An answer to your imagination!

The gameplay at the cell level is actually not complicated.

After all, the fish are essentially Feeding Frenzy, and they can play almost entirely based on instinct.

The components of the creature are designed so cleverly that even complete strangers can quickly grasp each other's capabilities after an encounter.

This naturally creates a sense of anticipation.

For example, at this moment, Tom was going full speed ahead trying to catch up with the guy with a pair of sharp spikes around his mouth.

It has two pairs of flagella on its rump, and perhaps because of this, the other animal is indeed swimming a little faster than itself.

Unfortunately, the other creature is a herbivore, which can be easily identified by its filter-like mouthparts.

After all, not everyone is like Tom's little guy, with a pair of fierce, pincer-like mouthparts.

But that's where the problem lies.

Clearly, the other party, as the "prey," was very self-aware.

Sensing Tom's approach from a great distance, they began their escape long ago.

This could be fatal.

Tom, that lousy thing, only has one flagellum and swims incredibly slowly.

If it hadn't been for a diatomaceous earth particle blocking its path, it would have been long gone by now.

I haven't lost track of it yet, entirely thanks to my own online operation.

"I wasted my time studying ' Morality and Rule of Law,' that stuff is way harder to drive than my Chevrolet!"

They are all top-down 2D perspectives.

Having gotten used to the almost perfect handling of the Chevrolet in "Morality and Rule of Law," driving this piece of junk is incredibly awkward.

He thought he could at least retain some of his experience.

Fortunately, I was lucky.

After another fierce chase, two new predators suddenly appeared on the other side.

They were clearly not of the same kind, as they were completely different in both color and appearance.

But one thing is certain.

They are much stronger than me.

Larger size, more flagella, and equally intimidating mouthparts.

It's obvious at a glance that these two are definitely not to be trifled with.

But risk always goes hand in hand with opportunity.

Their target is clearly not themselves.

It was the little vegetarian creature that he was chasing.

Squeezed between two sides, no matter how fast it went, it was ultimately powerless to turn the tide.

With an extremely pitiful howl, the little guy suddenly exploded into a cloud of pinkish blood mist.

The image has clearly undergone a lot of cartoonish processing.

It sounds a bit perverse, but the actual visual effect is surprisingly good and doesn't cause any discomfort.

No wonder its ESRB age classification is Teen 13+ instead of Everyone 6+.

Several chunks of flesh exploded out from within the pink mist of blood.

Compared to licking up scraps of meat in the ocean, this kind of active hunting is obviously more efficient.

It also brings a greater sense of satisfaction.

However, what truly caught Tom's attention was the golden light that suddenly exploded within the blood mist.

It was a badge-like thing.

A sharp spike is drawn on it.

It looks exactly like the pair of sharp spikes that grow near the other person's mouth.

Tom's years of experience in video games made him almost instinctively rush forward, snatching the badge in his mouth amidst the pursuit of the two predators, and narrowly escaping.

There's no meat left to fight over.

With these two guarding here, if I don't run away quickly, I'm afraid I'll turn into another lump of flesh.

But it was all worth it.

[Spiked wire]

[Attack and Destruction]

I unlocked the spikes myself!

"So... I can turn myself into that too? That's... that's fucking cool!!!"

Tom exclaimed in surprise and stopped in a secluded spot.

The latest controller offers an exceptionally good grip experience.

After such a long time, he showed no signs of fatigue; all the muscles and joints in his hands seemed to be naturally relaxed.

Except for the constantly twitching left thumb, the entire hand was extremely relaxed.

"Speaking of which—what exactly is the right analog stick used for?"

Tom surveyed the area to make sure it was still relatively safe, then glanced down at the controller in his hand.

He has completely come to regard the right-side joystick as some kind of ergonomic device.

The clever mushroom-shaped design allows him to place the pad of his thumb on it perfectly without it slipping off.

Throughout the entire cellular stage, there is absolutely nothing that requires him to actively interact with anything.

Even when biting, only the left analog stick is needed.

In a sense, if we disregard the upcoming mating phase, he could easily play with one hand.

At least for now, the right analog stick is completely useless.

But for some reason, even though it wasn't used at all, it still made the grip of the entire controller feel even better.

This joystick provided the perfect spot for his right thumb, which had nowhere else to go.

It's easy to see that whoever designed this handle definitely conducted extensive testing and verification.

He definitely held that handle for a very long time.

With perfect center of gravity adjustment, perfect layout design, and even anti-slip textures added to the grips on both sides, it can ensure that it won't slip off when you're excited, and also provide better friction to ensure a stable grip.

"What a bunch of geniuses."

Tom muttered something, then his peripheral vision caught sight of the pizza on the table.

That's when I realized I was so engrossed in the game that I'd forgotten to eat.

"Wait a little longer. Let me see what this [Cell Creator] means, then I'll come and enjoy you."

His gaze returned to the television.

A button has been lit up at the bottom of the screen.

[Call your spouse into the Cell Creator]

Is it finally coming?

That's how it should be.

Evolution always occurs in a process of iteration.

"Mimi mimi mimi," the little guy let out a peculiar cry.

This was accompanied by the generation of sound waves that radiated outwards.

This is clearly a message sent to someone in their group.

As expected.

The very next moment its cry was heard, the same cry came from the other side of the ocean.

The sound waves were coming towards him.

Tom immediately realized what was happening and started moving towards the other person by dragging the joystick.

In this perilous sea, it was the first time he had seen his own kind.

After we met.

After the two went through a series of procedural steps necessary for biological reproduction, driven by love, an egg was laid in place.

Frankly speaking, this has nothing to do with single-celled organisms anymore.

But it's not actually important.

This is essentially a romanticized interpretation, like a fairy tale.

Even Will, a simulation enthusiast, understands that resources shouldn't be wasted unnecessarily.

As the camera focuses on the new reproductive cells, the image gradually fades out.

The true core of "Spore" is finally revealed to Tom.

Welcome to the Cell Creator!

[Before returning to the Tide Pool, you can go to "Color Mode" and customize this new look!]

Seeing the scene before him, Tom froze on the spot.

No words can adequately describe the awe he felt at that moment.

It was like a primitive man suddenly discovering fire.

It felt like my brain was boiling.

If he absolutely had to find a word to describe his feelings...

The answer would probably be—freedom.

His little guy is on the right side of the screen.

On the left is a panel filled with parts and empty slots.

The newly unlocked spike is in the first position of the second row, and a special effect is displayed to remind him of it so he can see it.

A vegetarian's filter mouthparts, a carnivore's pincer-like mouth.

Swimming flagella, three different types of eyeballs----

Everything he had ever seen was now laid out on the left.

However, not all of them are free.

I selected them and took a look; they all required [DNA Points] to purchase.

For example, the mouthparts used for eating.

Whether it's vegetarian or meat-based, it costs 15 yuan.

With Tom's current savings, he can only afford to buy one.

The number of flagella is also 15, which means that if he wants to enhance his speed, he will have to give up the newly unlocked spikes and wait for the next evolution.

The eyeballs are very cheap, only 5 yuan, but they don't seem to be of much use, since I can see things now with just a pair.

In comparison, the newly unlocked spikes seem to offer excellent value for money.

You can buy it for just 10 yuan.

What's there to think about?

Tom immediately decided to attach the spikes and complete his great evolution.

But he suddenly stopped, his gaze falling on the herbivorous mouthparts right next to the sharp spines.

What if I pack both?

Its species is carnivorous, which means that if it wants to obtain food, it either has to go out hunting or look for scraps of meat.

Herbivores can only obtain nutrients by eating algae.

Can----

Who said you have to choose one of the two?

Tom swallowed hard, selected the herbivore beak, and dragged it onto himself.

[-15]

"Clatter"

A pair of herbivorous filters were then installed on either side of the mouthparts.

"It actually works?!"

On the right side, where attributes are displayed, the creature tag has changed from [Carnivorous] to [Omnivorous].

This means it can now eat both meat and plants, and its diet completely covers this tidal pool.

You can eat anything you can see!

However, what truly surprised Tom, more than this improvement in ability, was the absolute freedom the game gave him.

He had expected the game to tell him something like, "A creature can only have one type of mouthparts," and then stop his actions.

But the game didn't; on the contrary, it greatly encouraged him to unleash his creativity.

You want an omnivorous diet? Here you go.

Tom's eyes grew brighter as he looked at the several empty slots in the evolution panel on the left.

He's now eager to see what other interesting parts in the world are still usable.

It has taken the first step on the path of evolution.

And next time, it might be faster, or it might be more aggressive.

It is also possible that it will completely transform into a vegetarian enhanced countermeasure creature.

But whatever the future holds, one thing is certain.

He can't wait to move on!