Spore is a game which spored lots of hype over the years as its completion was due many started to resent the ride. Was spore worth it? Trent Petronaitis picks up the PC and DS version and gives them both a whirl.
Spore was announced like all games these days, a big bang at E3. Something which gamers these days have long forgotten – Spore the last big announcement from E3 which seemed that it could offer more, be more and capture everyone. Just like The Sims without been a overrated minigame festation like most games to come out of development since the beginning of the this generation.
The games promise seemed alright enough for everyone to keep a big eye on the game. The idea of moving your own creation through a cellular stage then all the way to a space conquer seemed like a good idea at the time. It seemed nothing could go wrong with the design and everyone was anticipating the release of Spore.
Spore was released with three versions – more to come of course, but for now the release contained the strong arm PC game – everything and anything spore was going to ever be. Followed by a Nintendo DS version – a cut down game which had a Animal Crossing feel to it. Finally just the Cell Stage for Mobile Phone users.
Spore had a few problems at launch, from EA’s piracy controls and protection on the disk to the fact the game dam right was to over-hyped.
My experience with Spore for the PC was a fun one at times, but at other times it was very restrictive, many things I thought where going to be included in the game seemed missing. I find out later that these features are going to be released as expansion packs. Waiting for them I find that the first one was already out – just a simple skin pack. Instead of ones which bring the features the game should of had.
The Sims felt so fresh because of the fact that it seemed like nothing more could be done. To an extent you could wish that you could go down town etc. But these features were not ones which seemed like they should have been included to start of with. With The Sims feeling like it was just a house and a sim family, nothing more – and of course defiantly nothing more could complete that perfect goal. The expansions made the game better, the experience crisper and the game more open ended.
But with Spore for the PC as you go through the various stages of the game, you notice that it has lots of identity crises throughout the game. What does the game want to be? With each stage having a different concept and in the end could be sold as one game each (DS and Mobile versions) and still feel quite finished.
The identity crisis isn’t the only thing which makes Spore and the future expansion packs feel rushed and unpolished. Earlier I mentioned many features should of been included, but were not, or most areas were too restrictive. Those things of course will be finished up in expansion packs at the end of the day. But the game wouldn’t need them as much if the game was 100%. While the wait was tough for most only because of the hype – the end product feels worse than most games to date.
The stages in the game don’t feel right when presented in one big package with everything you learn from the past stage been thrown out the window in the next. In the earlier stages it was entering a peek, the best stage was the civilisation stage and tribal stage. These stages both slightly simular, but at the same time, both with the concept of either concur or destroy. The game rapping itself around basic principles of games such as Age of Empires and to an extent Animal Crossing or Unreal Tournament (the nodes you control in the civilisation stage to mine stuff).
Spore then started to fall into a deep hole, with the space age feeling like a text adventure with the little interaction you got to land or other creatures. High in a space ship, the only cool thing was teraforming, but even then very restrictive to what you can do. Depending on the missions you have to do – to advance and finish the final frontier – space. A disappointment for those who have played the game so far and a big slap in the face when you can’t change anything anymore.
Besides the stages bad design and sometimes repetitive nature. The game featured some very interesting concepts which should have been expanded on in the original package.
The game featured if you chose to mind you – some very interesting social aspects. Most of the time you would be forced to eat others to advance if you took the route of the carnivore. You could if you choose to, dance and talk. In later stages you could also play music to please the other tribe.
These social aspects could be just be thrown out the window as well – with the end goal in the civilisation (industrial?) age. Your goal is to expand over the world. You could take two routes, either keep trading with a nation then you have the chance to buy them (or they join you) or you can blow the living shit out of them. The end result is always you’re going to have to attack the other nations. With the social trading route, while interesting – it’s never going to make you advance if you want to finish that stage in a few days.
While the social aspects are broken (or are we really all blood thirsty creatures?) in the PC version. The Nintendo DS version which is set before tribal influence or any other civilisation pact seems to be all about socialising. While at times you do have to go out of your way to destroy a creature. It seems to be all about creating friendships with other creatures.
Though the DS version seems to be broken again in the regard of controls. The PC version has an open ended range of controls thanks to the trusty keyboard. But the Nintendo DS version thanks to EA’s design choice is restricted to a broken touch screen controls. Both for fighting and socialising.
Music isn’t really that promint in the DS version with the tracks been ones which just disappear after awhile with no lasting effect. The PC version when music is included is very ‘epic’ if you want to use that word – though is lacking with the over all game.
Score: So-So
Spore seems the be the game which wants to be the best. Trying to be as good or better than The Sims while been a totally different game. EA seemed to have developed a game which wants to kill their own line up. Even though it’s their own I.P it’s the type of game which wants to push The Sims out – no matter how unreleased the game is. This is Spores down fall.
Spore on both the Nintendo DS and PC and Mobile is a very broken game. A broken game which is enjoyable to play every now and again. But wont be something which takes control of the market. It’s identity issues which the game has developed will make casuals not want it because of the learning curve (even though it is very easy to master once you understand the game – it still is a bit tricky if you don’t know what you are doing) – created by the many game types trying to be one big game of Spore.
Spore could have been more fun and longer lasting even in its current state if it was polished much more than what it is now. As well as adding in the features which expansion packs will only add what should have been included to begin with.
The biggest down fall for Spore – The Space Age, it was an interesting experience to get to that point. But the Space Age was the biggest one which through everything out of the window. Something more could have been developed for the space age. Instead of what the age is now, something more interesting such as a mix of civilisation and tribal stages but in space could have worked well. The front on attacks and relations with other planets – as well as traforming could have been a winning combination.