Post by Number4429 on Apr 14, 2012 21:51:42 GMT -5
Note: I grade games on a point scale. Each idea I bring up is worth up to 5 points (either negative or positive), and is listed before each idea. The game will begin at a 0 score.
So I spent a long time hating Spore. I hated the way the game was initially being sold, and decided to abstain from the game entirely. This all changed last night. Let me tell you why this is the greatest game of all time.
----Pros----
1. (+2) The game's difficulty scales pretty well. Normal isn't that hard, easy is easy as shit, and the hard mode is actually a bit difficult.
2. (+4) Customization. The game is basically built around this idea. If you want to have a race of warrior space monkey's that take over the universe, do it. If you want to have a race of peaceful unicorns who spread love across the galaxy and unite all the species, propelling the universe into an age of infinite peace, do it.
3. (+2) The play time is actually pretty good. I am a completionist, so the time may be a little bit skewed, but so far I've collected every part and upgrade to my species. After 6 hours, I'm only in the third stage of species evolution (tribal).
4. (+1) Tutorial. The Tutorial is integrated perfectly
----Cons----
1. (-2)Gameplay changes. In cell stage, you begin as, well, a small "cell". Your goal is to grow, it's that simple. The game play is as easy as pointing in the direction you want to move. After this, a small transition to the migratory stage (I forget the actual name of this stage, but you're a land species now, and you travel from nest to nest over time). The game plays slightly like an RPG, your goals are simple, befriend or kill other species to grow your brain. Evolve your species to help it fight/befriend and survive. You get skills based on what new "parts" you put onto your creature at the cost of DNA points (which work like money/experience points). However, at the end of this stage the game shifts to an RTS. This wouldn't bother me, except that it removes the entire first portion of the game's skills. While I understand the need to do this (it only makes sense honestly), I would have liked some of the developed abilities to have stayed within the further stages, or at least slowly phased out. In the migratory stage my species was very strong at combat, and very stealthy. I was able to invade other nests undetected, and then slaughter the species with little to no effort. In the tribal stage, however, all the developed abilities were put into an "autopilot" mode, so the strongest combination I had developed (Charge, smash, bite), was replaced by my troops stealthily marching in, and then stabbing people with spears, only using my charge ability randomly, and not using my Smash or Bite ability at all.
2. (-1) Tutorial. Each stage of species growth has it's own tutorial. Normally this wouldn't be that big of a problem. However this becomes annoying as in each stage, almost everything you learned in your previous stage of existence is rendered worthless. I spent a decent amount of time developing my skills in the migratory stage, only to never need those skills again.
Overall Score: +6. I suggest trying this game out as soon as you get a chance.
So I spent a long time hating Spore. I hated the way the game was initially being sold, and decided to abstain from the game entirely. This all changed last night. Let me tell you why this is the greatest game of all time.
----Pros----
1. (+2) The game's difficulty scales pretty well. Normal isn't that hard, easy is easy as shit, and the hard mode is actually a bit difficult.
2. (+4) Customization. The game is basically built around this idea. If you want to have a race of warrior space monkey's that take over the universe, do it. If you want to have a race of peaceful unicorns who spread love across the galaxy and unite all the species, propelling the universe into an age of infinite peace, do it.
3. (+2) The play time is actually pretty good. I am a completionist, so the time may be a little bit skewed, but so far I've collected every part and upgrade to my species. After 6 hours, I'm only in the third stage of species evolution (tribal).
4. (+1) Tutorial. The Tutorial is integrated perfectly
----Cons----
1. (-2)Gameplay changes. In cell stage, you begin as, well, a small "cell". Your goal is to grow, it's that simple. The game play is as easy as pointing in the direction you want to move. After this, a small transition to the migratory stage (I forget the actual name of this stage, but you're a land species now, and you travel from nest to nest over time). The game plays slightly like an RPG, your goals are simple, befriend or kill other species to grow your brain. Evolve your species to help it fight/befriend and survive. You get skills based on what new "parts" you put onto your creature at the cost of DNA points (which work like money/experience points). However, at the end of this stage the game shifts to an RTS. This wouldn't bother me, except that it removes the entire first portion of the game's skills. While I understand the need to do this (it only makes sense honestly), I would have liked some of the developed abilities to have stayed within the further stages, or at least slowly phased out. In the migratory stage my species was very strong at combat, and very stealthy. I was able to invade other nests undetected, and then slaughter the species with little to no effort. In the tribal stage, however, all the developed abilities were put into an "autopilot" mode, so the strongest combination I had developed (Charge, smash, bite), was replaced by my troops stealthily marching in, and then stabbing people with spears, only using my charge ability randomly, and not using my Smash or Bite ability at all.
2. (-1) Tutorial. Each stage of species growth has it's own tutorial. Normally this wouldn't be that big of a problem. However this becomes annoying as in each stage, almost everything you learned in your previous stage of existence is rendered worthless. I spent a decent amount of time developing my skills in the migratory stage, only to never need those skills again.
Overall Score: +6. I suggest trying this game out as soon as you get a chance.
