Spore Galactic Adventures

Last updated
Spore Galactic Adventures
Spore - Galactic Adventures Coverart.png
Developer(s) Maxis Emeryville
Publisher(s) Electronic Arts
Producer(s) Kip Katsarelis
Designer(s) Stone Librande
Programmer(s) Benjamin Thompson
Artist(s) Michael A. Khoury
Ocean Quigley
Writer(s) Philip Campbell
Composer(s) Kent Jolly
Platform(s) Windows, Mac OS X
Release
Genre(s) Life simulation, real-time strategy
Mode(s) Single-player

Spore Galactic Adventures is an expansion pack for the multigenre game Spore , developed by Maxis Emeryville and published by Electronic Arts. [3] The US version of the game was released on June 23, 2009. The European version was released on June 26, 2009.

Contents

Gameplay

The main feature added to the game is the Adventure Creator. This Creator allows players to create various missions, which are then populated into the Space stage in a manner similar to the other content created in the original game. Players add elements to the adventure by dragging them from a menu and dropping them into the world. Creatures, vehicles and buildings created using the game's other editors can be selected and placed throughout the world. The player can also set creatures' behaviors from aggressive to friendly, and add speech bubbles. In addition, fixed objects from the previous stages of Spore, as well as gameplay objects like bombs and teleporters, can be added to the game.

Players can select a range of special effects and drop them into the level. Sounds can be added to the game in the same manner, although new sound files cannot be added to the game. A complexity meter exists to prevent too many objects being dropped into the game; it also enables the player to beam down and experience a planet firsthand rather than exploring it with a holographic projection.

Complementing the Adventure Creator is the Planet Creator, which is accessed from within the Adventure Creator. Players select a prebuilt planet and then edit it in a manner similar to the Adventure Creator. Elements such as temperature and atmospheric density can be adjusted using sliders. The planet's terrain is modified using terrain stamps, which are dragged and dropped from the interface. Like the Adventure Creator, a complexity meter exists to prevent too many elements being used to create the planet.

The expansion also adds a Captain Outfitter, which allows players to modify their Space stage creatures by giving them different social tools, weapons, and gear. They are then able to beam down their captains to specialized planets that have missions on them. Missions are greatly varied and may require a range of different tools. RPG elements also exist in the game, in that captains earn points from missions and are able to level up. [4] [5]

Adventure mode

Players can take their space captains on adventures, with each adventure having a specific goal to complete. There are a variety of adventure types, such as saving a planet from the Grox or helping a famous pop star get to his show on time. Completing each adventure awards the space captain experience points much like a role-playing video game and allows the player to choose a piece of equipment for their space captain. As a space captain gains more experience it gets better titles (determined by his empire's beliefs) such as "Thug", "Profiteer", or "Gatherer"; these titles are based on the Captain's archetype.

Development

A space-based expansion pack was first announced mid-October 2008 alongside the Creepy and Cute parts pack. On June 9, 2009, the Spore website was redesigned to prepare for a Galactic Adventure.

Reception

Spore: Galactic Adventures gained generally positive reviews according to Metacritic.com. It was praised for its adventure creator which was seen as complex yet easy to use.

Related Research Articles

<i>Anarchy Online</i> Multiplayer online role-playing game

Anarchy Online is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) published and developed by Norwegian video game development company Funcom. Released in June 2001, the game was the first in the genre to include a science-fiction setting, dynamic quests, instancing, free trials, and in-game advertising. The game's ongoing storyline revolves around the fictional desert planet Rubi-Ka, wherein a valuable mineral known as Notum is found. Players assume the role of a new colonist to Rubi-Ka. With no specific objective to win Anarchy Online, the player advances the game through the improvement of a character's skills over time. After more than 20 years, Anarchy Online has become one of the oldest surviving games in the genre.

<i>Star Wars Galaxies</i> 2003 video game

Star Wars Galaxies was a Star Wars- themed massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) for Microsoft Windows, developed by Sony Online Entertainment and published by LucasArts.

<i>Metroid: Zero Mission</i> 2004 video game

Metroid: Zero Mission is a 2004 action-adventure game developed and published by Nintendo for the Game Boy Advance. It is a remake of the original Metroid (1986), and retells the story with updated visuals and gameplay.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">4X</span> Genre of strategy-based video and board games

4X is a subgenre of strategy-based computer and board games, and includes both turn-based and real-time strategy titles. The gameplay generally involves building an empire. Emphasis is placed upon economic and technological development, as well as a range of military and non-military routes to supremacy.

<i>Giants: Citizen Kabuto</i> 2000 video game

Giants: Citizen Kabuto is a third-person shooter video game with real-time strategy elements. It was the first project for Planet Moon Studios, which consisted of former Shiny Entertainment employees who had worked on the game MDK in 1997. Giants went through four years of development before Interplay Entertainment published it on December 7, 2000, for Microsoft Windows; a Mac OS X port was published by MacPlay in 2001, and the game was also ported to the PlayStation 2 later that year.

<i>Star Wars: Galactic Battlegrounds</i> 2001 video game

Star Wars: Galactic Battlegrounds is a real-time strategy video game set in the Star Wars universe. It was developed by LucasArts. It was released in November 2001. An expansion pack, Clone Campaigns, was released on May 14, 2002, adding two new factions and campaigns. Later that year, both Galactic Battlegrounds and Clone Campaigns were released in a box set, Star Wars: Galactic Battlegrounds Saga.

<i>Star Wars: Empire at War</i> 2006 real-time strategy video game

Star Wars: Empire at War is a 2006 real-time strategy video game developed by Petroglyph Games and published by LucasArts for Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X. Set between Episode III and Episode IV, it focuses on the fledgling struggle between the Empire and the Rebels. It uses Petroglyph's game engine Alamo. In October 2006, an expansion titled Star Wars: Empire at War: Forces of Corruption was released.

<i>Galactic Civilizations II: Dread Lords</i> 2006 video game

Galactic Civilizations II: Dread Lords is a 4X turn-based strategy by Stardock for Microsoft Windows. It is the sequel to the 2003 game, Galactic Civilizations, and was released at retail and on Stardock's online subscription service, TotalGaming.net, on February 21, 2006. An expansion, Dark Avatar, was released in February 2007. A second expansion, Twilight of the Arnor, was released in April 2008.

<i>Sins of a Solar Empire</i> 2008 video game

Sins of a Solar Empire is a 2008 science fiction real-time strategy video game developed by Ironclad Games and published by Stardock Entertainment for Microsoft Windows operating systems. It is a real-time strategy (RTS) game that incorporates some elements from 4X games; its makers describe it as "RT4X". Players are given control of a spacefaring empire in the distant future, and are tasked with conquering star systems using military, economic and diplomatic means.

<i>Star Wars: TIE Fighter</i> 1994 video game

Star Wars: TIE Fighter is a 1994 Star Wars space flight simulator and space combat video game, a sequel in the Star Wars: X-Wing series. It places the player in the role of an Imperial starfighter pilot during events that occur between The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi.

Spore is a video game developed by Maxis and designed by Will Wright, released in September 2008. The game has drawn wide attention for its ability to simulate the development of a species on a galactic scope, using its innovation of user-guided evolution via the use of procedural generation for many of the components of the game, providing vast scope and open-ended gameplay.

<i>Spore Creatures</i> 2008 video game

Spore Creatures is a 2008 science fiction adventure game developed by Griptonite Games and published by Electronic Arts. The game is a spin-off of Spore in which a player controls and evolves a creature of their creation to save another creature from the clutches of an alien who plans on dominating the galaxy.

<i>Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War II</i> 2009 video game

Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War II is a real-time strategy-tactical role-playing video game developed by Relic Entertainment and published by THQ for Microsoft Windows based on the fictional Warhammer 40,000 universe. It is the sequel to the Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War video game series. Dawn of War II was released in North America on February 19, 2009 and in Europe on February 20, 2009. A sequel, Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War III, was released in April 2017.

<i>Spore</i> (2008 video game) 2008 video game

Spore is a 2008 life simulation real-time strategy god game developed by Maxis and published by Electronic Arts for Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X. Designed by Will Wright, it covers many genres including action, real-time strategy, and role-playing games. Spore allows a player to control the development of a species from its beginnings as a microscopic organism, through development as an intelligent and social creature, to interstellar exploration as a spacefaring culture. It has drawn wide attention for its massive scope, and its use of open-ended gameplay and procedural generation. Throughout each stage, players are able to use various creators to produce content for their games. These are then automatically uploaded to the online Sporepedia and are accessible by other players for download.

<i>Spore Hero</i> 2009 video game

Spore Hero is 2009 action-adventure game developed by EA Montreal and published by Electronic Arts. It is a Nintendo Wii spin-off of Spore in which the players focus on creativity and evolution using the controls of the Wii. The game was released in October 2009.

<i>Spore Hero Arena</i> 2009 video game

Spore Hero Arena is a science fiction action-adventure game for the Nintendo DS and is a spin-off of Spore Hero which was released in North America on October 6, 2009, and worldwide on October 8. This game is the second Spore game for the Nintendo DS, and focuses more on battling than its predecessor, Spore Creatures. Creatures are now rendered in full 3D and the creature design system has been overhauled. The online functions/multiplayer were closed on 30 June 2014.

<i>Star Trek: Voyager – Elite Force</i> 2000 first-person shooter video game based on the Star Trek series

Star Trek: Voyager – Elite Force is a first-person shooter video game developed by Raven Software and published by Activision. The game was originally released on September 15, 2000 for Windows and Mac OS. A port for Mac OS developed by Westlake Interactive and published by Aspyr Media was released on November 20, 2002. Elite Force was ported to the PlayStation 2 by Pipe Dream Interactive and published by Majesco Entertainment on December 11, 2001.

<i>Deep Rock Galactic</i> 2020 video game

Deep Rock Galactic is a cooperative first-person shooter video game developed by Danish studio Ghost Ship Games and published by Coffee Stain Publishing. Deep Rock Galactic was fully released on May 13, 2020 for Microsoft Windows and Xbox One after its early access release in February 28, 2018. The game was later released for PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 in January 2022, and for Xbox Series X/S in September 2022.

<i>Spore Bot Parts Pack</i> 2010 video game

Spore Bot Parts Pack, also known as the Dr Pepper Parts Pack, is a promotional expansion pack for the multigenre game Spore, developed by Maxis Emeryville and published by Electronic Arts. Bot Parts introduces 14 new robotic parts usable by players in the creature editor of Spore, or in the standalone version of the editor, Spore Creature Creator. The expansion was released on 1 January 2010 as part of a promotion run by the soft drink company Dr Pepper; download codes were available on bottles released in the United States throughout 2010. The expansion generated some controversy due to causing some installation issues and only being available in the United States.

References

  1. 1 2 "Spore Galactic Adventures Beams Down to Retailers Worldwide This Week". IGN . June 23, 2009. Retrieved April 7, 2024.
  2. Purchese, Robert (April 22, 2009). "Will Wright still working on Spore". Eurogamer . Retrieved April 7, 2024.
  3. Spore: Galactic Adventures Preview, IGN.com, January 22, 2009.
  4. Take Your Creature From Zero To Galactic Hero Archived 2009-06-06 at the Wayback Machine , spore.com
  5. Spore Expansion: Galactic Adventures Archived 2009-06-02 at the Wayback Machine , sporedum.net
  6. "Spore Galactic Adventures for PC Reviews". Metacritic. Archived from the original on 2010-06-17. Retrieved 2013-10-18.
  7. Haywald, Justin (2009-06-24). "Spore Galactic Adventures Review for PC from". 1UP.com. Archived from the original on 2010-01-05. Retrieved 2013-10-18.
  8. Griliopoulos, Dan (2009-06-23). "Spore: Galactic Adventures Review • Page 2 • Reviews • PC •". Eurogamer.net. Archived from the original on 2014-09-28. Retrieved 2013-10-18.
  9. Archived June 28, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
  10. "GameSpy: The Consensus: Spore: Galactic Adventures Review - Page 1". Au.pc.gamespy.com. Archived from the original on 2015-05-11. Retrieved 2013-10-18.
  11. "Spore: Galactic Adventures Review - IGN". Au.pc.ign.com. 23 June 2009. Archived from the original on 2012-02-16. Retrieved 2013-10-18.
  12. Stern, Zack (11 November 2009). "Spore: Galactic Adventures". MacLife . Future US. Archived from the original on 19 November 2009. Retrieved 26 October 2022.