"Spore" Review (PC)

The Bottom Line: Creative gamers looking for a toy box to build their wildest dreams of cities, worlds, and creatures do not need to look any further. "Spore" offers hours upon hours of game time for those who want to put in the time into making custom creations. Don't look to "Spore" for in-depth play that takes hours to master. Each of the stages are fun in their way right and quick to master.

Cons:

• No auto-save
• Simplistic for regular gamers

Pros:

• Quick to learn, everyone can play!
• Incredible animations
• Custom content is easy to share/download
• Excellent tools for making custom content
• Accessible for non-gamers

• Take your creature through 5 stages of growth - Cell, Creature, Tribal, Civilization, and Space.
• Build a creature using "Spore's" 3D tools for its body, arms, legs, head, and more!
• Will your creature dominate the "Spore" world through peaceful or hostile ways? You choose!
• Download and share creatures through the in-game Sporepedia.
• "Spore" gives you the editors to design buildings and spaceships in any style you want.
• Make friends or enemies with creatures living on your planet.
• Exploration other galaxies and take on missions once you unlock the Space stage.

"Spore" follows the evolution of a creature from the cell stage to a space stage where the creature has the ability to conquer planets through war or peaceful ways. The cell stage is primitive, similar to what you would expect from a Flash game. Your job is to feed your creature by swimming around in water all while avoiding being eaten. The cell will evolve several times during the stage, each time giving you the opportunity to add or remove body parts. It's a fun little stage, that ends just before boredom starts to start.

Repetitious play continues into the later stages. The second stage, the Creature stage, is the time when your creature will physically change. DNA points are used to add arms, legs, weapons, mouths, and other body parts. The points are earned by making friends or eating the enemy. Cool the first few times, afterwards it's a chore.

The tribal and civilization stages are the same way. Fun to explore, but after a bit you find how simplistic the play really is. The tribal stage has you in control of a small group of creatures (no one creature in particular like the Creature stage). You direct your creatures to make friends and enemies and to start to build up the tribe enough to become a civilization. At the Tribe stage gathering good, having babies, and continuing to interact with other creatures is what it's all about.

Next on the agenda is to control a Civilization. Now is where the game starts to add more depth. You will build cities, create your first vehicle, and start managing money. The planet is yours for the taking! Aim for world domination through war or peaceful ways, even buying them out. Play is similar to "Sid Meier's Civilization." Build cities and conquer other civilizations by buying them out or waging war. Domination through war is the easiest way to controlling the war. Being aggressive and fighting is the easiest way to win over neighboring creatures and move onto my favorite stage - the Space Stage. The "Spore" universe is at your disposable.