Will Wright's Greatest Success

Spore is without a doubt the best game I have played all year.

This is my conclusion after finally reaching the space stage (the last of the 5 stages in the game which act to separate the different game types within Spore) and dinking around a little bit.

I had fun with the first four stages. I enjoyed fighting for survival as a cell. I had a very good time watching the little beast I made evolve under my careful guidance in the creature stage. I felt a swell of pride as my little monsters united together and routed the other beasts from the continent in the tribal stage. I had a glorious time seeing my handcrafted empire take over the planet in the civilization stage.

In short I had a very good time with the first four stages of the game, and I would have felt my $50 purchase was worth the money I spent had the game ended there.

But then space stage came along.

In the hour that I have played the space stage, I have had more genuine fun than I've had in the last three weeks combined.

The way the galaxy is presented; how massive and ready-to-be-explored it feels. Combine this feeling of new discovery with a bond with my avatar stronger than any Final Fantasy could ever hope to accomplish. Well, let's just say it's a damn good time.

What excites me most of all is that this is a game my parents, or some little kids could play and get the same enjoyment out of. It's not complicated, at least not until the space stage, and each of the stages prepares you for the next. Top this off with the ability to create an avatar that emotionally invests the player to the game intrinsically, and these people who don't play games will find themselves losing track of time as they watch their little creation live out its destiny.

I recommend Spore to anyone and everyone, and encourage everyone who has it to show it off to as many people as possible.