Not perfectly executed, but so incredibly original that it has to be adored.
I'll start off by agreeing with most people that the game can become repetitive, is extremely easy, and has rather uninspiring gameplay. However, this games deserves at least a 8 even from the most critical standpoints.
To answer the complaints above the game is not made for hardcore gamers, it is designed to be a very family friendly game. I think over the years gamers have become very elitist and seem to think of themselves as better then casual gamers. Just think back to Wright's brainchild; The Sims. The gameplay was not significantly challenging, the graphics were not awe inspiring, and it become repetitive incredibly fast. And yet you see people still playing it today by even the hardest-core gamers and you may wonder why? Because it is and was original. It created a mixed sense of maternal instinct and godlike power. Simply going to work everyday, coming home and eating, reading to improve your cooking skill to get that promotion, and then going to bed just to start all over again...not that exciting. Throw in the power to control that environment and mold it how you choose...EXCITING.
Spore has never been toted for its gameplay, its graphics, its difficulty, or anything else. It has been brought as a creative tool that allows you to create a living being and interact with it. Create something from your wildest dreams, or the ultimate fighting machine. It is up to you.
I have even seen reviews where the controls from spore are made fun of for being too easy and childlike. Would you like Maxis to make them unusable? Would one prefer to sit there searching through dozens of "file edit view" type menus? To me these are the easiest and most effective tools I have ever used. I wish programs like photoshop were this simple. Granted the tools are limited, but their can only be so much customization before it becomes cluttered and is difficult to use for the average user, like many modern programs. Besides, what more could one possibly want to do with the creators? If you can't create whatever your trying to it is probably because you have a severe creative deficiency. Simply go through the Sporepedia and look at all the incredible creatures. The only problem I have found with the controls is that I can't paint things exactly how I would like to and I can't get some limbs to behave as I would like them to (such as a stinger on a tail)
I am rambling though. Overall the game is brilliant and sets a new stage for the world of simulation gaming. The gameplay probably isn't as strong as it could be and there is too much room left for crappy expansions like The Sims, so that is why this game is brought down to a 9 (8.8 if I could). Feel free to send me a message if you disagree for some reason and I would be happy to discuss, not argue, with you.