Spore: Gaming Evolved
Spore is the newest computer game to come from Will Wright and Maxis. The game itself allows players to play through the evolution of creatures from their primordial origins to their ascent into space. The so-called ‘massively single-player online game’ is a vastly open-ended game with seemingly limitless possibilities for expansion and customization.
The game forces players through five phases, each more difficult and larger in scope than the last: cell, creature, tribal, civilization, and space. Gameplay varies from phase to phase, with each one containing its own sets of objectives and stages.
One of Spore’s main attractions is its level of personalization and customization. Throughout the different phases players are met with ‘editors’. These editors allow players to create different things- like a creature, building, home, spaceship and even a planet- depending on the phase the player is in. The result is a large degree of customization for each individual player’s game.
Where Spore really shines is with its player-based community. The high level of user-created content is easily uploaded and shared with other Spore players. Other players’ creatures, for instance, can be easily downloaded and added to their game. In fact, the in-game ‘Sporepage’ gives players stats on how their downloaded creatures are living in other Spore universes.
Players can easily record videos in-game, and a Spore YouTube community is already setup to allow easy posting, sharing and spotlighting. RSS feeds are also being implemented as a means to keep the community interactive. Some RSS feeds, for example, exist for certain players so that community subscribers can have up-to-date information regarding a specific players’ uploaded content.
The game also tracks every experience the player undergoes during their gameplay through an in-game Sporepedia, which players can upload to the online community as well.
Maxis and Wright have truly tried to make a progressive game. It is a real-time strategy game, for sure, but it also a god game, a role-playing game, and life simulator. The different phases of the game hold the potential for vastly different gameplay and objections, making the overall experience far from boring.
The game is a treat for the senses and will only become better as the Spore community inevitably grows and, with it, the amount of downloadable content. The game’s success will surely be measured by the participation in the online community, but if these initial first weeks have been any indication, the game will most likely become a popular mainstay.
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