Several traditional types of games mashed together in an interesting way make for a fun experience, but marred by DRM.
Gameplay: Not very original ideas here. Each phase of the game is done in a different style which you'll quickly recognize. However, the presentation is top notch, and it's actually rather fun. You won't say to yourself, "Oh no not another ______ knockoff." As a whole, the game is a blast to play. The game itself isn't terribly hard, but it's fun.
Audio/Video: The presentation is very high quality, from the environments, creature design, sound effects and the like.
Technical/Stability: Haven't had any problems running this game on my XP system. From installation through playing the game I've had perfect results.
DRM: My main OS is Linux, so perhaps I'm a bit more against it than the average gamer, but the current trend with game publishers and copy protection is getting to the point where its borderline insane. In effect, you're just renting the game. You're only allowed a couple installations, after that you have to call and beg them to get permission to play the game you paid for. In theory, it's probably not so bad, but if you wind up reinstalling/changing your operating system or the like you're in for problems. First thing I did after finding this out is to install the crack. Yes, I actually bought the game then got a crack for it. (I've also done this with BioShock, UT3, and the like) That's sad. Some people might not care about what their system is doing or who it's sending data to; I do.
That aside, Spore is a fun game that should keep you busy for quite some time.