Since I was able to get an early release off of the internet, I bring you my Spore review. I decided that the best structure for this review would be to chronicle my creature's journey.
EDIT: To be clear, Play.com has had it in stock and ready to ship since at least Tuesday September 2 when I placed my order. If I ever get the chance to buy another game before street date, I will be more clear about how I got it so that everyone doesn't have to scream piracy. My thread previously got locked before I could defend myself from the comments. Sorry for the confusion.
It all began with a random cell in the primordial soup of life. I knew way ahead of time that I wanted a race of destructive and murderous beasts, and so they began to take shape. As I swam around eating bits of meat, killing enemies my size, and running from things many times greater than myself, I gained DNA and began to evolve. Before long, my creature was a single cell killing machine, equipped with spikes and jets to speed him up. I started eating the creatures that were previously much larger than me. My time in the ooze was brief, chaotic, and brutal. Soon, though, I gained a tiny brain.
With brain in skull, my creatures crawled on the land. Despite having very few parts, I was able to give my creatures legs and spikes. We established a nest, and being a race of violent creatures, it was then my goal to drive nearby species to extinction. In MMO fashion, I began to run one of my creatures around with a few abilities, wiping out everything I could. As I eliminated opponents, I gained new parts. Slowly, my creatures became more and more capable of genocidal hunting. My creatures migrated to a new nest, and I gained the capabilities to bring some other creatures along with the one I controlled. Nothing could stand in the way of our growing power and minds. Before I knew it, I had eliminated enough species to dominate the area.
Then the tribal stage sets in. The view changes, now looking and playing more like an RTS, my tribe begins its journey. I selected several units and learned how to kill creatures to feed my tribe. The game allowed me to customize my creatures outfits, making them even more suited to combat, and establish buildings or make more creatures using food. I built an axe hut, which were effective at killing enemy units, and equipped my units with the axes. No sooner did another tribe appear nearby. I had the choice to ally with them or kill them, and I chose to destroy them. I lead my small force of savages over to the camp and began the slaughter. With a triumphant victory under my belt, I felt confident in my destructive prowess. Suddenly, many other camps popped up around the continent. One by one, I wiped out each camp, gaining new technology like spears and torches and new outfit pieces each time. When I was the last remaining tribe, the age of civilization set in.
It was in full RTS mode now. By this point, the game also knew that I was raising a species of murderous monsters. To show its understanding, I was building military land vehicles instead of ones to spread religion. It also begins the time of full customization. Aside from all my vehicles, I was able to design my buildings to look as evil as possible. My new goal was to collect Spice (Dune anyone?) and use it to grow stronger. Other civilizations began to show up, and I immediately realized my new goal: destroy everything. I amassed a group of tanks and rolled towards the nearest enemy city, for the bastard had the nerve to take my Spice vent. Unprepared for my onslaught, the city's people scream with terror as it was razed. As more cities fell, I gained more technology. Boats allowed me to gain Spice vents in the water. Once I had unlocked planes, nobody stood a chance. I built as many houses as possible to maximize the amount of planes at my disposal. With a squadron of fighters in hand, the rest of the planet was only a formality to dominate. As I became the dictator of my homeworld, space set in. Everything changed.
After designing my space faring vessel, I learned to fly using my keyboard and mouse. It gives a great feeling to fly around the planets in my spacecraft. The planets are pretty big, but they still maintain the feeling that you're circling the globe while flying. Not long after I learned to pilot my ship, I was searching around other star systems. As I encountered other species, my first thought was, "Can I kill them?" The answer at the time was no. I learned that my newly space adapted race didn't have the technology to fight these advanced creatures head-on. I begrudgingly subjugated myself to grunt work to earn money and power. Their assignments ranged from collecting (abducting) samples of creatures and plants to killing infected creatures with my laser to investing strange signals. I learned the ways of space, gained allies, and established trade routes. I gained the knowledge of how to stabilize a planets atmosphere and establish new colonies. As my empire grew, so did my power. I began to employ the force I had so long desired to use. Entire planets bowed before my might. The space section was the deepest, most complicated, and also most rewarding section of the game.
Conclusion: If you go into Spore expecting it to revolutionize everything that is gaming, you may find yourself somewhat disappointed. Getting past the hype, Spore is an ever changing game with a large amount of depth and replayability.
And so I'm off to conquer once again.
EDIT: To be clear, Play.com has had it in stock and ready to ship since at least Tuesday September 2 when I placed my order. If I ever get the chance to buy another game before street date, I will be more clear about how I got it so that everyone doesn't have to scream piracy. My thread previously got locked before I could defend myself from the comments. Sorry for the confusion.
It all began with a random cell in the primordial soup of life. I knew way ahead of time that I wanted a race of destructive and murderous beasts, and so they began to take shape. As I swam around eating bits of meat, killing enemies my size, and running from things many times greater than myself, I gained DNA and began to evolve. Before long, my creature was a single cell killing machine, equipped with spikes and jets to speed him up. I started eating the creatures that were previously much larger than me. My time in the ooze was brief, chaotic, and brutal. Soon, though, I gained a tiny brain.
With brain in skull, my creatures crawled on the land. Despite having very few parts, I was able to give my creatures legs and spikes. We established a nest, and being a race of violent creatures, it was then my goal to drive nearby species to extinction. In MMO fashion, I began to run one of my creatures around with a few abilities, wiping out everything I could. As I eliminated opponents, I gained new parts. Slowly, my creatures became more and more capable of genocidal hunting. My creatures migrated to a new nest, and I gained the capabilities to bring some other creatures along with the one I controlled. Nothing could stand in the way of our growing power and minds. Before I knew it, I had eliminated enough species to dominate the area.
Then the tribal stage sets in. The view changes, now looking and playing more like an RTS, my tribe begins its journey. I selected several units and learned how to kill creatures to feed my tribe. The game allowed me to customize my creatures outfits, making them even more suited to combat, and establish buildings or make more creatures using food. I built an axe hut, which were effective at killing enemy units, and equipped my units with the axes. No sooner did another tribe appear nearby. I had the choice to ally with them or kill them, and I chose to destroy them. I lead my small force of savages over to the camp and began the slaughter. With a triumphant victory under my belt, I felt confident in my destructive prowess. Suddenly, many other camps popped up around the continent. One by one, I wiped out each camp, gaining new technology like spears and torches and new outfit pieces each time. When I was the last remaining tribe, the age of civilization set in.
It was in full RTS mode now. By this point, the game also knew that I was raising a species of murderous monsters. To show its understanding, I was building military land vehicles instead of ones to spread religion. It also begins the time of full customization. Aside from all my vehicles, I was able to design my buildings to look as evil as possible. My new goal was to collect Spice (Dune anyone?) and use it to grow stronger. Other civilizations began to show up, and I immediately realized my new goal: destroy everything. I amassed a group of tanks and rolled towards the nearest enemy city, for the bastard had the nerve to take my Spice vent. Unprepared for my onslaught, the city's people scream with terror as it was razed. As more cities fell, I gained more technology. Boats allowed me to gain Spice vents in the water. Once I had unlocked planes, nobody stood a chance. I built as many houses as possible to maximize the amount of planes at my disposal. With a squadron of fighters in hand, the rest of the planet was only a formality to dominate. As I became the dictator of my homeworld, space set in. Everything changed.
After designing my space faring vessel, I learned to fly using my keyboard and mouse. It gives a great feeling to fly around the planets in my spacecraft. The planets are pretty big, but they still maintain the feeling that you're circling the globe while flying. Not long after I learned to pilot my ship, I was searching around other star systems. As I encountered other species, my first thought was, "Can I kill them?" The answer at the time was no. I learned that my newly space adapted race didn't have the technology to fight these advanced creatures head-on. I begrudgingly subjugated myself to grunt work to earn money and power. Their assignments ranged from collecting (abducting) samples of creatures and plants to killing infected creatures with my laser to investing strange signals. I learned the ways of space, gained allies, and established trade routes. I gained the knowledge of how to stabilize a planets atmosphere and establish new colonies. As my empire grew, so did my power. I began to employ the force I had so long desired to use. Entire planets bowed before my might. The space section was the deepest, most complicated, and also most rewarding section of the game.
Conclusion: If you go into Spore expecting it to revolutionize everything that is gaming, you may find yourself somewhat disappointed. Getting past the hype, Spore is an ever changing game with a large amount of depth and replayability.
And so I'm off to conquer once again.
