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. 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
  2. LJ
    Sep 13, 2008
    0
    The lack of depth + drm issues makes me wish I had pirated this game.
  3. 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.
  4. CraigS.
    Sep 14, 2008
    0
    I can't express more disappointment. Not only is the game over priced. It is terrible as well.
  5. 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
  6. 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!
  7. 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
  8. 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.
  9. 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
  10. GaryTyson
    Sep 19, 2008
    0
    The game s INFECTED WITH DRM SECUROM i NOT interested in it any more these big corporations take the pis
    STAND UP PEOPLE DONT BUY THIS DRM
    SH@T FROM EA
    VOTE WITH YOUR WALLET
    DONT BUT EA GAMES TILL THEY DITCH DRACOIN DRM
    AND THIS GAME IS NOTHING LIKE GOOD ITS BORIING THEY HAVE MESSED IT UP SO BAD
  11. NateC
    Sep 24, 2008
    1
    The old bait & switch. Let's show them footage of what they think will be in the game, then completely switch it out at the last minute!

    This is an unfinished, unpolished, un-fun game. It gimps the gameplay for the first 4 stages, then the AI kicks in and runs you into the ground in Space stage. It's great to look at on moderate systems, for the most part, but loses its luster    The old bait & switch. Let's show them footage of what they think will be in the game, then completely switch it out at the last minute!

    This is an unfinished, unpolished, un-fun game. It gimps the gameplay for the first 4 stages, then the AI kicks in and runs you into the ground in Space stage. It's great to look at on moderate systems, for the most part, but loses its luster the more you play it, ironically.

    Absolute disappointment.    … Expand
  12. PaulT.
    Sep 5, 2008
    0
    SecuROM DRM uses unlawful practices to hide on your computer system and limit the game to 3 activations. Product labeling fails to make this clear. Consumers are being cheated.
  13. HankRiker
    Sep 25, 2008
    1
    Totally crippled under the weight of it's DRM. I have picked up the Galactic Edition several times now, and considered buying this game, only to put it back.

    EA needs to wake up. DRM does NOTHING to deter real piracy, but punishes legitimate owners. Mass Effect is the last game that I will buy that has onerous DRM. I will happily buy Spore the moment they remove the installed    Totally crippled under the weight of it's DRM. I have picked up the Galactic Edition several times now, and considered buying this game, only to put it back.

    EA needs to wake up. DRM does NOTHING to deter real piracy, but punishes legitimate owners.

    Mass Effect is the last game that I will buy that has onerous DRM. I will happily buy Spore the moment they remove the installed Digital Restrictions Management software from the game.    … Expand
  14. MutzP
    Aug 8, 2009
    2
    This is waste played until final stage and it's rinse and repeat...No depth at all just rinse and repeat. Too much marketing is spend ont this they better spended it on the game itself. HYPED
  15. AAG
    Oct 23, 2008
    2
    Brain dead. Only recommended if you're 10 year old, and not very bright. Good potential wasted. Cell stage : click on food bits untils you grow. Repeat for 10 minutes to evolve. (just a parody of freeware flOw, which was actually entertaining) Creature stage : click on neighbour. Smash keys 1-4 to kill / befriend them. Repeat for 20 minutes to evolve.("evolution" is limited to Brain dead. Only recommended if you're 10 year old, and not very bright. Good potential wasted. Cell stage : click on food bits untils you grow. Repeat for 10 minutes to evolve. (just a parody of freeware flOw, which was actually entertaining) Creature stage : click on neighbour. Smash keys 1-4 to kill / befriend them. Repeat for 20 minutes to evolve.("evolution" is limited to picking up shiny things - body parts - randomly scattered in the lanscape) Tribal stage : click on neighbour. Smash keys 1-3 to kill / ally them. Repeat for 30 minutes to evolve.(diplomacy ? strategy ? alliances ? nope, just a bad joke) Civ stage : build 5-10 vehicles then send them to attack /trade /convert nearest city. Repeat 10 times to evolve. (don't waste time making a pretty model, they function the same no matter what you choose in the designer, and you can't really see them anyway from up there) Space stage : click on planet to explore...no oops.. they need you back home...repeat endlessly, coz' this is where "evolution", fortunately, stops.… Expand
  16. AnthonyJessup
    Sep 24, 2008
    1
    WTF is this game getitng such good reviews? Man, I bought this expecting it to be at least playable. I can't install it, and the dealer won't take it back. What's up with the copy protection? It tells me I can't istall it because I have some memory problem? Huh?? This stupid game cost me $50 and I still can't get it installed. what is wrong with this pos?? Sheesh
  17. thomasknudlleson
    Sep 24, 2008
    1
    Miserable failure. Cool concept, pretty lame execution. I was bored with the first game, found the 2nd one even worse, 3rd was slightly redeeming, but omg what an unrelated pile of crap these little party games are. This is mario party 1 for one player lol. And the controls are stupid, can't configure the mouse or movement keys. F-
  18. Q8eZy
    Oct 15, 2010
    1
    Sickly cute, diabetic coma inducing Disney graphics suitable only for children 12 and under...not an evolution game at all...belongs on the wii. Maybe one day we will get a god game that deserves the title.
  19. damp
    Jun 13, 2012
    0
    Given all the hype surrounding Spore it was always going to struggle to live up to expectations, there is a difference between failing to meet expectations and missing them entirely however.

    As a game it is really nothing more than a collection of simple mini games with very little tying them together, for the most part choices in one game have little to no actual impact in subsequent    Given all the hype surrounding Spore it was always going to struggle to live up to expectations, there is a difference between failing to meet expectations and missing them entirely however.

    As a game it is really nothing more than a collection of simple mini games with very little tying them together, for the most part choices in one game have little to no actual impact in subsequent games other than aesthetic (and even that isn't always maintained).

    The initial cell game is quite entertaining and shows promise (although there are free flash games that pre-date spore that do it better), unfortunately this is probably the highpoint of the entire game.

    The creature stage was initially entertaining as you wander around however it quickly becomes repetitive. Evolution is no more than finding upgrades, the higher the number the better the upgrade; there is no downside to any of them, no trade offs or limitations - better numbers = better creature = quite dull really. The actual design of the creature - size, number and position of limbs etc has absolutely no impact whatsoever. Survival at this stage is a choice between the two well know evolutionary choices - kill opponents or dance and sing.

    The tribal stage is a very mediocre RTS game, the "opponents" never really put up a fight and are soon defeated, not much else to say about this stage.

    The Civ stage gives you a city and you build units that are either military, religious or economic and you send these to other cities to conquer them. Regardless of the units the result is pretty much the same. Best described as another very mediocre RTS.

    The previous four stages lead up to the Galactic stage. You have a planet and a spaceship and as such you can travel to other planets to terraform them or trade. The main problem with this stage is hidden in the previous sentence - *YOU* have a spaceship, nobody else on your starting planet does, no planet you claim ever gets them. This means you spend your entire time responding to every single tiny detail or alert or attack or request or discovery or trade opportunity yourself. The larger the mapped area is, the more time you spend not exploring but constantly dealing with mundane trivia. To add insult to injury when you make allies who *do* posses spaceships they not only don't give you help but then expect you to drop anything and everything when *they* have any problem at all! I know you are fighting a war to defend your planets on the far reaches of the galaxy and also trying to single handedly ferry spice everywhere but we have knocked over a glass of milk and it is imperative that you, and only you in the entirety of creation, rush to our aid right now!

    Overall a very disappointing and mediocre game.    … Expand
  20. sonicsword
    Nov 24, 2011
    6
    It's a fun game to spend time. But the game has a very clear goal and if you want a bit of a challenge you will not find in this game. The graphics are pretty feeble but the character animations are good. It's a pretty average game.
  21. thelastlol
    Jan 2, 2013
    9
    Spores a great game worth trying. I played 40 hours of it and loved it. It lost a mark because the expansion packs were horrible. The evolution idea was brilliant
  22. egn
    Mar 12, 2013
    7
    People were expecting a lot form this title; and it didn't quite match up with that Will Wright demo from 2005, no... but It's a damn fine game nonetheless, with hours of highly-replayable entertainment that is really good for lots of different ages, tastes, and play styles. This would be a great game for younger children, but adults will enjoy it just as much.
  23. CaptainCupboard
    Mar 21, 2013
    9
    I got spore a long time ago when I was about 11. I simply adored it. But is this just because I was young? No. I played it for a while, making more advanced creatures, houses, cars and spaceships as I developed my creativity. The gameplay itself I enjoyed considerably less but it was still enjoyable, I found some of the stages repetitive and tedious but otherwise it was a very amusing andI got spore a long time ago when I was about 11. I simply adored it. But is this just because I was young? No. I played it for a while, making more advanced creatures, houses, cars and spaceships as I developed my creativity. The gameplay itself I enjoyed considerably less but it was still enjoyable, I found some of the stages repetitive and tedious but otherwise it was a very amusing and fun game. I personally loved playing all sorts of different creatures, I loved it how you could customize virtually everything and how your....creature progressed through evolutionary stages. Its simply amazing that you can conquer the entire universe (I think you can.) There are so many different options you can take to change your creature and it really feels like you're the one who's doing it. The combat itself I found....a bit too simple but for a game aimed at kiddywinkles I think its fair to say there won't be any kind of mutilation .Shame. With so many things you can do in the game, so many things you can create I would strongly recommend it.… Expand
  24. GamerQuinn
    Jul 24, 2013
    9
    Recommended: Get this at Target. I bought this game 6 months ago. I was totally entertained. From worst stages to best:

    Creature

    Cell

    Tribe

    Civilization

    SPAAAACE!

    But the reason why i gave this a 9 is because sims 3 is better.
  25. MacGamer
    Oct 19, 2013
    10
    Spore is one of the most innovative games that EA has released. It remains my favorite game of all time due to its decision making and realism. Many people say the gameplay is bad but if you give it a chance, it really is a very fun game.
  26. FlynnHuman
    Nov 16, 2013
    8
    Fun game for a while, could never push myself to continue far into the Space stage. It became a bore, yet the extent and detail of the scenery and game play must have been thought strongly into, and became a large sit-down part of the run. I enjoy this game, and would recommend it.
  27. RegenaldS
    Dec 15, 2013
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. SPORE™ is an amazing game that blends creativity and strategy to create this wonderful adventure. Starting as a single celled organism, you learn, evolve, and create the ultimate being.

    SPORE™ includes in-game achievements, a creating mode where all of your creations are built, a Sporepedia of all your own creations plus over a thousand pre-made ones by Maxis, a wonderful campaign, and a very interesting saved profile setup.

    In each stage of your evolution there are three classes; aggressive, peaceful, and neutral, which are chosen upon your actions. Eating meat and killing other species counts towards aggressive. Eating plants and friending other species count towards peaceful. A mix of aggressive actions and peaceful actions will put you in the neutral class. There are special abilities for each class, aggressive class gives you aggressive abilities, peaceful gives peaceful abilities, and neutral gives you an ability that could either help with peace or war.

    Cell Stage:
    Basically the tutorial of the game, lasting 10-15 minutes and only having 15 parts, but it IS the defining point of your species.
    Eating meat, plants, or a combination of both affects your class.

    Creature Stage:
    So you've evolved legs and moved onto land, huh? Now is where the true action begins, will you kill off the other packs of animals, or will you make them your allies... why not both? Doing either of those actions causes your creature to evolve, increasing your attack and allowing you to add more animals to your own personal pack. Creation becomes more complex as over 200+ parts are added, so your creature can become fully developed. Oh yeah, one more thing, there are creatures known as "Epics"... huge beings focused only on one thing... killing you and your pack.

    Tribal Stage:
    You've gotten smarter, and it’s shown. Your species has evolved to the point that they have started building tribes, weapons, musical instruments, and other items. But you’re not the only ones that have become smart, other tribes will appear, will you make war with them? Peace? Heck, kill the weaklings and ally with the strong if you want. Your creatures now have begun to create clothing and armor, so make them look good. Just a warning, those pesky epics are still around.

    Civilization Stage:
    Wow, Still going? Okay then. Now you start building taller, more modern buildings (they've finally caught up to us). Now you can start building cars, planes, and boats. You use them to race for control over spice vents, improve how other cities feel about you, or lay siege to them. City planning also is important, if done right the populace will love you so they produce more money, if done wrong they will stop the increase of wealth. I guess your fashion has evolved to, because now you get top hats!

    Space Stage:
    One small step for alien, one giant leap for alien kind... SSSSPPAACCEEE TRAAAVVEEELLL!!!!! The space stage is like a game in itself. It has quests, even more complex diplomacy, an economy, exploration of THOUSANDS of planets, terraforming, colonizing, war (Ever blow up a whole planet before? Fun stuff...), and wonderful combat, you control a single ship, arm it with lasers, rockets and nukes, and prepare for pirate attacks! And I can’t forget to mention the cool space armor you get.

    But, this game is far from perfect. Character models are a bit drab and look like clay. More features and parts could have been added to the creation mode, and gameplay does get boring after a few playthroughs, but there is allot of replayability.
    And just a warning, SPORE™ is one of the most problematic games there is... full of crashes, errors and glitches.

    Overall, this game is pretty fun, especially space stage.
    But even with all that the price is still pretty hefty, I would suggest you wait for it to go on sale.

    The reason I have so few hours of play time recorded is because I played SPORE™ Creepy & Cute Parts Pack instead. It’s the same game, but with extra parts added to create with. So if you do decide to get this check out my SPORE™ Creepy & Cute Parts Pack review.

    Pros:
    Massive replayability.
    Ability to create your own creatures, vehicles, buildings.
    Can choose which separate stage to play, or do them in order.
    You get ability’s depending on the morale’s of your actions.
    Complex economy (Space Stage).
    Awesome terraforming system (Space Stage).
    Amazing looking planets.

    Cons:
    Full of glitches (characters bugging out, game failing to start, missing directories, etc.).
    Creature models look like clay.
    Creator feature is option lacking.
    Campaign is linear in the Tribal and Civilization stages.

    Rate: 5/10 with glitches, 7/10 without glitches

    If this review was the deciding point of you getting this game feel free to leave a comment telling me so!    … Expand
  28. ThePandaBlaster
    Dec 22, 2013
    5
    I enjoyed this game in the beginning with the evolution-stages, but it soon became extremely boring. I liked the space-age part when I built an empire using the species I nurtured but it just became too difficult to maintain it. When I was on one side of the galaxy, one of my colonies would be attacked on the complete other side, and the only way I could keep it is if I went ALL the wayI enjoyed this game in the beginning with the evolution-stages, but it soon became extremely boring. I liked the space-age part when I built an empire using the species I nurtured but it just became too difficult to maintain it. When I was on one side of the galaxy, one of my colonies would be attacked on the complete other side, and the only way I could keep it is if I went ALL the way over there and stopped it.

    Not worth the $20 I spent on it because it massacred the concept I believed Spore to be, which was a god-game of complete creation and control of the outcome of the galaxy and your creature.

    Instead, I got repetitive game-play and soon regretted buying it.    … Expand
  29. Msioux01
    Dec 29, 2013
    5
    Okay, okay, the game was no masterpiece, but I did actually enjoy playing it. I didn't like how simplified it seemed, when evolving your creature, it seemed more about the looks than for actual evolutionary advantages.
    I did NOT like the way the camera worked during the Tribal Stage. It was very confusing and hard to navigate, and this proved annoying when I was in the middle of defending    Okay, okay, the game was no masterpiece, but I did actually enjoy playing it. I didn't like how simplified it seemed, when evolving your creature, it seemed more about the looks than for actual evolutionary advantages.
    I did NOT like the way the camera worked during the Tribal Stage. It was very confusing and hard to navigate, and this proved annoying when I was in the middle of defending my tribe from raiders.
    Also-the creature stage was very repetitive and annoying, and I spent the whole time really just hoping I could move on.
    All of that being said, I really didn't hate the game. I liked seeing my creature evolve (seriously, what a cool idea for a game!) and I enjoyed building my own civilization. Overall, I think this game had a good idea-but it was poorly executed. It's a fun game and I'd recommend giving it a try, but don't expect too much, it's not winning any game of the year award.    … Expand
  30. IcecreamSnowman
    Mar 11, 2014
    6
    I had fun making an animal and seeing it evolve into some kind space faring dinosaur thing. Then I got really annoyed that once you're an ally of a race, who were presumably getting along just fine without you, they stop defending themselves from pirates, stop preventing eco-disasters and just sponge of the player. A whole galaxy to explore but you have to go home every five minutesI had fun making an animal and seeing it evolve into some kind space faring dinosaur thing. Then I got really annoyed that once you're an ally of a race, who were presumably getting along just fine without you, they stop defending themselves from pirates, stop preventing eco-disasters and just sponge of the player. A whole galaxy to explore but you have to go home every five minutes because somebody is destroying your might civilization with a toy tricycle.… Expand
  31. mikey661
    Apr 17, 2014
    10
    Although a lot of people hate this game and think Spore isn't a great game, i'm one of those people who have rated this game as my favorite PC game. The best mechanic is how your choices early on impact your future in the final stage. Literally the funnest experience and is really unique from any other game i've ever played regardless of graphics. And for those people who think this gameAlthough a lot of people hate this game and think Spore isn't a great game, i'm one of those people who have rated this game as my favorite PC game. The best mechanic is how your choices early on impact your future in the final stage. Literally the funnest experience and is really unique from any other game i've ever played regardless of graphics. And for those people who think this game is so easy and repetitive - Stop playing on the easiest difficulty.… Expand
  32. jacob4
    Jun 25, 2014
    2
    It might first seem like an O.K. game, but once you play it over again and get deeper into the game, you find out it's just a bunch of pointless clicking around and no exciting quest or storyline or campaign. The cut scenes are lame, and the animation isn't good at all. I'd sell or trade my Spore game for a much better game like Halo.
  33. SynSeven
    Aug 14, 2014
    10
    This game is amazing.
    Released in the late 2008 (people probably forgot about this), gives you the possibility to follow the life of a fantastic specie, totally editable from the cell stage, through the creature, tribal, civilization stages, right to the space!
    The game is presented with fancy graphics and funny details which makes it entertaining from the first stage to the last. The    This game is amazing.
    Released in the late 2008 (people probably forgot about this), gives you the possibility to follow the life of a fantastic specie, totally editable from the cell stage, through the creature, tribal, civilization stages, right to the space!
    The game is presented with fancy graphics and funny details which makes it entertaining from the first stage to the last. The space phase is endless, as the majority of the unforgettable games.
    I'm writing this 6 years after its release and I'm still certain that this game is worth its cost, I totally can't understand all of those bad critics.
    I can tell this game was and is futuristic.    … Expand
  34. Exwin0880
    May 14, 2015
    5
    Spore.... Great Idea, but feels like they lost interest in development.

    It's more like a collection of smaller games, that are done much better by different games, combined into one.
  35. TepidThought
    Oct 8, 2014
    3
    Atrocious game. Advertised as a massive open game with limitless possibilities. 90% of this game is comprised of the space section, which is repetitive and boring, and the other eras are just simple minded grind. Honestly the best one is the cell stage, as its a half decent as an arcade game. This game takes an awesome and complex idea and compresses it into something seemingly designedAtrocious game. Advertised as a massive open game with limitless possibilities. 90% of this game is comprised of the space section, which is repetitive and boring, and the other eras are just simple minded grind. Honestly the best one is the cell stage, as its a half decent as an arcade game. This game takes an awesome and complex idea and compresses it into something seemingly designed for a 5 year old.… Expand
  36. BoredGamer42
    Oct 10, 2014
    0
    Tried to purchase this crappy game on Steam today. I remember when it launched, the joke (reality) was that people who paid for Spore had to then pirate the game to get a playable copy since the copy protection broke the game. It's been a long time since then, though, and Steam has its own copyright protection methods. Well, guess what.

    Spore still required me to register on    Tried to purchase this crappy game on Steam today. I remember when it launched, the joke (reality) was that people who paid for Spore had to then pirate the game to get a playable copy since the copy protection broke the game. It's been a long time since then, though, and Steam has its own copyright protection methods. Well, guess what.

    Spore still required me to register on Spore.com to play. Spore.com is down. For how long? I dunno - maybe 10 minutes, maybe a year, maybe forever. All I know is that I can't even register to play a game that was honestly pretty stupid to begin with. It gets boring after an hour, but I was willing to pay for that. Give me my hour back, you sons of !@##&*)(@# @#$)(*#$!

    Critic scores on metacritic are garbage, and so is this game. Trust the other users here and save yourself the headache.    … Expand
  37. guy5f
    Dec 15, 2014
    1
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. The one part of the game in actually fond of is the cell stage. It felt so fun compared to much of the other parts. In fact, it's the only area I ever had any REAL fun. I got pretty turned off and almost quit when I was in the tribal stage. The 2nd stage, whatever it's called, is just the same thing OVER and OVER. You can kill some things, or you can befriend them by dancing or singing. Something that ruins my experience about almost all of the game is the fact that the only area where you place things on your creature actually matters is in the cell stage. The only part of the game that most people is to the creature creator, but it's quite hard to create anything more than a few animals that look almost nothing like what they're supposed to be.… Expand
  38. SINEKT
    Mar 2, 2015
    3
    In the cell and creature stages it really kicks you off your feet with a nice FPS survival style and until here I would give 100 out of 10. However, going to tribe mode, thing change dramatically: the controls get messed up. You controlled the game one way until now? No problem, forget that and here's a ton of new combinations and mouse dragging you have to get used to. Why keep the sameIn the cell and creature stages it really kicks you off your feet with a nice FPS survival style and until here I would give 100 out of 10. However, going to tribe mode, thing change dramatically: the controls get messed up. You controlled the game one way until now? No problem, forget that and here's a ton of new combinations and mouse dragging you have to get used to. Why keep the same fps style? Now we're a strategy game. But, you get used to that and things happen fast and gameplay is ok.

    THEN, you move to civilization stage. This is where the brown matter hits the fan. I was a warrior, and somehow I didn't manage/didn't know I have to capture the others in a fraction of a second, maybe even faster, so I ended up with one great empire that I'm allied to, and me. Now, I can't continue the game because I'm warrior style and I have to conquer them all, but can't conquer them because all I have is a small town capable of nothing, and I get flattened out if I try to attack them.

    The game is so unbalanced that it stuck itself. I mean, either you conquer them all, either you die, but somehow this game allows a situation where you just coexist with another civilization and nothing happens further. EVER.

    So basically I have to restart from cell stage to do anything, because I also saved my game in this state and nothing can be done.

    It's a pity... this had great potential.    … Expand
  39. GameKiller1337
    Jun 22, 2015
    10
    Good Game !
    -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Buy this game !
  40. Crackfarmer
    Jan 16, 2016
    5
    Fun game to play but the no auto-save feature kills it, the game crashes randomly and your whole time is wasted. I wonder why the dev's haven't patched an autosave since there still came an addon in 2015 for this.. wrong priority set imo.
  41. w0rmi3
    Dec 17, 2015
    10
    Have over 100 hours in this game.
    Say everyone it's the best.
    Be hate by everyone in school.
    This game worth it.
    11/10 not too bad.
    DLC good too.
    But vanilia better.
  42. Yenchey
    May 8, 2016
    10
    Very good, but forgotten game, rated not by what it is, but what it was supposed to be. Very addictive, not-boring and variable gameplay from cell to space never gets old for me.
    Thank you, Maxis!
  43. Broyax
    Apr 13, 2017
    2
    Un point pour l'interface agréable et efficace, un point pour l'atelier de création des... créatures, seul endroit où on s'amuse un peu...! pour le reste, les graphismes sont indigents et le gameplay est d'un ennui profond, très limité, très lent et très répétitif. ça nous fait donc 2/10 et c'est déjà très bien payé ! on dira que Spore n'est pas un "jeu" classique : c'est vrai, il n'estUn point pour l'interface agréable et efficace, un point pour l'atelier de création des... créatures, seul endroit où on s'amuse un peu...! pour le reste, les graphismes sont indigents et le gameplay est d'un ennui profond, très limité, très lent et très répétitif. ça nous fait donc 2/10 et c'est déjà très bien payé ! on dira que Spore n'est pas un "jeu" classique : c'est vrai, il n'est tout simplement... pas grand'chose.… Expand
  44. Supereme
    Jun 22, 2017
    10
    This is the Most Happiest thing I played and Spore is without a doubt my Favorite game all times Horray!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
  45. aditya1101
    Oct 12, 2017
    2
    Super disappointing game. We were promised so much and ended up getting so little. For a game that boasts about its depth, this game is surprisingly shallow. The progression isn't nearly as authentic or gradual as I had hoped, and the mechanics of progression get old really fast.
  46. Snaggyjoker
    Feb 27, 2018
    6
    This game is pure evil the way it pushes evolution on kids and makes all the planets spherical!

    Just kidding.

    This game is fun and my kid loved it too when I let her play it.
  47. sebastianali
    Aug 2, 2019
    6
    La primer y segunda etapa son muy divertidas, pero el juego muere inmediatamente a partir de la tercer etapa. Muy mal la verdad EA.... Muy mal...
  48. MadnessisRising
    Mar 15, 2019
    9
    For my whole life I was a fan of monsters. Back then Spore gave me the opportunity to create some cool and funny creatures out of my mind. I had so much fun for hundreds of hours. The "story" was just a bonus for me, but I also liked it a lot (except Space).
  49. garfieldShotJfk
    Jun 10, 2019
    10
    The extinction mechanic made me feel like 1940 Germany 10/10
    The extinction mechanic made me feel like 1940 Germany 10/10
    The extinction mechanic made me feel like 1940 Germany 10/10
    The extinction mechanic made me feel like 1940 Germany 10/10
    The extinction mechanic made me feel like 1940 Germany 10/10
  50. Jesus_H_Crunch
    Aug 25, 2019
    10
    Excellent game, clearly made with fun in mind. While some aspects may not be fantastic, and it does have its bugs, you can tell a lot of heart was put into it. It can be just a really fun time doing everything and seeing your species grow and evolve. Just as fun as when I played as a kid.
  51. ZetMoriz_
    Mar 14, 2020
    8
    Сижу и не понимаю, почему все так негативны к Spore, это же игра шедевр того года лол, просто не понимаю. Игра интересная, нелинейная, дает тебе высвободить все твое вооброжение. Spore так же как по сложен, с каждым этапом эволюции становится все сложнее и сложнее. У игры есть 2 минуса:
    1) Я так понимаю EA перестали поддерживать сеть в нем и там просто невозможно залогиниться, чтобы    Сижу и не понимаю, почему все так негативны к Spore, это же игра шедевр того года лол, просто не понимаю. Игра интересная, нелинейная, дает тебе высвободить все твое вооброжение. Spore так же как по сложен, с каждым этапом эволюции становится все сложнее и сложнее. У игры есть 2 минуса:
    1) Я так понимаю EA перестали поддерживать сеть в нем и там просто невозможно залогиниться, чтобы выложить свое творество или посмотреть на другие.
    2) Графика в Spore на 2020 год может показаться отвратительной, но для 2008 года она был наверное нормальной.

    В заключение скажу, что если бы Spore вышла в каком-нибудь 2016-2017, это был бы настоящий шедевр как по мне.    … Expand
  52. SrCre
    Mar 10, 2020
    9
    [ ] Perfect
    [x] Awesome
    [ ] Good
    [ ] Good Bad
    [ ] Fail

    Não vejo necessidade em escrever um longo texto analisando uma arte, a nota é apenas um conselho para saber o quanto ela vale para sua vida.

    I see no need to write a long text analyzing an art, the note is just a piece of advice to know how much it is worth in your life.
  53. Telzvitu
    Mar 13, 2020
    10
    12/10, Game of all years!
    _________________________________________________
  54. roten
    Apr 30, 2022
    0
    this product is not available in your region
    "games out of politics" right?
  55. Izoeros
    Jun 4, 2022
    8
    qqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqq
  56. Matt
    Oct 1, 2008
    5
    I don't like this game. I'm willing to admit that it seems well-produced and polished and nice, but I don't like this kind of game. That's why I gave it a 5, not a 0. I will also admit that I didn't play the game for longer than 20 minutes, but that was mainly because I'm very demanding and if I'm not enjoying a game within 20 minutes, it isn't I don't like this game. I'm willing to admit that it seems well-produced and polished and nice, but I don't like this kind of game. That's why I gave it a 5, not a 0. I will also admit that I didn't play the game for longer than 20 minutes, but that was mainly because I'm very demanding and if I'm not enjoying a game within 20 minutes, it isn't worth my time. Either because it's "bad" or because I don't like it. If you like Sims and Sim City games, this may be for you. But after 20 minutes of swimming around eating green things and picking out new pokers and flagela for my little "creature", it became clear to me what kind of game this is: do lots of things over and over till you reach a new "level", then do it more, repeat. Seems like people need to stop and ask themselves more, "is this game actually FUN?". Also, the criticisms that this game doesn't reflect real evolution are true, but I don't know that they're fair criticisms. A game that reflected actual natural selection would be BORING because you wouldn't DO anything...natural selection is just creatures adapting across generations to their environment. So yeah...don't expect this to reflect real evolution. I don't know if it even claims to. Part of me does fear the creationist/intelligent design people trying to take this game as some sort of argument for their viewpoints, or use it as a propaganda tool or something. Because it really is a combination of some ideas that are pretty close to ID and Lamarckian evolution.… Expand
  57. ScottC
    Sep 12, 2008
    6
    Horrible DRM aside (although it did cost me 2 out of my 3 allowed activations just to get it working on Vista), once you get past the creature creator, its an average "game" at best. Making cartoon characters does have a reasonable amount of charm for a while, but it wears off, and then its clear that its only a bunch of shallow minigames built around the creature creator. It has nothing Horrible DRM aside (although it did cost me 2 out of my 3 allowed activations just to get it working on Vista), once you get past the creature creator, its an average "game" at best. Making cartoon characters does have a reasonable amount of charm for a while, but it wears off, and then its clear that its only a bunch of shallow minigames built around the creature creator. It has nothing near the depth and satisfaction of a dedicated Civ builder or sim/strategy game. It seems like it would most appeal to kids under the age of 14. Any reviewers scoring this, as a "game", higher than 7.5, are not to be trusted in the future, as theyre clearly on the EA take, like half the industry is on this Hypefest. The emperor has no clothes.… Expand
  58. TomS.
    Sep 4, 2008
    6
    Very lacking in depth. Hate the way the graphics are so cartoony. Crap theres no fur options. Too simple, too much having units, and click to attack. Space stage is just way too long and hard. Its like they got to the end and tried to tack on as much depth by ramping up the grind and difficulty measure. I was bored very quickly.
  59. AlexF.
    Sep 9, 2008
    5
    Extremely repetitive game. the idea was good and deserved an average score. but the gameplay was uneventful and cheap.
  60. RAGE'N'HATE
    Sep 9, 2008
    5
    Mediocre at BEST. I regret the purchase due to lack of substantial gameplay. Sure, making stuff from a brickbox is fun, but doing the same depthless minigame over and over again is ridiculous. I would have had more fun with a freeware lego game.
  61. MichaelR.
    Sep 9, 2008
    5
    Each evolutionary stage is woefully underdeveloped. This feels like 5 cheap free flash games strung together in a day. What an incredible disappointment.
  62. ChrisR
    Jan 4, 2009
    5
    I am one of the masses who spent about 2 to 3 years biting our nails off waiting for Spore to come out, theorizing on gameplay, and just exactly how awesome it would be. I now realize why the pre-Spore ad blitz focused on only the creature creator, the rest is terrible! The stages are all mindless and if you've played them once you've played them forever. There is no I am one of the masses who spent about 2 to 3 years biting our nails off waiting for Spore to come out, theorizing on gameplay, and just exactly how awesome it would be. I now realize why the pre-Spore ad blitz focused on only the creature creator, the rest is terrible! The stages are all mindless and if you've played them once you've played them forever. There is no variability, only the same thing again and again. the initial time I played I was unimpressed but the hope that maybe the NEXT stage would be just a teensy bit better kept me going. I ended up playing the game to completion a few more times to see if there was any differences between games with different creatures or traits, mostly all I got was a new magic button to push by the space stage. If not for the fact that the creators were the greatest thing in the history of forever I'd fail this game into the ground. I spent more time messing with the creators than playing the actual game.… Expand
  63. diemongo
    Oct 1, 2008
    5
    I agree with most of the reviews in here - the game has very impressive graphics and a nice gameplay the first couple of hours, but then it turns in to a strategy game.
  64. MonteB
    Dec 30, 2008
    5
    Like Mirrors Edge, there is some good ideas here. game designers are creating in a sense a literal paradox that will with any luck help drive the next gaming paradigm.

    Lets face it since E3 we have seen nothing really new or groundbreaking, I pray to the great spotted-red mushroom-in-the-sky that games like Spore will give game designers some decent fucking ideas so they stop    Like Mirrors Edge, there is some good ideas here. game designers are creating in a sense a literal paradox that will with any luck help drive the next gaming paradigm.

    Lets face it since E3 we have seen nothing really new or groundbreaking, I pray to the great spotted-red mushroom-in-the-sky that games like Spore will give game designers some decent fucking ideas so they stop tarnishing decent games with half assed buggy sequels and the like.
    Dont hate, apprieciate.

    Oh, but dont pay more than 10 bucks for it!
    Ideas are free so they're lucky to get 10 bucks imo.

    When they manage to do some more work than fashion a thought, consider giving them more money.

    Peace!    … Expand
  65. Charlie
    Sep 11, 2008
    10
    A great game in all stages. Some stages could have been extended but that is not a significant issue. The DRM is not really a problem, you can install the game three times and then if you want to install again you need to call EA. I don't think it will stop pirating, but it's no reason to give it a zero.
  66. AnonymousMC
    Sep 10, 2008
    2
    Such a disappointment... The creature creator is cool but the rest of the game is empty and in each of the categories it tries to cover there are much better games out there. I suspect from the official spore site that the conceptors had great ideas but the EA guys cut everything out for the sake of sim-like playability and audience range. Too bad
  67. 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
  68. 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.
  69. FredS.
    Sep 15, 2008
    0
    DRM is all I can say. Game seemed ok, but I'm forced to return it to the store.
  70. AlexB.
    Sep 10, 2008
    2
    fundamentally disappointing! 5 shallow mini-games threaded together.... Poor and simplistic game play. Not what one would expect from the legend that is Will Wright
  71. AnonymousMC
    Sep 15, 2008
    5
    You spend about 5 hours advancing and evolving your species and then you get to space and it's terrible. Space travel is done by clicking on a bunch of dots that are supposed to be star systems and forget trying to find a specific planet after you've done a lot of traveling. I think the developers put so much time into the beginning of the game that they half-a$$ed the end.
  72. JonH
    Sep 10, 2008
    4
    When does the other half of the game come out, the game they showed of 2 years ago looked interesting. This is spore for idiots.
  73. KyleG
    Sep 15, 2008
    1
    When you compare the final product to the 2005 demo video which sparked so much interest, Spore is a massive let-down. It has been dumbed down and cartooned up to the point where body parts in creature stage have no stacking effect and weapons in vehicle and ship design produce the same effect in game. One spike is the same as 1,000 and rockets, lasers, and guns all appear to be slow When you compare the final product to the 2005 demo video which sparked so much interest, Spore is a massive let-down. It has been dumbed down and cartooned up to the point where body parts in creature stage have no stacking effect and weapons in vehicle and ship design produce the same effect in game. One spike is the same as 1,000 and rockets, lasers, and guns all appear to be slow moving ugly tracers. Just one of the myriad of examples. The stages are boring and repetitive, zero replay value. The editors are the only fun part, yet the lack of real, substantive impact on your design decisions on the gameplay gives the game an empty feeling. After eagerly waiting for Spore, i'm sad to suggest you save your money, its not worth the purchase.… Expand
  74. AnneL.
    Sep 15, 2008
    3
    I've played flash games that are better than this disappointment, seriously. The game is lacking in all aspects.
  75. LouisG.
    Sep 15, 2008
    0
    this "game" is more of a toybox than actual game...it is basically a mash-up of 5 free flash games being sold in one box for an exorbitant price
  76. KenM.
    Sep 15, 2008
    0
    DRM need i say more? oh and the game is nothing like Will showed us 2 years ago.
  77. Yoshid
    Sep 10, 2008
    6
    Good game, but you can't actually buy it. Only rent it. That's because you can only install it 3 times. After that your game is useless. So once you have installed it, pray for God that you don't have to install windows again or for other reasons install the game again -- otherwise you'll only have 1 installation left. What if you want to play the game after a couple Good game, but you can't actually buy it. Only rent it. That's because you can only install it 3 times. After that your game is useless. So once you have installed it, pray for God that you don't have to install windows again or for other reasons install the game again -- otherwise you'll only have 1 installation left. What if you want to play the game after a couple of years...and you have no installations left?… Expand
  78. 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.
  79. BrianW.
    Sep 16, 2008
    0
    Very disappointing gameplay. Creature design is purely cosmetically and has no effect on the game. The different stages feel like each of them was developed by a completely different team and the teams had no idea what the other teams were doing. The game feels like a compilation of five disappointing minigames, each of them gets boring after 10 minutes. I don
  80. LukeM.
    Sep 16, 2008
    2
    Sorry Maxis, your marketing appealed to me. So much that I went out and bought the game. After two nights of playing I feel as though I am finished. Where is the gameplay? This game is so simple it plays as if it was designed for 6-10 year olds. What makes matters worse is that I cannot sell the game now on the second hand market because it is locked to me. The game lacks depth with very Sorry Maxis, your marketing appealed to me. So much that I went out and bought the game. After two nights of playing I feel as though I am finished. Where is the gameplay? This game is so simple it plays as if it was designed for 6-10 year olds. What makes matters worse is that I cannot sell the game now on the second hand market because it is locked to me. The game lacks depth with very little options to choose. The game is basically minigames badly strung together that you would never play on their own as they are so bad. I believe the game feels like this as a lot of content was probbaly cut to be included in an expansion pack at a later date. How these game review sites are giving it 9/10 is beyond me. I would give it a max 4/10 but with the 3 installs only it drops to a 2. An expensive mistake, stay away from spore if you are having any dobts. Spore good for a 6 year old or if you know anyone who has the mental age of a 6 year old.… Expand
  81. LiesAlllies
    Sep 16, 2008
    5
    They dumbed it down. It's not the game you saw in 2005. The only good parts remaining are the Arcade parts and the creature creator. Thing is you can get a much better arcade game for less or no money and without the INSANE protection. The creature creator is truly great but that's the single thing that is and after you try it out a couple of times it gets quite boring. I belive They dumbed it down. It's not the game you saw in 2005. The only good parts remaining are the Arcade parts and the creature creator. Thing is you can get a much better arcade game for less or no money and without the INSANE protection. The creature creator is truly great but that's the single thing that is and after you try it out a couple of times it gets quite boring. I belive that they with intention put the copy protection there because they knew nobody would be arsed to install it 3 times anyway as the game lacks any replayability due to its gameflaws and over-simplistic gameplay. It was also put there since they knew that while many "pirates" first pirate a game and then buy it if they like it they would've never done this with Spore. Do not buy this game. The game is an average game but with the to simple gameplay and the crappy game protection it looses value to rapidly and is not worth more than 15.00 USD.… Expand
  82. JohnT.
    Sep 16, 2008
    0
    Boring, Boring, Boring. Its B&W again - over hyped, no gameplay or fun and full of DRM. Give this a miss.
  83. MarkC.
    Sep 17, 2008
    3
    Fun and interesting--for about 4 hours. After the initial "wow, look at all the customization!" phase, the rest of the game is shallow and repetitive. As cool a it is to build your own unique little organism, the much-hyped "evolution" aspect of the game is little more than a joke. A creature with 4 long, athletic legs runs just as fast as a creature with a single, chubby stump. It all Fun and interesting--for about 4 hours. After the initial "wow, look at all the customization!" phase, the rest of the game is shallow and repetitive. As cool a it is to build your own unique little organism, the much-hyped "evolution" aspect of the game is little more than a joke. A creature with 4 long, athletic legs runs just as fast as a creature with a single, chubby stump. It all just depends on the predetermined stats of the appendage. The different stages of the game seem incredibly disjointed too, like they should all actually be their own game, but they got accidentally thrown into the same trash compactor. In any case, don't waste $50 on a game that's going to disappoint you and that you'll lose interest in very quickly. Play it at a friend's house, or see if you can score a copy off someone else who is already bored with it.… Expand
  84. ChrisV
    Sep 17, 2008
    1
    From the sinister DRM, to the dummed down gameplay, it just sucks. It had so much potential but turned out as a paper doll like simulator.
  85. RonnP.
    Sep 10, 2008
    2
    Biggest letdown since years. Playing games since C64. But Spore is only a combination of 5 simple minigames.
  86. SteveW.
    Sep 17, 2008
    2
    Boring, repetitive, like a collection of mini-games. There's no gameplay depth here, editing shit is totally pointless to the gameplay, it's like an introductory RTS for girls. And the questionable copy protection rewards the people that pirate instead of paying for the game. This was pretty much the most overhyped piece of crap ever.
  87. DanielA.
    Sep 17, 2008
    1
    $40 to RENT a game? That seems a bit steep, and with the malware they ship with it too. Yeah, right, I'll just pay you $40 for that keylogger and willingly install it.
  88. BenC.
    Sep 10, 2008
    4
    Repetitive and boring.
  89. JasoncC.
    Sep 10, 2008
    6
    The game works. It's polished. It's also extremely shallow. The stages with the most potential are about 30 minutes long and then you get to the space stage that completely throws out all the individual creativity and becomes a really poor space colony sim. The UI is great though, performance is fine. I like the graphics style.. but the lack of any complexity and complete The game works. It's polished. It's also extremely shallow. The stages with the most potential are about 30 minutes long and then you get to the space stage that completely throws out all the individual creativity and becomes a really poor space colony sim. The UI is great though, performance is fine. I like the graphics style.. but the lack of any complexity and complete absence of all the game was hyped to be makes it hard to accept this game. Not to mention the DRM and the laughable online component. Beware of the Phallics.. populating a system near you!… Expand
  90. AnonymousMC
    Sep 19, 2008
    0
    This game, though novel, contains a draconian form of DRM that is insulting to game buyers. It does nothing to prevent the unauthorized distribution of the software, and punishes honest gamers by installing ridiculous malware/spyware equivalents just to play. Top that off to limiting the game to only three lifetime installations, and you soon realize you aren't buying the game, youThis game, though novel, contains a draconian form of DRM that is insulting to game buyers. It does nothing to prevent the unauthorized distribution of the software, and punishes honest gamers by installing ridiculous malware/spyware equivalents just to play. Top that off to limiting the game to only three lifetime installations, and you soon realize you aren't buying the game, you are buying the right to play the game in a very limited framework. No thanks, I'll pass. I don't support the idea that I'm guilty until proven innocent (without even an opportunity to prove innocence). Shame on EA for destroying this game.… Expand
  91. DieterK.
    Sep 10, 2008
    2
    I really really tried to like this game, but it plays like a couple of flash games put together. I'm truly disappointed and can't understand the reviews from some sites which gave it a 9/10...this is just ridiculous.
  92. ChristopherG.
    Sep 19, 2008
    4
    This is basically a rehash of many of the reviews given already. - Game is like 5 mini games, loosely tied together. - Low replay-ablility, just not that engaging gameplay. - Sure it's interesting to put together creatures, but beyond that, there's not much to hold your interest. - This game is perhaps better for the under 12 crowd. Graphic and game play sophistications are This is basically a rehash of many of the reviews given already. - Game is like 5 mini games, loosely tied together. - Low replay-ablility, just not that engaging gameplay. - Sure it's interesting to put together creatures, but beyond that, there's not much to hold your interest. - This game is perhaps better for the under 12 crowd. Graphic and game play sophistications are simple. - I tried to get a refund after 4 days of play, couldn't get one. - Way over hyped, don't fall for it! Last EA game I'll ever purchase. Just not worth the money when there's so much other stuff out there.… Expand
  93. DavidC.
    Sep 19, 2008
    0
    I had a lot of problems with the game and now it is worthless because of the 3 install limit. Waste of money, I have a expensive coaster now, thanks EA.... you suck!!!!
  94. DavidBuePedersen
    Sep 21, 2008
    0
    The aggressive DRM restrictions to this game, that'll allow you to only activate the came 3 times means that I guess I'm done buying EA titles.
    Take this scenario:
    Say I want to deinstall the game to get some more free space, then a while later I reinstall the game. Half a year later I could get a virus that force me to reinstall my OS. Now I install spore again... ...For    The aggressive DRM restrictions to this game, that'll allow you to only activate the came 3 times means that I guess I'm done buying EA titles.
    Take this scenario:

    Say I want to deinstall the game to get some more free space, then a while later I reinstall the game. Half a year later I could get a virus that force me to reinstall my OS. Now I install spore again... ...For the LAST time, as all my activations has been used!

    Come on EA! How many gamers dosen't reinstall their OS at least once a year?    … Expand
  95. KrisS.
    Sep 28, 2008
    1
    EA as completely insulted honest customers. Its a so-so game, but the DRM makes it completely and totally not worth it. I would not recommend this game to anyone due to its DRM being of the verge of tyranny.
  96. SamP
    Sep 29, 2008
    0
    AAAAAAARGH!!! I wish I had read some reviews before buying this sordid lump of whale faeces, but my girlish enthusiasm got the better of me - I have been waiting for this game to come out for 3 years, after all. I was expecting depth, innovation, and complete immersion. Instead, the game is about as immersive as having a squirrel pee on your face (and I know which one I would prefer to AAAAAAARGH!!! I wish I had read some reviews before buying this sordid lump of whale faeces, but my girlish enthusiasm got the better of me - I have been waiting for this game to come out for 3 years, after all. I was expecting depth, innovation, and complete immersion. Instead, the game is about as immersive as having a squirrel pee on your face (and I know which one I would prefer to endure, too - at least squirrel pee is free). The DRM stuff is just the final twist of the testicle clamps if you ask me - installing malware onto your hard drive without your explicit consent is just bad, and shouldn't be tolerated by the gaming community. I had to scrub my hard drive very carefully to get rid of that evil SecuROM thing. Out, out, damn rootkit! Seriously, it looks like the original version of the game, the one that got me interested to begin with, was destined to be an utter failure to begin with because it was just too complex to implement. Talk about biting off more than you can chew. Will was probably able to hide in his ivory tower for some time while the project foundered and wallowed in its own filth, but eventually the truth of the project would have become too much to ignore even for the starry-eyed EA execs who had backed everything so far, and as one reviewer so aptly mentioned, they would have marched in and laid down the law, in order to commercially salvage what they could of the sinking behemoth. But you know what? I would rather play a glorious failure that had depth and conviction regarding its original goals, than this fake, airbrushed, used tampon of a game. However, watching the "Spornographic" creatures on YouTube was certainly very entertaining, although I doubt it was part of Mr Wright's original vision.… Expand
  97. MarkH.
    Sep 4, 2008
    6
    Dumbed down. Simplistic, shallow gameplay that would be more fitting of a browser-based flash game than a big 4-years-in-development, highly hyped release. Poor controls, few options in regards to gameplay tactics. Powerful creature, building, and vehicle editors, but there's ever a moment to sit back and enjoy building and growing your civilisation - it's like a sandbox game Dumbed down. Simplistic, shallow gameplay that would be more fitting of a browser-based flash game than a big 4-years-in-development, highly hyped release. Poor controls, few options in regards to gameplay tactics. Powerful creature, building, and vehicle editors, but there's ever a moment to sit back and enjoy building and growing your civilisation - it's like a sandbox game that won't let you sandbox.for more than a minute at a time. Should have been better - it's points of failure are obvious, and bury what could otherwise have been a fun, creative joy.… Expand
  98. AndyG.
    Sep 5, 2008
    6
    Spore's 5 stages present 4 clickfest mini-games and a poor man's Galactic Civilisation. Whilst the creature creator is an enjoyable distraction, the game itself seems lacklustre. Stunningly your carefully honed creature stats/abilities have absolutely no relevance after the third minigame.
  99. RandyRandy
    Sep 5, 2008
    4
    Pretty, but ultimately shallow and not very fun unless you like to grind out levels a la WoW. Most of the cool things shown/announced long ago never made it into the game or were removed. Overall a pretty big disappointment.
  100. MordorEye
    Sep 7, 2008
    6
    The game is not as good as I expected. The IA is very simple, the real possibilities of evolution are 0 (it doesn't matter the pieces of your body, only their stats), and some levels are similiar to other games, just as FLOW o some bad mmorpgs without quests. Because all the hype I should give it a 5, but I'll give a 6 because this game will like to kids.
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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

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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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