by J.C. Vogen

Created on: December 01, 2008

When determining which video games of 2008 are worthy of being called 'the best', I believe two games in particular exhibited a level of innovation unparallelled. The following two games will surely be viewed as major milestones in the video game world for a long time to come.

Spore:
The theory of evolution has been a topic of much debate, due to the fact that the theory requires observing species over extremely long periods of time in order to witness the process of evolution. Will Wright, the mastermind behind such games as SimCity and The Sims, decided to create a game which would illustrate the general process of evolution. Will Wright's creation of the game Spore allows users to design a creature, and decide how they wish to evolve their creature.

Spore is not simply a competition to see who can make the 'cutest' creature, players must consider how to create a creature which will best be able to survive in it's environment. From the humble beginnings of a cellular based organism, players are constantly struggling for resources against other creatures who occupy the same environment. As players evolve their creatures, it becomes apparent that you can choose between two strategies of survival: make friends with others or conquer others. The player is not told which path is 'correct' or 'best', it is simply the players choice to decide how they want to develop their creature.

Spore has five stages of game play which each provide a unique play experience. The individual stages keep the game interesting, and provide a diverse game play experience. To start as a small cellular level organism, and progress to an advanced civilization which is exploring the depths of space provides players an interesting insight into the process of life. This game appeals to children and adults alike, and approaches the topic of evolution in a fun and interesting way. The great accomplishment of this game is the manner in which Will Wright was able to approach the complex subject of evolution, and turn it into an exciting game which appeals to a vast audience.

World of Goo:
If you have not yet heard of World of Goo, you may be wondering why I believe this game deserves to be called one of the best of 2008. The fact that an independent game developer has managed to introduce the world to an entirely new genre of video game is truly praiseworthy. World of Goo is what you may call a physics based puzzle game. While physics and solving puzzles may not seem like an enjoyable experiences

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