Evolution and creativity

SPORE is a game from Maxis and distributed by electronic arts. It retails for about $30-$50 depending on where you shop.

Presentation: The overall look and feel of the game is kept constant and overall and generally enjoyable. I thought that some of the different stages could have used a little more visual flair and better sound effects. The game is basically like five miniature games built into one. Control scheme is accessible to just about any kind of player with just about any kind of limitations. This is not a game for hard-core players but it is more for players that just want to mess around and create things while having some fun. (7of9 Tails. it gets its point across but could have been done a little better in my opinion.)

Graphics: The graphics are decent but nothing spectacular or revolutionary. they seem to fit the overall feel of the game but may come off as a little bit too cute for some gamers. I do not think that the animations were that vary for such a game that emphasizes customizability. The customizability options are varied enough to create most of what you want but I think it was somewhat lacking in the texture department. (7of9. It has good graphics but nowhere near spectacular.)

Sound: the sounds are pretty generic in my opinion and seemed to have had the least amount of effort poured into them. Nothing really caught my ear or was even particularly that interesting. The music is nothing to write home about and seems to be not that greatly thought out. (5of9. They just did not put that much effort into the score and thus deserve a low score for this category.)

Replayability: if you enjoy making countless creations of different species, buildings and ships this game will keep you occupied for quite a while. The more hard-core gamers might get bored with this game quickly and look elsewhere for entertainment. This game is not worth more casual relaxation and killing some time while having fun. I just don't think this game has enough to keep the majority of gamers actually busy with high interest but it is still a good game. (7of9. Unless you like to create this game will not be played that often or enjoyed as much.)

Controls: the controls are extremely simplified and can be effectively used with only the mouse to do just about everything. It's a very enjoyable control scheme and is extremely accessible to people with limited mobility and the need for switch interface controls. As simple as the controls are I think they fit the game and are an actual strength of the game. (9of9 tails.)

Closing comments: for many many years this game was overhyped and supposed to be one of the greatest games ever created. With all the DRM and asinine activation restrictions it really hurt the sales of this game. although it sold decently would have sold a lot better if these asinine restrictions had not existed to begin with. Overall it's a good game for casual gamers that will not keep most hard-core gamers interest more than a few days. if you want something that's good for killing time and creating objects you should definitely check this out. (6of9 Tails. It could have been much better in a lot of ways but still an average game worth checking out.)