Spore is the latest creation from Maxis and Sims-creator Will Wright that has players taking a trip through different stages of evolution. This ‘massively single-player online game’ offers an interesting mix of real-time strategy, life simulation, and customization.
The game itself focuses on creatures’ evolution as players progress through five separate phases of gameplay, each with their own specific goals and stages. First is the cell phase, then the creature phase, followed by the tribal and civilization phases, and ending with the space phase.
Maxis and Wright have obviously put a lot of effort into making the game malleable. Editors litter the game throughout the different phases, allowing players to create and customize various aspects of the game. One editor, for instance, gives players the opportunity to make a creature from scratch; while another lets players fully design their own planet. These editors make it easy for players to personalize their own game; and plans are already underway to add more, such as a flora editor.
Spore’s main attraction is its user-based online community. Content is easily uploaded and shared with fellow players. Other players can then download any of this and add the content to their own Spore universe. A neat in-game feature called ‘My Sporepage’ gives players statistics on any of their downloaded creatures and how they are doing in another player’s Spore game (kind of like an alternate Spore universe for your creatures).
To make uploading your Spore experience even easier, Maxis has made it possible to record videos and upload them to YouTube all while playing the game. There is even a YouTube Spore community that will spotlight new and interesting videos uploaded by players. Maxis even allows players to subscribe to RSS feeds of others’ online accounts, making it easy to obtain real-time updates on another players’ uploaded content.
In addition to any creations, the game’s so-called Sporepedia (which tracks virtually every gameplay development and experience made) allows players to upload any and all of their entries for other players to see.
Spore is truly gaming evolved. The interesting and unusual premise coupled with the heavy influence of the online Spore community create a fun and customizable game that has a high degree of replayability.
Overall the game is a fun and intriguing attempt by Wright and Maxis, and certainly deserves a try. And the future only holds more promise as the inevitable inclusion of more and more content and players will only serve to better the game.
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