Three years after its release, I finally got Spore. Having been really excited for the game and having heard not-nice things after its release, I was a little leery but eventually took the plunge. I have been rather nicely surprised for the most part: it is quite fun and addictive (though not as addictive as, say, one of the Civilization games). Alas, the worst part is already knowing that the closest thing to a sequel is Darkspore. At least, that is the closest thing that has been released.
It is a sad because what made the game so exciting to hear about was its potential, and it still has a lot of potential that it seems like a sequel could fulfill. The "cell" stage, for example, is in the current manifestation really just the low-fat version of the creature stage. It would be great if in a sequel it was made more cellular: for example, "evolving" mitochondria for energy, or being able to get a cell wall for protection (and reduced speed), or getting chloroplast, or the sort. Or with the creature stage: since evolution is driven by the environment, having the environment influence what one needs to do in order to survive would be a great addition.
As a game in itself, Spore is fun. But as a series, I really want more.
