Post by sithlibrarian on Jun 11, 2009 3:38:11 GMT
Hey gang. It's been awhile since I've posted here and I've felt really bad about it, especially since it's become our home away from home.
By way of apology, I'd like to get back into posting game reviews like I did on the old site
Today, I'm going to review one of the best games I've played on the Wii. You can find more game reviews on my blog /plug
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I've decided to take a break from some of the older titles in my "Holy Crap!" backlog and played something I picked up fairly recently: Deadly Creatures. In a nutshell, Deadly Creatures is a game that comes around once in a blue moon (like Psychonauts). It's not often that a video game in this current console cycle offers something new and refreshing from the norm. With the economy being what it is, I'm sure game developers are being pressured to deliver sure fire moneymakers (in this case, sequels of popular franchises), even to the point of lunacy (how many Madden games are there now?).
So what is it that makes Deadly Creatures so great? It's all in the design and awesome concept. Instead of playing as a 'roided super soldier who vanquishes entire races of aliens or a big breasted treasure hunter, Deadly Creatures brings the player down to earth - literally - as you are given control over two dangerous creatures: a scorpion and a tarantula.
Story:
There are two stories running alongside each other in Deadly Creatures. The central plotline focuses on the meeting (which could easily have been lifted from any Western film) between a common tarantula and a scorpion. What has drawn these two warriors is a mystery (perhaps it is the mere desire for dominance), but once they meet, their battle begins - only to be interrupted by the earth shaking footsteps of two hillbillies (voiced by Billy Bob Thorton and Dennis Hopper) as they search for buried treasure. As the tarantula, you'll explore a large environment in search for the venomous scorpion, battling other spiders, lizards and even rats in your quest. The scorpion you'll control has the same goal in mind: find the tarantula that bested him and destroy it. Along the way, you'll pass by the gold seeking hillbillies and discover the frailties of the human condition when met with a sudden, vast fortune.
Gameplay:
Deadly Creatures plays a lot like a third person action title, and you'll guide the tarantula and scorpion through a series of levels, designed to overlap with one another. In other words, as the scorpion follows one path, the tarantula will start in a new area, only to find itself in an area you previously explored. This leads to a fun sense of discovery as you traverse the world. For example, the scorpion will find itself inside a structure with odd, metallic rods and strange funnel-like objects. However, when you reach the area as the tarantula, you'll realize that you were actually traversing the inside of a busted television set. There are many "ohh, so THAT's what that was!" moments to be hand in this game. Rainbow Studios does a great job with imparting deep sense of scale as you move from checkpoint to checkpoint.
The world is a dangerous place, even for spiders and scorpions. Complicating the tarantula and scorpion's duel are a host of enemies including gila monsters, rattle snacks, Black Widows and King Scorpions. The tarantula and scorpion have their own set of attacks to dish out, which is done using the "A" button for initial attacks and movements of the Wii-mote and Nunchuck attachment for follow-ups and combos. Quick Time Events do make an appearance here, but only for optional finishing moves (which are suprisingly brutal) and boss fights. The central creatures have their own distinctive attacks in their arsenal. The tarantula can use a web ability to blind enemies and feed on those it has knocked over, while the scorpion can use its pincers to block attacks, bury itself in the dirt and strike and use its stinger to poison foes.
If there is one considerable fault to this game, its the fact that the title is really short. With only ten chapters to complete, the game can easily be finished in a day. With the exception of collecting 450 grubs and 14 green crickets (which will unlock concept art), there really is no incentive to playthrough the game. This shouldn't be a deterrent from playing the game, as it may be short, but its a sweet, sweet experience.
Graphics:
The graphics for the game are competent, but you can tell what the developers spent the most time on. The tarantula and scorpion are rended in stunning and frightening detail, while the game's enemies look slightly downgraded. The environments are cleverly designed, even though you'll end up seeing each area twice, but from a different point of view. Again,, its really clever to explore one area that looks alien, only to find out that it was something really familiar. Since the only time you get to see the hillbillies is from a distance, there's no need to render them in any exquisite detail, but when you finally get an up close look at one of them, the model isn't really anything to write home about.
Sound:
Expect to hear a lot of chirps, squeals and squelching as you do battle in the insect world. The hightlight of the game's sound production is the dialog from Thorton and Hopper. My only complaint is that they aren't in the game enough and since you're viewing the events of their plotline from different perspectives, most of their lines are repeated. That's not necessarily a bad thing, in a way, as the two actors are fun to listen to. There isn't much to the game's musical score, in fact it sounds like there are only two pieces of music, one for the action sequences and a general "overworld" theme.
One element of the game that I forgot to mention was how incredibly uneasy the title makes me feel. I've played a fair share of horror games and seen a great many scary films, but these are mere trifles compared to having to venture through the world of insects - creatures that I most definitely hate. I'm terrified of spiders, so having to deal with so many at once was a trial. I found myself keeping my eye just above the giant, hairy tarantula so I wouldn't have to look at it. Every so often I found myself shivering and squirming deep into the couch. Developers are always trying to evoke an emotional response in video games, and this game's attempt to do is inspiring.
Deadly Creatures is a gamer's dream. It offers a fresh and unique experience, although on the short side, that doesn't come around often enough. Deadly Creatures is an awesome rental, but will definitely make a great addition to any game library. Either way, it must be played!
By way of apology, I'd like to get back into posting game reviews like I did on the old site
Today, I'm going to review one of the best games I've played on the Wii. You can find more game reviews on my blog /plug
------
I've decided to take a break from some of the older titles in my "Holy Crap!" backlog and played something I picked up fairly recently: Deadly Creatures. In a nutshell, Deadly Creatures is a game that comes around once in a blue moon (like Psychonauts). It's not often that a video game in this current console cycle offers something new and refreshing from the norm. With the economy being what it is, I'm sure game developers are being pressured to deliver sure fire moneymakers (in this case, sequels of popular franchises), even to the point of lunacy (how many Madden games are there now?).
So what is it that makes Deadly Creatures so great? It's all in the design and awesome concept. Instead of playing as a 'roided super soldier who vanquishes entire races of aliens or a big breasted treasure hunter, Deadly Creatures brings the player down to earth - literally - as you are given control over two dangerous creatures: a scorpion and a tarantula.
Story:
There are two stories running alongside each other in Deadly Creatures. The central plotline focuses on the meeting (which could easily have been lifted from any Western film) between a common tarantula and a scorpion. What has drawn these two warriors is a mystery (perhaps it is the mere desire for dominance), but once they meet, their battle begins - only to be interrupted by the earth shaking footsteps of two hillbillies (voiced by Billy Bob Thorton and Dennis Hopper) as they search for buried treasure. As the tarantula, you'll explore a large environment in search for the venomous scorpion, battling other spiders, lizards and even rats in your quest. The scorpion you'll control has the same goal in mind: find the tarantula that bested him and destroy it. Along the way, you'll pass by the gold seeking hillbillies and discover the frailties of the human condition when met with a sudden, vast fortune.
Gameplay:
Deadly Creatures plays a lot like a third person action title, and you'll guide the tarantula and scorpion through a series of levels, designed to overlap with one another. In other words, as the scorpion follows one path, the tarantula will start in a new area, only to find itself in an area you previously explored. This leads to a fun sense of discovery as you traverse the world. For example, the scorpion will find itself inside a structure with odd, metallic rods and strange funnel-like objects. However, when you reach the area as the tarantula, you'll realize that you were actually traversing the inside of a busted television set. There are many "ohh, so THAT's what that was!" moments to be hand in this game. Rainbow Studios does a great job with imparting deep sense of scale as you move from checkpoint to checkpoint.
The world is a dangerous place, even for spiders and scorpions. Complicating the tarantula and scorpion's duel are a host of enemies including gila monsters, rattle snacks, Black Widows and King Scorpions. The tarantula and scorpion have their own set of attacks to dish out, which is done using the "A" button for initial attacks and movements of the Wii-mote and Nunchuck attachment for follow-ups and combos. Quick Time Events do make an appearance here, but only for optional finishing moves (which are suprisingly brutal) and boss fights. The central creatures have their own distinctive attacks in their arsenal. The tarantula can use a web ability to blind enemies and feed on those it has knocked over, while the scorpion can use its pincers to block attacks, bury itself in the dirt and strike and use its stinger to poison foes.
If there is one considerable fault to this game, its the fact that the title is really short. With only ten chapters to complete, the game can easily be finished in a day. With the exception of collecting 450 grubs and 14 green crickets (which will unlock concept art), there really is no incentive to playthrough the game. This shouldn't be a deterrent from playing the game, as it may be short, but its a sweet, sweet experience.
Graphics:
The graphics for the game are competent, but you can tell what the developers spent the most time on. The tarantula and scorpion are rended in stunning and frightening detail, while the game's enemies look slightly downgraded. The environments are cleverly designed, even though you'll end up seeing each area twice, but from a different point of view. Again,, its really clever to explore one area that looks alien, only to find out that it was something really familiar. Since the only time you get to see the hillbillies is from a distance, there's no need to render them in any exquisite detail, but when you finally get an up close look at one of them, the model isn't really anything to write home about.
Sound:
Expect to hear a lot of chirps, squeals and squelching as you do battle in the insect world. The hightlight of the game's sound production is the dialog from Thorton and Hopper. My only complaint is that they aren't in the game enough and since you're viewing the events of their plotline from different perspectives, most of their lines are repeated. That's not necessarily a bad thing, in a way, as the two actors are fun to listen to. There isn't much to the game's musical score, in fact it sounds like there are only two pieces of music, one for the action sequences and a general "overworld" theme.
One element of the game that I forgot to mention was how incredibly uneasy the title makes me feel. I've played a fair share of horror games and seen a great many scary films, but these are mere trifles compared to having to venture through the world of insects - creatures that I most definitely hate. I'm terrified of spiders, so having to deal with so many at once was a trial. I found myself keeping my eye just above the giant, hairy tarantula so I wouldn't have to look at it. Every so often I found myself shivering and squirming deep into the couch. Developers are always trying to evoke an emotional response in video games, and this game's attempt to do is inspiring.
Deadly Creatures is a gamer's dream. It offers a fresh and unique experience, although on the short side, that doesn't come around often enough. Deadly Creatures is an awesome rental, but will definitely make a great addition to any game library. Either way, it must be played!
