Review: Deadly Creatures

Synopsis:

George Struggs and Wade are looking for a location in the desert where they believe gold from the American Civil War has been buried. The story is told from the perspective of tarantula and the scorpion with both creatures often seeing the same thing but from a different perspective. When Struggs and Wade finally find the civil war gold, Struggs turns on Wade and this is where the story of Deadly Creatures really kicks off without giving much away.

Story:

The story of Deadly Creatures center around two people, George Struggs and Wade who are looking for a stash of American Civil War gold that was hidden in the desert during the war, and how greed can turn man into a “Deadly Creatures” which ties in with the title of the game. The story is divided into 10 chapters and through out these chapters you get to view the developing story of Deadly Creatures through the different perspectives of the Scorpion and the Tarantula.

This is a really good way of telling and developing the story but it does have its drawbacks, as the Scorpion and the Tarantula aren’t really part of the story but rather they are witness to the events that unfold. And influence the outcome of the events while fighting for their own survival in the desert. While the story is really well thought out it is not really as enticing as it should have been, and I would have liked to see more of George and Wade in the story. So to the first time players it might seem like Deadly Creatures might not have a story or goal, but these become more apparent once you progress further with the game.

Gameplay:

This is were Deadly Creatures real shines, is the games gameplay mechanics when it comes to playing with either the Tarantula or the Scorpion. The Scorpions playing and attack style is more aggressive, which you can compaire to that of a tank build for defense and  big solid attacks but with less mobility than the Tarantula. When playing with the Scorpion you dont need to avoid confrontations like with the Tarantula, here you can take on most enemies head on with the exception of the boss battles of course. Not to mention that the Scorpions finishing moves are some of the most gruesome ones in the game.

The Tarantula on the other hand is the complete opposite of the Scorpion, build for stealth and speed and the added ability of being able to climb walls and reach places that the Scorpion is unable to reach. Instead of attacking your enemies head on like you would have done with the Scorpion, you rather sneak up on them from behind or attack them from places they least expect it. You also get the option to immobilize your enemies for a short period of time using your webbing later on during the game using the Tarantula’s special attack.

You can also gain health and special attacks during the game by either finishing what they call “predator goals” killing a certain amount of enemy insects or collection and eating certain insects like  pill bugs and crickets. And by collecting a certain amount of these insects you can also unlock extra game content, which you can view in the game menu before playing the game. The level design for each level is very unique and suits the creature you are playing perfectly, with the scorpion’s levels featuring more action-oriented gameplay, while the tarantula is more stealth oriented, with less linear levels.

Graphics:

The visuals of Deadly Creatures, especially the creature animations are some of the best I have seen in a long time without becoming overly”gross”. Though I have to take off my hat to THQ as they got the movements of both the Scorpion and Tarantula down perfectly, not to mention all the other movements of the insects you come across during the game. The environmental affects are also well done, things like shadows, sand storms and insect blood and guts adds a nice touch to the visuals of the game. My only complaint would be the actual environment of Deadly Creatures, which can be a bit bland sometimes. Though it is understandable, as for the most part the game takes place in the desert which is usually devoid of any vibrant colors.

Sound/Music:

This will likely be the shortest part of my review as there is not much to write home about when it comes to the actual soundtrack of Deadly Creatures. Most of it consists of ambient music which of course changes to something more dramatic when in battle or during some scenes in the game. The sound affects that are used during the game is also pretty impressive and sometimes a bit disturbing at times. Though a special mention has to go to the voice actors of George Struggs and Wade, which is done by Billy Bob Thornton and Dennis Hopper and it suits their characters perfectly and adds a bit of Hollywood flavor to the game.

Controls:

You use the Wii Remote and Nunchuk for both movement and attacks, with motion controls used for special attacks and finishing moves, while the tarantula also utilizes the pointer function to shoot webs which immobilizes your enemies for a short period of time. If you flip the Wii Remote upside down, for instance when playing the Scorpion you can burrow underground and let loose a surprise attack on your enemies.  And if you do enough damage, you can perform an elaborate finishing move using the motion sensing capabilities of the Wiimote. There’s is a good mix of traditional controls and motion controls, and though pulling off some of the more elaborate motions in battle can be a little tricky you soon get the hang of it.

Final thoughts:

Deadly Creatures has a really refreshing premise and has an uncommonly provocative storyline, with some really excellent voice acting by Billy Bob Thornton and Dennis Hopper. Deadly Creatures has some of the tightest controls I have seen on the Wii and makes excellent use of the Wii motion sensing capabilities. And add to that, the most impressive creature animations I have seen in a long time. But Deadly Creatures is not without its issues a bit more polish in the story and graphics department would have made this game one of the best third party titles for the Nintendo Wii. But having said that, Deadly Creatures is still a must buy for any Nintendo Wii owner.