Spore

Location: United States, Illinois
Age: 15
Time played: 50+ hours
Preferred Creature Type: Undecided

Obviously, a lot of people have already reviewed the core game of Spore. However, not many people have given a good insight as to how good a deal the Galactic Edition is.

So, the price of the GE is 80 US dollars while the standard edition is 50 US dollars, a difference of 30 dollars. Some might be saying, "Well that seems like a lot for a couple dvds and some art.", but the truth is that it's VERY much worth it.

Let's start off simple, with the un-boxing of the Galactic Edition. The first thing you may notice is that the case Spore comes in is relatively heavy, about 3 pounds to be exact. The case itself is made of tough and thick white plastic with sculpted designs all over it.

Once you've actually opened the box and checked out all the stuff inside this thing (An art book, full-color handbook, "The Making of Spore" DVD, "Building a Better Being" National Geographic special DVD, and a nifty poster. (Which you can find a picture of at the end of this review)

The Making of Spore

An in depth walkthrough of the development of Spore from the conceptual stages all the way up to the release. Such features include, the idea of as well as the name of Spore, the mechanics of the procedural generation, and the creative process of designing the Spore universe. It is indeed a very interesting DVD and anyone who is interested in learning the back story of Spore will certainly enjoy watching it. Also, one other interesting note... look for Spore the musical sometime in the future.

Building a Better Being

This National Geographic Special is NOT about Spore, merely it features Spore, instead it is about the evolution in various different species of animals and the DNA similarities between them. Don't think, however, that Will Wright is no where to be found, in fact he is on the screen about 90% of the time. If you enjoy biology and want to learn some things you may not have ever known, such as... the similarity between jaw muscle strength and brain size, then this DVD will intrigue you.

The Art Booklet

I personally think this is one of the cooler things in the whole GE collection. Set up in a linear fashion from the cell to space phase. This booklet contains concept art, game shots, rendered images, and captions explaining a lot of the creation and process in building the art in Spore. You could spend a few hours flipping pages through this thing and never get bored.

The Galactic Handbook

Much like a miniature version of the Prima Guide, this handbook contains all the information you would need to successfully manage your intergalactic race, and more! Complete with full color images and subtle humor, this handbook provides an entertaining and informative read.

Now... for the core game.

Spore

Considering the length of time most of us have been waiting to get our hands on this masterpiece, it is unfortunate how many people feel that the game isn't what they expected. I say this because Spore provides exactly what it promised, a colorful palette for any creative person to go about and roam the galaxy at their leisure.

The humorous cut-scenes and downright entertaining gameplay provide hours of fun and enjoyment. The numerous editors give anyone the ability to create just about whatever they want.

Obviously, and unfortunately at that, Spore is not perfect. My complaints would are relatively simple. Spore lacks a real depth, and by that I mean that all the stages are spread too thin. The first four stages are more like stepping stones on your way to the real meat of the game, which is the space stage.

Now, as of the writing of this review, many people have noticed a serious problem relating to the occurrence of pirate and enemy attacks on their home planets. I will not consider this in my score as this issue, along with the lack of an auto-save, can easily be solved in a future patch.

Those that feel Spore disappoints are simply the victims of a heavily overhyped game. Being that Spore was the first of it's kind it was inevitable that there would be problems involving gameplay or story, and yet Spore still manages to satisfy so well.

The Score

Spore Core Game

Overall: 9.5/10

The unfortunate gameplay issues are really the only thing that drags Spore down from the pedestal of perfection.

Spore Galactic Edition

Overall: 10/10

The awesome art booklet, interesting DVD's, and down right cool poster, tips the weight of an extra 30 dollars. This is a must buy for any true Spore fan.

Oh.... the poster picture... hehe...


(Yes, unfortunately for the time being it's a crappy cell phone picture )

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"Where were you September 7th at 12:00 a.m.?"

Your promoting worked! Great review BTW!

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Full Avatar-Thanks ParoM

I was going to buy the GE, but I ended up not, now I want it.... Great review.

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(NEW EGG) Click pl0x

great review, written exactly my thoughts of the game!