I love this thing. It’s a neat little toy, and it’s hard for me to put into words just how critical this game could be for the future of gaming as a mainstream pastime.
So I’ll let four people smarter than me sound off.
Soundbites from the Rock, Paper, Shotgun summary:
John: It’s that cruel fate of the excellent. If I paint a crude stickman, you’re unlikely to criticise the details. But if I paint something near photorealistic, and the ears are a bit off, you’re more likely to say, “Shame about the ears.â€
Alec: I’ve said it before, but it’s worth noting that The Sims totally seemed a hardcore affair to start with. There was real PC geekiness to it. It crossed over somewhat unexpectedly, after several months. The same could happen with Spore.
Kieron: It isn’t game design – it’s autobiography.
Jim: Hey, it’s one of the themes of my book!
Yeah, I agree that the creature creator is awesome. If you really think about it, all it really is is a fancy character creator (from any RPG). But, the thing about this particular one is that it is so amazingly fun! Just being able to see how your creature will move around with 5 legs or watching it react to mini-versions of it suddenly appearing is priceless. I really cannot wait for the full version to come out!
I have never played any of the Sims games. But what exactly is hardcore about a computer generated Doll House?
Not that’s there’s anything wrong with that.