people are saying this game is a waste.… Expand
  82. MattW.
    Sep 12, 2008
    0
    I can't believe how badly Will Wright missed the mark here, one of the biggest disappointments I can recall as long as I've been playing games. The only impressive aspect of the entire game is the creature creator and animation system, but that ends up being totally hollow because it's purely cosmetic and your decisions don't matter. There's no game here and I can't believe how badly Will Wright missed the mark here, one of the biggest disappointments I can recall as long as I've been playing games. The only impressive aspect of the entire game is the creature creator and animation system, but that ends up being totally hollow because it's purely cosmetic and your decisions don't matter. There's no game here and there's no sandbox either. And then EA goes and makes the experience terrible for anyone who actually wants to pay for their subpar product with absurd limitations on both the retail and download versions. Memo to PC Gamers: Stop pirating games, but don'/t support garbage like this. Spend your money with Valve or Stardock.… Expand
  83. disspointedgamer
    Sep 12, 2008
    3
    Creators don't redeem it. absolutely terribly frustrating gameplay throughout.

    Space phase is the greatest letdown in video game history. Constantly being attacked by space pirates and civilizations you didnt do anything to. no way to trade easily. if you're trade "route" is completed with another star system, you're given the option to buy it. if you give them an offer    Creators don't redeem it. absolutely terribly frustrating gameplay throughout.

    Space phase is the greatest letdown in video game history. Constantly being attacked by space pirates and civilizations you didnt do anything to. no way to trade easily. if you're trade "route" is completed with another star system, you're given the option to buy it. if you give them an offer they don't like you cant try again and have to build the trade route again which takes like 30 minutes. DON"T buy this game if you like having fun. play galactic cicilizations it's way better.    … Expand
  84. RyanS.
    Sep 12, 2008
    2
    The games cell stage was generally what I was expecting, but after that I felt the game just didn't have enough depth. The whole civilization stage was so simple it took an hour to complete. I didn't feel like playing it again either as I felt I had experienced everything it had to offer. The space stage is where this game gets decent, for about 3 or so hours. After that, again The games cell stage was generally what I was expecting, but after that I felt the game just didn't have enough depth. The whole civilization stage was so simple it took an hour to complete. I didn't feel like playing it again either as I felt I had experienced everything it had to offer. The space stage is where this game gets decent, for about 3 or so hours. After that, again you feel underwhelmed. There is a large assortment of tools, 80% of which are useless stamps, colors, and so on. And attaining these tools requires you to collect many badges, so that throws sandbox out the window until you play for a boring 12 hours. All in all, this game needs a lot of work to be good. The Civilization, Tribal, and Space stages need a redo. As it stands, the game is only decent in its Space stage.… Expand
  85. Brad
    Sep 12, 2008
    6
    What's revolutionary and inspiring about this game is the evolutionary concepts it's based on, the space-age terraforming etc and the creative design elements. The actual gameplay however is really tedious and childish. It becomes Sbore. The bulk of the game is really cheap 'grinding' to be able to afford the next cool upgrade, which usually just means a different kind What's revolutionary and inspiring about this game is the evolutionary concepts it's based on, the space-age terraforming etc and the creative design elements. The actual gameplay however is really tedious and childish. It becomes Sbore. The bulk of the game is really cheap 'grinding' to be able to afford the next cool upgrade, which usually just means a different kind of grind. It's the illusion of progress - burn time doing menial tasks until you get the next status symbol so you feel like you're really achieving something. Flying around the planet scanning plants and wildlife for example sounds cool but is physically stupid and menial. This is also the same mechanics as the planetary combat when other civilizations invade your planet. Gameplay-wise that kind of stuff has half the challenge of a 1980's Asteroids game. It becomes a chore - it reminds me of an old Donald Duck game on the Commodore 64 where you had to click items on a conveyor belt in a factory to earn $7 an hour. I literally started falling asleep in my chair at least twice while playing Spore. The impact that physical body shape customizations make on the gameplay were dramatically misrepresented in all the hype that came out before the game. People assumed that if you styled body shape and geometry particularly well it would seriously impact your creatures' abilities. It doesn't. The game doesn't care a lot what your creature shape is. You just buy certain body parts to tack onto your creature that give you +1 Social or +1 Combat etc. These normalising intellectually-dull shopping sprees are what determine your creatures abilities. The ideologies your tribe evolves into are poorly designed. If you complete the tribal stage by social victories for example - giving food away and impressing other creatures with your music - your tribe has to play the Religion game in the next stage. The religion game is almost identical to the combat game. In combat you shoot a tank and it explodes. With religious wars you shoot the tank with a religion beam and it disappears. The game will not let you play with an Economic style unless you kill half the tribes in the tribal game and make friends with the other half. If you kill them all, they force you to play a Military ideology. If you befriend them all they force you to play a Religion ideology. This is just stupid in evolutionary terms. History shows you don't necessarily have to become an economic powerhouse just by killing half your enemies. Indeed, these should be about buying them off with gifts and bribes etc. The game teaches people about evolution in some useful ways but what does it teach them about the evolution of ideologies? It says that if you're tribe is friendly to everyone then you must be becoming a religious fanatic. It says that if you focus on wealth that you must be half a killer and half a peacenik. It says if you defend yourself against anybody that attacks you that must be militaristic. Anyway, the one thing that might have saved this game is multiplayer features and yet these are sadly lacking. If strategy and intellectual gameplay challenges are important to you, you'll get bored with this game pretty quickly. If cool creature design and grinding to go shopping appeals to you, this game is for you.… Expand
  86. AnonymousMC
    Sep 12, 2008
    8
    The early stages are all fun in their own way, but aren't terrible deep. This is ok since their purpose is to prepare you for the last stage. My first few tries at space were terrible. I kept getting attacked and it was not at all what I had expected. I seriously considered putting the game down. The third time I really got it. I understood how relationships worked and reallyThe early stages are all fun in their own way, but aren't terrible deep. This is ok since their purpose is to prepare you for the last stage. My first few tries at space were terrible. I kept getting attacked and it was not at all what I had expected. I seriously considered putting the game down. The third time I really got it. I understood how relationships worked and really got a handle on it. Now it is great fun. I highly recommend giving it a try and if you don't quite get it giving it another try.… Expand
  87. TS
    Sep 12, 2008
    7
    While it was a ton of fun to toy around with for a few hours, I lost interest. The simple, really F$@#ing simple gameplay makes me thing I'm playing an educational game mean for five year olds sans the education. This is a devolution of gaming. I am so disappointed with will wrights "masterpiece" that I'm not going to buy any more of his games until a good year after their out. While it was a ton of fun to toy around with for a few hours, I lost interest. The simple, really F$@#ing simple gameplay makes me thing I'm playing an educational game mean for five year olds sans the education. This is a devolution of gaming. I am so disappointed with will wrights "masterpiece" that I'm not going to buy any more of his games until a good year after their out. Shame on you for releasing this hunk of crap, mr. wright. Shame on you.… Expand
  88. CamilaD.
    Sep 12, 2008
    10
    This game has been the funnest and most fufilling game I have played in my life. It combined so many things together, it makes it's own category among all the games. It is the game we've all dreamed of--You can make your own creature and take over the galaxy. I will probably play the game over and over again because it's SUCH a good game.
  89. MikeV.
    Sep 12, 2008
    4
    For all the hype that was generated for this game, I wasn't very satisfied with the end result. I admit the game is clearly one-of-a-kind and it's creature creator is extremely fascinating. The problem is the repetitive tasks, lack of multi-player interactions, and it's broad user group; it's more of a child's game. I'd recommend playing at a friends house For all the hype that was generated for this game, I wasn't very satisfied with the end result. I admit the game is clearly one-of-a-kind and it's creature creator is extremely fascinating. The problem is the repetitive tasks, lack of multi-player interactions, and it's broad user group; it's more of a child's game. I'd recommend playing at a friends house before spending 50 big ones.… Expand
  90. DanP
    Sep 12, 2008
    2
    Such a huge disappointment. Just about as fun as watching paint dry. I found this game to be extremely easy and it doesn't seem to have any penalties for dieing or messing up. This game might be enjoyable for a 5 year old... Don't buy it! Do what I did and just download it for free off a torrent site. I swear you'll get bored of it within the first day of playing it.
  91. TomHanssen
    Sep 12, 2008
    0
    I'm rating a 0 because they purposely cut half the game out before release too later include in expansions to collect more cash.

    Maxis partnered with EA's plan is a marketing plan and distanced itself as a friendly gaming company into how much money can we starve out of this. Unless a service pack comes out for the game that removes DRM, places all the content they took out,    I'm rating a 0 because they purposely cut half the game out before release too later include in expansions to collect more cash.

    Maxis partnered with EA's plan is a marketing plan and distanced itself as a friendly gaming company into how much money can we starve out of this. Unless a service pack comes out for the game that removes DRM, places all the content they took out, fixes all the countless crashes in Space stage, I don't suggest buying it.    … Expand
  92. SamD.
    Sep 12, 2008
    0
    Awful game, repetitive and uninspiring, without direction or cohesion. Draconian DRM.
  93. Arthur
    Sep 12, 2008
    9
    Stop fussing over DRM, its pathetic you are rating a game over an anti pirating feature. The game is great itself, its not the best ever but it gets a 9/10 from me.
  94. KennethF.
    Sep 12, 2008
    9
    I thoroughly enjoyed this new product from Will Wright and his team. While once dubbed "Sim Everything", I would more accuratly discribe it as "Sim Space Exploration", as the 'real' game doesn't start until then. Casual players should not pass this game over, while the hardcore may be disappointed with the overall shallow depth of each stage of the game. 9/10, because while I thoroughly enjoyed this new product from Will Wright and his team. While once dubbed "Sim Everything", I would more accuratly discribe it as "Sim Space Exploration", as the 'real' game doesn't start until then. Casual players should not pass this game over, while the hardcore may be disappointed with the overall shallow depth of each stage of the game. 9/10, because while it may never become my primary game to play in my free time, but when… Expand
  95. AnonymousMC
    Sep 12, 2008
    3
    So disappointed by this game as I had been tracking Spore for many months and bought it on the morning of release! It's an interesting concept, but that's as far as it goes. It is poorly let down by it's over simplistic gameplay, clunky game mechanics and dodgy AI. Plus now I can't even sell it, owing to it's DRM (I won't be
    buying any other product using    So disappointed by this game as I had been tracking Spore for many months and bought it on the morning of release! It's an interesting concept, but that's as far as it goes. It is poorly let down by it's over simplistic gameplay, clunky game mechanics and dodgy AI. Plus now I can't even sell it, owing to it's DRM (I won't be
    buying any other product using this). At least now I've learnt my lesson - to wait at least a month after release and make more of an educated guess on whether to shell out for a game or not. Even the major games magazines were blinded by the hype on this one it seems... alot of generous scores out there.    … Expand
  96. ChristianK.
    Sep 12, 2008
    0
    Id rate the game itself a 5, it is a new and creative concept, but it felt like 5 different kids games rolled into one. There is no evolution involved when you "find" new arms and legs sitting on the ground. The tribal and city phases are garbage, you fight the same races with the same units. How anyone ever thought that you could make an RTS game with 1 tank, 1 ship and 1 plane is beyond Id rate the game itself a 5, it is a new and creative concept, but it felt like 5 different kids games rolled into one. There is no evolution involved when you "find" new arms and legs sitting on the ground. The tribal and city phases are garbage, you fight the same races with the same units. How anyone ever thought that you could make an RTS game with 1 tank, 1 ship and 1 plane is beyond my comprehension. The space phase is cool for roughly five or six hours, but yet again its just a space empire sim for 12 year old kids and little old ladies (who probably wont play past the creature phase anyway) Basically you pay $50 for the creature creator, 4 minigames, and a graphical social networking program. Ohh yeah and then there is why i gave the game a 0 and not a 5. By buying this game, EA ASSUMES you are a pirate and will treat you as such. The DRM is ridiculous. Their DRM is THE definition of malware, ohh and in case you didn't know, you are renting this game from EA. Yep your money only buys you the privilege to play this game which EA can revoke at any time for any reason. So when some suit in EA HQ gets up on the wrong side of the bed he can instantly invalidate your software. Ohh yeah, and when you unistall make sure you reformat because their DRM stays on your disks to make sure you cant steal any more of EAs precious money.… Expand
  97. Jason
    Sep 12, 2008
    8
    Spore was a very unique design for a game and it encompasses a lot of items that make it a very enjoyable game. However, once you reach the Space Age it becomes a bit tedious since every item you need for your spaceship is very costly and the "Spice trade" and the quests don't offer too much money. Expansion takes a lot of time and great effort in "terraforming" (which can be fun if Spore was a very unique design for a game and it encompasses a lot of items that make it a very enjoyable game. However, once you reach the Space Age it becomes a bit tedious since every item you need for your spaceship is very costly and the "Spice trade" and the quests don't offer too much money. Expansion takes a lot of time and great effort in "terraforming" (which can be fun if you like the challenge). The space combat system is a little bit clunky since things fly around horrendously fast and targeting is difficult when you have to match both altitude and distance (which can be a fun challenge for some, I suppose) and your spaceship doesn't take a whole lot of punishment when it invades a well-defended enemy system, but enemy spaceships do remarkably well against one of your well-defended colonies (sending in huge fleets that you cannot amass by yourself). Perhaps the Space Age can be patched to make it more enjoyable, but right now it's definitely the weak link. But Spore is still a blast to play through the Civilization Age.… Expand
  98. TerceroB.
    Sep 12, 2008
    1
    A decent game is completely crippled by DRM issues. I initially installed it on a system that met the requirments, however the game would not play on it. When it didn't work, I reinstalled it, still to no avail. When I finally installed it on my laptop it worked, but I am now unable to install the game on my desktop PC because of their arcane DRM scheme. This is completely A decent game is completely crippled by DRM issues. I initially installed it on a system that met the requirments, however the game would not play on it. When it didn't work, I reinstalled it, still to no avail. When I finally installed it on my laptop it worked, but I am now unable to install the game on my desktop PC because of their arcane DRM scheme. This is completely unacceptable, and punishes legitimate customers who actually purchased the game, while allowing those who pirate it to have a more functional copy of the game. This DRM is wholly unacceptable.… Expand
  99. JonK.
    Sep 12, 2008
    0
    Maxis has developed a game with no cohesive gameplay elements. Extremely boring. Play Ages of Empires series instead if you desire a good RTS game.
  100. MrF
    Sep 12, 2008
    5
    I feel bad rating this, I never made it past the second phase. But the reason for that is that this game bored the pants off me. It doesn't take a lot to keep me happy, but the mediocre graphics, shoddy controls and puddle deep gameplay made the whole thing feel like a chore. I turned it off and had no urge to go back. I hear the space phase is good, but then there are plenty of I feel bad rating this, I never made it past the second phase. But the reason for that is that this game bored the pants off me. It doesn't take a lot to keep me happy, but the mediocre graphics, shoddy controls and puddle deep gameplay made the whole thing feel like a chore. I turned it off and had no urge to go back. I hear the space phase is good, but then there are plenty of games that are good for their entire duration that I would rather spend my time on.… Expand
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Awards & Rankings

19
#19 Best PC Game of 2008
2
#2 Most Discussed PC Game of 2008
4
#4 Most Shared PC Game of 2008

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
84

Generally favorable reviews - based on 75 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 62 out of 75
  2. Mixed: 13 out of 75
  3. Negative: 0 out of 75
  1. Play (Poland)
    90
    How to design a game that spans from swimming in a drop of water to ruling the galaxy? Will Wright knows how: as simple as possible. Spore deserves success on "The Sims" scale. [Sept 2008]
  2. PC Gamer UK
    91
    Spore's triumph is painfully ironic. By setting out to instill a sense of wonderment at creation and the majesty of the universe, it's shown us that it's actually a lot more interesting to sit here at our computers and explore the contents of each other's brains. [October 2008, p.64]
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  3. PTGamers
    100
    Spore manages quite some feats – it's accessible for casual gamers, but at the same time so real and dynamic, able to offer hardcore gamers a demanding experience and, obviously, a more appealing one than in "The Sims".
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