Ambitious 'Spore' has an appeal that grows on you
— -- For a game that's seven years in the making and more than a year past its planned launch, a lot is riding on Spore, the latest simulation from celebrated game designer Will Wright.
On one hand, publisher Electronic Arts shouldn't be concerned — Wright's last effort, The Sims (2000), a game about managing the lives of little people in a customizable home, went on to become the best-selling computer game series in history with more than 100 million units sold (including a major sequel and more than a dozen expansion packs).
But on the other hand, Spore, while one of the most ambitious and mesmerizing examples of interactive entertainment ever created, doesn't appear to have the same mainstream appeal as The Sims. That said, it's definitely a unique and engaging game that's extremely difficult to put down.
Available now for $49.99, and playable on Windows PCs and Macs, Spore might best be described as an evolution simulation. Your goal is to create a unique species from scratch and, through careful nurturing, interaction with other life forms, and development of new technologies, advance through five main stages, each of which plays out almost as a separate game.
Here's a quick look at each:
Cell stage:You control a teeny microorganism by navigating through a pond and consuming other cells in a primal survival of the fittest. You collect parts from other cells or from meteor fragments and use the DNA points to add new capabilities to your cell. This basic stage is designed to familiarize you with the controls and teach you how to add body parts and colors to your organism. This stage lasts less than an hour but you can replay it with another type of organism as much as you like.
Creature stage:Your cell will grow larger and larger and eventually sprout legs and lungs and venture onto dry land. Now you must explore your environment, hunt for food (you choose whether your creature is a carnivore or herbivore), collect new body parts and other items to design a faster or stronger creature and mate with other critters (don't worry, no "act" is seen, other than two creatures swooning underneath floating pink hearts). This stage might prove difficult for newbies, though. For instance, you might fail to impress other creatures enough by dancing or singing to get them to mate. It can take a while to reach the next stage by hunting alone.
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