Spore galore - Gamespy Review 4.5/5

Hello and welcome to Spore Thread 1005 - I will be your lecturer.

Please turn to the Gamespy Review below. There you will see the game has been rated 4.5 stars out of five.

You are to now discuss with the person next to you what you think of this review and whether you are going to get the game.

http://au.pc.gamespy.com/pc/spore/907564p1.html

I don't think it'll score 10 here.aliblabla2007

It got 8.0. Yeesh.

[QUOTE="aliblabla2007"]I don't think it'll score 10 here.biggest_loser

It got 8.0. Yeesh.

By comparison, Gears of War and Oblivion got 9.6.

I think we can safely stamp out any respect we ever had for GS's review staff.

Dissapointment or not? Score-wise on gamespot ( since I haven't played the game yet) I'd answer with a big fat yes.

[QUOTE="biggest_loser"]

[QUOTE="aliblabla2007"]I don't think it'll score 10 here.aliblabla2007

It got 8.0. Yeesh.

By comparison, Gears of War and Oblivion got 9.6.

I think we can safely stamp out any respect we ever had for GS's review staff.

Oblivion got great reviews world-wide. Spore did not, even if the reviews will probably be positive.

why? just becoz a site doesn't rate your fav game the way you want? com'on, you don't want to be that petty..... Jinroh_basic

I'd like you to tell me where I said Spore is my favourite game or where I said it's "just" because they rated some games higher than this.

what are you trying to prove then by undermining, specifically i might add, Gears of War and Oblivion?

but meh, it's not my business. can't be bothered by how people are getting pissed.

My point was that GS doesn't seem to follow a very consistent standard for reviewing and scoring games.

One of the complaints for Spore was that it wasn't deep enough (or that individual gameplay elements in the game were too simple). Yet Gears of War and Oblivion can receive extraordinarily high scores when both of them are stupidly shallow.

My point was that GS doesn't seem to follow a very consistent standard for reviewing and scoring games.

One of the complaints for Spore was that it wasn't deep enough (or that individual gameplay elements in the game were too simple). Yet Gears of War and Oblivion can receive extraordinarily high scores when both of them are stupidly shallow.

aliblabla2007

Oblivion was not shallow gameplay-wise at all, in my opinion.

Spore reviews have been something of confusion for me, the game scores right near the top but people react like it is doing badly.AnnoyedDragon

Some people on this forum predicted that this was one of the PC major titles to challenge for GOTY and some thought it might even get 10/10! Thats a long way from 8.0..

[QUOTE="aliblabla2007"]

My point was that GS doesn't seem to follow a very consistent standard for reviewing and scoring games.

One of the complaints for Spore was that it wasn't deep enough (or that individual gameplay elements in the game were too simple). Yet Gears of War and Oblivion can receive extraordinarily high scores when both of them are stupidly shallow.

vlin1108

Oblivion was not shallow gameplay-wise at all, in my opinion.

I'm not going to type out a giant essay or start a huge argument to prove you wrong, but I'll wait for RobbieH1234 to come along and do that.

I'm just going to link you this review and let you come to your own conclusions about it.

My point was that GS doesn't seem to follow a very consistent standard for reviewing and scoring games.

One of the complaints for Spore was that it wasn't deep enough (or that individual gameplay elements in the game were too simple). Yet Gears of War and Oblivion can receive extraordinarily high scores when both of them are stupidly shallow.

aliblabla2007

The conclusion he reaches doesn't seem to fit the rest of the text.

Some people on this forum predicted that this was one of the PC major titles to challenge for GOTY and some thought it might even get 10/10! Thats a long way from 8.0..

biggest_loser

People forget Spore is a casual game, GameSpot's main complaint was the game play elements were simple, people expecting a core RTS/Action/etc. experience shouldn't have applied in the first place. Even all the way back in the very first Spore presentation, Will Wright specifically said these elements wouldn't be complex.

im not a massive pc gamer but I picked it up today, havent played much but I thought it would get atleast 9 but ah wellbigLLL

I expect a full review on my desk immediately!

I like your user name btw....yes....quite impressive.

why do we need another 'spore got *** score' thread? you could have just posted this on the other one. :?JnWycliffe

No I could not have. My competitive nature demands that we get the highest number of posts!

Row men! Faster I say! Yah Yah!

Apologies to Ben Hur.

I've played it until the third stage (tribe), and I say it's bloody brilliant. Your herd even migrates when you are in the creature stage! Until now it deserves a big fat 11/10.

I don't get it why Kevin V. didn't like the cell stage. It's very atmospheric and... pretty scary when you encounter a giant monster, or when you see what atrocities lurk in the background. I played Fl0w, but this is an evolved version, with much more personality.

People forget Spore is a casual game, GameSpot's main complaint was the game play elements were simple, people expecting a core RTS/Action/etc. experience shouldn't have applied in the first place. Even all the way back in the very first Spore presentation, Will Wright specifically said these elements wouldn't be complex.

AnnoyedDragon

I don't care what those so-called "professional" reviewers have to say (especially those who rate Oblivion higher than Torment and BGs), BUT, the Sims games are also causal games; giving Spore a 8.0 means that it's actually worse than The Sims 2 as a causal game.

as for gamers' false expectations...that happens all the time, oftentime many people just don't do enough research before they jump onto playing. historical examples: the complaining of DnD rules and combat of BG series.

I don't care what those so-called "professional" reviewers have to say (especially those who rate Oblivion higher than Torment and BGs), BUT, the Sims games are also causal games; giving Spore a 8.0 means that it's actually worse than The Sims 2 as a causal game.

as for gamers' false expectations...that happens all the time, oftentime many people just don't do enough research before they jump onto playing. historical examples: the complaining of DnD rules and combat of BG series.

teardropmina

Keep in mind GameSpot gave it an 8, most other sites are giving it in the low to mid 9s.

It just feels like the people complaining about Spore went into it with the wrong expectations. Spore was never promoted as a hardcore action or RTS game, people are complaining it isn't as complex as game genre X when Will Wright's intent was just to take x% of the core experience provided by the genres.

It is the reason I created that other thread, I get the feeling Spore has been in development for so long people have forgotten the plot of what the game is supposed to be. If people are going into it expecting a Diablo from the creature stage, a Starcraft from tribal and a Civilisation IV from the civ stage, their wrongly placed expectations will affect their score.

Jack of all trades; master of none, that is what people are calling the game. Well if they took the time to actually read up on the game they would know it isn't trying to be all these genres at once. By all means if you don't like Spore then say so, but say so from an informed position; not because you were expecting something Spore never promised.

Fallout 1/2 are the worst FPS games ever, right guys? Remember that joke? It's all a matter of your expectations when you approach a game.

Spore reviews have been something of confusion for me, the game scores right near the top but people react like it is doing badly.AnnoyedDragon

The devs of this game pulled another "Bioshock" on everyone. Supposedly Spore was going to lead us to the promise land, feed us cookies, and be the best gaming experience ever. 8.0 isn't BAD but it is far from what was expected of the game. I don't think the game was overhyped, because the makers of the game contributed to the hype, I simply think the game did not deliver.

I don't think it'll score 10 here.aliblabla2007

And? Is a 10 a pre-requisite for buying a game these days?

The devs of this game pulled another "Bioshock" on everyone. Supposedly Spore was going to lead us to the promise land, feed us cookies, and be the best gaming experience ever. 8.0 isn't BAD but it is far from what was expected of the game. I don't think the game was overhyped, because the makers of the game contributed to the hype, I simply think the game did not deliver.

fatzebra

What? I have been tracking the game since it was first shown at GDC, the only people who set the game up that way are over hyped fans. So far I haven't heard anything I didn't already expect from the game, people seem to be reacting to claims and expectations I never heard of.

Why is everyone reacting to GameSpot's score more than others reviews; every other site is giving it in the 9/10 range. GameSpot's reviewers don't hold more authority than other review sites.

[QUOTE="AnnoyedDragon"]Spore reviews have been something of confusion for me, the game scores right near the top but people react like it is doing badly.fatzebra

The devs of this game pulled another "Bioshock" on everyone. Supposedly Spore was going to lead us to the promise land, feed us cookies, and be the best gaming experience ever. 8.0 isn't BAD but it is far from what was expected of the game. I don't think the game was overhyped, because the makers of the game contributed to the hype, I simply think the game did not deliver.

Bioshock has nothing to do with this. Have you even played Spore yet? Other critics are giving it 9/10.

[QUOTE="aliblabla2007"]I don't think it'll score 10 here.Johnny_Rock

And? Is a 10 a pre-requisite for buying a game these days?

Way to overreact by putting words in my mouth and jumping to conclusions.

I never said that. I was merely stating it because people were starting to predict 10s for Spore after the GTAIV and MGS4 reviews.

[QUOTE="Johnny_Rock"]

[QUOTE="aliblabla2007"]I don't think it'll score 10 here.aliblabla2007

And? Is a 10 a pre-requisite for buying a game these days?

Way to overreact by putting words in my mouth and jumping to conclusions.

I never said that. I was merely stating it because people were starting to predict 10s for Spore after the GTAIV and MGS4 reviews.

Then be clearer with your statements in the future.

[QUOTE="aliblabla2007"][QUOTE="biggest_loser"]

[QUOTE="aliblabla2007"]I don't think it'll score 10 here.vlin1108

It got 8.0. Yeesh.

By comparison, Gears of War and Oblivion got 9.6.

I think we can safely stamp out any respect we ever had for GS's review staff.

Oblivion got great reviews world-wide. Spore did not, even if the reviews will probably be positive.

The metacritic average is 9.2? that is good scores worldwide.

Then be clearer with your statements in the future.

Johnny_Rock

And you avoid jumping to conclusions from vague statements, k?

[QUOTE="Johnny_Rock"]

Then be clearer with your statements in the future.

aliblabla2007

And you avoid jumping to conclusions from vague statements, k?

I've highlighted the problem. Stop making vague statements and people won't jump to conclusions. This isn't a hard concept.

Bear in mind I haven't played the full game, just Creature Creator.

That being said, seems like Spore would be a pretty crappy game were it not for the creation tools. Granted, that's pretty much the entire point of the game, but it could have been a lot better had they spent more time on the individual aspects of the gameplay.

For the casual crowd, Spore seems like a solid game. For veteran strategy gamers, it's probably going to fall flat on its face.

Bear in mind I haven't played the full game, just Creature Creator.

That being said, seems like Spore would be a pretty crappy game were it not for the creation tools. Granted, that's pretty much the entire point of the game, but it could have been a lot better had they spent more time on the individual aspects of the gameplay.

For the casual crowd, Spore seems like a solid game. For veteran strategy gamers, it's probably going to fall flat on its face.

zomglolcats

I think thats a really harsh call to say that its going to fall flat on its face if they have completely acknowledged the fact that they intended this game to be 'lite' in terms of playability because it is intended for the casual gamer.

Like imagine if you compared the strategy elements of Spore to Company of Heroes.

[QUOTE="teardropmina"]

I don't care what those so-called "professional" reviewers have to say (especially those who rate Oblivion higher than Torment and BGs), BUT, the Sims games are also causal games; giving Spore a 8.0 means that it's actually worse than The Sims 2 as a causal game.

as for gamers' false expectations...that happens all the time, oftentime many people just don't do enough research before they jump onto playing. historical examples: the complaining of DnD rules and combat of BG series.

AnnoyedDragon

Keep in mind GameSpot gave it an 8, most other sites are giving it in the low to mid 9s.

It just feels like the people complaining about Spore went into it with the wrong expectations. Spore was never promoted as a hardcore action or RTS game, people are complaining it isn't as complex as game genre X when Will Wright's intent was just to take x% of the core experience provided by the genres.

It is the reason I created that other thread, I get the feeling Spore has been in development for so long people have forgotten the plot of what the game is supposed to be. If people are going into it expecting a Diablo from the creature stage, a Starcraft from tribal and a Civilisation IV from the civ stage, their wrongly placed expectations will affect their score.

Jack of all trades; master of none, that is what people are calling the game. Well if they took the time to actually read up on the game they would know it isn't trying to be all these genres at once. By all means if you don't like Spore then say so, but say so from an informed position; not because you were expecting something Spore never promised.

Fallout 1/2 are the worst FPS games ever, right guys? Remember that joke? It's all a matter of your expectations when you approach a game.

Sure, Spore is casual, if Spore gameplay doesn't really excel in any genre, well then what does that mean? You can label a game casual all you want, but if none of the gameplay features are compelling aside from the Creature Creator aspect, then the devs messed up. I don't think anybody was expecting HARDCORE strategy, etc. from Spore. But I mean really, one of the stages of the game (forget what it is called)... only 3 vehicle types? That's a little... lackluster. There's a difference between casual and boring.

[QUOTE="zomglolcats"]

Bear in mind I haven't played the full game, just Creature Creator.

That being said, seems like Spore would be a pretty crappy game were it not for the creation tools. Granted, that's pretty much the entire point of the game, but it could have been a lot better had they spent more time on the individual aspects of the gameplay.

For the casual crowd, Spore seems like a solid game. For veteran strategy gamers, it's probably going to fall flat on its face.

biggest_loser

I think thats a really harsh call to say that its going to fall flat on its face if they have completely acknowledged the fact that they intended this game to be 'lite' in terms of playability because it is intended for the casual gamer.

Like imagine if you compared the strategy elements of Spore to Company of Heroes.

Bear in mind I said "veteran strategy gamers". I really imagine die-hard Civ 4 fans are going to be totally put off by Spore. That doesn't mean it's BAD, just that that specific demographic is not going to like the game.

[QUOTE="fatzebra"]

The devs of this game pulled another "Bioshock" on everyone. Supposedly Spore was going to lead us to the promise land, feed us cookies, and be the best gaming experience ever. 8.0 isn't BAD but it is far from what was expected of the game. I don't think the game was overhyped, because the makers of the game contributed to the hype, I simply think the game did not deliver.

AnnoyedDragon

What? I have been tracking the game since it was first shown at GDC, the only people who set the game up that way are over hyped fans. So far I haven't heard anything I didn't already expect from the game, people seem to be reacting to claims and expectations I never heard of.

Why is everyone reacting to GameSpot's score more than others reviews; every other site is giving it in the 9/10 range. GameSpot's reviewers don't hold more authority than other review sites.

It's not really the scores though. Sure, other sites might be giving it 9's, but they all are pretty much agreeing that the gameplay aspects are bit simplistic. Not saying that is necessarily bad, just that some gamers might rather play a round of Civ 4 or Sins of a Solar Empire. Totally depends on the type of gamer. Although it is rather close-minded I think for people to outright dismiss the game based on a couple of reviews and not trying it for themselves to see if they find it enjoyable.

They really need to release a demo of the ACTUAL game, not just the Creature Creator. That would let people decide for themselves and not fear risking money on a dud.

why? just becoz a site doesn't rate your fav game the way you want? com'on, you don't want to be that petty..... Jinroh_basic

No, because GoW is a dumb game and it scored a 9.6. That hurts your credibility.

We have ground to make up men! The other thread has more posts than us!

Spore! Get into it!!

spore must be horrible if a game like GTA4 can get a 10 :?

EDIT: heck, any game under a 9 must be bad, really i was dissapointed by GTA4 (and it being the first one i played should have given it a bigger chance with me cause i've heard the past ones are better). at least, i can expect not to be dissapointed with spore. since it has a low score, i wont hype it as much, thus i can love it more cause i wont expect the perfection or even close to perfection that a 10 promises me.