When evolution becomes a thing of adventure

Will Wright is one of just a handful of celebrities in the world of computer game design. Like his contemporaries Shigeru Miyamoto (the Mario series) and Sid Meier (Civilization), he has a level of prestige similar to, say, Steven Spielberg or Martin Scorsese in Hollywood.

His last creation, The Sims, hit the Spielbergian sweet spot, appealing to people who don't spend a lot of time playing computer games. It's the best-selling game of all time, spawning two sequels (The Sims 3 is due in 2009) .

So, of course, Sims publisher Electronic Arts has been awaiting the next production from Wright and his studio, Maxis. And ever since Spore (PC and Mac, Dh200) was announced in 2005, EA has been steadily ratcheting up the publicity. Could anything live up to such hype?

Probably not. Spore certainly tries by simulating the evolution of a species, from single-celled microorganisms to interstellar explorers. Yet it doesn't inspire the awe you'd get from, say, 2001: A Space Odyssey.

Don't get me wrong: Spore is a solid, entertaining game – or, rather, a collection of five well-executed games, each representing a phase in your species' evolution. You begin in the Cell phase, swimming in the ocean and eating plants or cells. You'll discover meteor fragments that contain parts you can add to your cell. Eating food earns you DNA points, which you need for the next phase.

Once you've grown some legs, the Creature phase begins. Again, the primary activity is eating, and if you've chosen to live as a carnivore, that means killing a lot. You can also make friends with other species by showing off your singing and dancing, and you can mate with animals of your species.

Eventually your team will discover fire, moving into the Tribal phase. Instead of controlling one creature, you can assign tribe members with different tasks: Some may go fishing and hunting, while others guard your village. You'll stumble across other tribes that you can conquer.

Next comes Civilization, starting with a small city, you can add buildings and create vehicles. You'll need those vehicles to search for "spice geysers," which produce the substance that drives your economy. Finally, escape your planetary confines in the Space phase. You can colonise planets and stretch out into other galaxies.

No single element of Spore is revolutionary but it isn't aimed at hardcore gamers. It's designed for laid-back players who love tinkering with The Sims but may never play any other video games.

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