Spore Matches The Sims Launch Success - Almost
September 4th 2008 23:48
The reception that Spore has received has been a strange one. Most people are declaring that the game has not quite hit the mark, falling short of the all encompassing God machine that the frenzied fans envisaged through the pre-game build-up. Yet at the same time, the Metacritic score has managed to hit 88%. The general consensus seems to be that the sheer scope of the game is more extraordinary than anything that has been attempted, and that the mini games are amazingly addictive, yet the reviewers were left feeling slightly empty. Perhaps they started that way, being professional critics and all, but the reviews and scores need to be put into perspective. That perspective is easy to find.
It's an interesting comparison, seeing as Spore could be for the next ten years what The Sims has been for most of the last decade. We already saw the Creature Creator rocket to the top of the charts (the only thing not yet recreated in meaty hybrid form), and the likelyhood is that in the same way The Sims has dominated sales charts with add ons, so will Spore.
Check out some of the comparisons below... Ahh, the olden days.
IGN - Spore 90%
While Spore is an amazing product, it's just not quite an amazing game. I can't help but feel that Spore is ambitious and memorable, but I also admit that, save for the cool Space Stage, there's not a lot of depth here. Rookie gamers are going to feel at home here, but veteran gamers may feel like they need more.
The game isn't just addictive, it's downright dangerous.
GamePro - Spore 80%
Spore is a good game held back from greatness by a few flaws and gameplay mechanics that won't appeal to everyone. But there is plenty to like about the game and if you dig its particular style of open-ended gameplay, you'll definitely enjoy yourself.
GamePro - The Sims 100%
The uniqueness of the game, the sound, graphics and the ability to control a little Sim life hooked me almost immediately.
GameSpot - Spore 80%
Taken on their own, its pieces are nothing special. As parts of a singular ambitious vision, they work far better. Throw in the best customization tools seen in years and an enthusiastic community brimming with creativity, and you have a legitimately great game that will deliver hours of quality entertainment.
GameSpot - The Sime 91%
The Sims' actual gameplay is rather limited in some respects - either by odd inconsistencies or by actual restrictions placed on your actions.
EuroGamer - Spore 90%
We're all familiar with the innovative, web-aware customisation cloud that underpins Spore, but nobody's done it better (even though many now do it - apparently years after Maxis thought of doing it here) and the final game is proof that it was all worth it: you're all one big Designer, and Spore succeeds as much because of you and me as the many worlds scattered across the stars and the many ways we've been given to explore them.
EuroGamer - The Sims 90%
The lack of any real objectives becomes somewhat tedious after a while, but it is still hard not to recommend The Sims to everyone.
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