Deadly Creatures

Niggles in the tail

If there is one thing the Wii is known for, it’s having games that are slightly different from the norm. Whether this is because of the avant garde encouragement offered by the Wiimote or simply because the audience is slightly different to the usual, there is no real shortage of games on the system if you’re happy trying different things. So, it came as no real surprise when I first heard of Deadly Creatures; learning that it is described as a third-person action adventure game, and that the two main characters in the game are a tarantula and a scorpion. As I said, slightly different from the norm.

Developed by Rainbow Studios, Deadly Creatures offers a refreshing approach to the third-person action genre. It is nice to play a game and not be your usual type of gun-toting hero or busty heroine. The basic premise is the same however, you still make your way through each level defeating enemies as you go, but the characters you control, as well as the control scheme used gives the game a refreshing feel and the fact that you swap between controlling the tarantula and the scorpion - each playing slightly differently than the other - means it retains that freshness throughout the game.

Also refreshing is the approach Rainbow Studios has taken towards the storytelling in the game. Instead of cut-scenes like virtually every so-called 'adventure' title has, as you’re progressing through each level you’ll encounter the two humans (voiced excellently by Billy Bob Thornton and Dennis Hopper) and overhear their conversations. While the story may not instantly become apparent, the further you go into the game, the more the pieces fit together and it’s actually a very enjoyable plot. I won’t give any details away obviously, but make sure you listen whenever you hear the two characters talking, as you don’t want to miss anything.

Gameplay wise things are kept pretty simple, keeping you on a fairly linear path through each level. The level design is excellent and you never really feel lost, though if you’re unsure of where you’re meant to be going next, you can just hold down the '2' button and an arrow will appear on screen pointing you towards your next objective. As you progress you’ll meet a variety of enemies, ranging from spiders to rats to hornets, and there are always pill bugs or crickets around for you to eat, in order to top up your health. You’ll need them as well, as some of the fighting in the later levels can be quite tricky, and possibly infuriating to any less agile gamers out there. With a bit of patience though there is nothing that is overly difficult or challenging.

Thankfully you have a good number of moves at your disposal to help you dispatch the many foes you’ll encounter on your travels. As both the tarantula and the scorpion you’ll start out with fairly basic moves, and as you progress through the levels and defeat more and more enemies, extra attack moves become available. You’ll gain access to attacks such as a Spin Attack and a Venom Pounce for the tarantula, and a Tail Whip and Deadly Sting for the scorpion, among others. I quite liked the way the action is drip fed to you throughout the game as it stops you from becoming overwhelmed with the amount of moves on offer in one go, especially as most of these rely on various gestures with the Wiimote. The remote also comes into play in the boss battles you'll come across, which generally require you to injure the weak spot on your adversary then use the remote to make gestures in a QTE-style fight, to inflict more damage. You need to make sure you’re aware of the advantages and disadvantages of both tarantula and scorpion so you can fight as either of them effectively. The tarantula is more nimble and therefore more effective at a hit and run style approach, while the scorpion has the ability to block incoming attacks, so you can be a bit more direct with him.

Graphically Deadly Creatures is an excellent example of what you can do with the Wii hardware if you’re willing to put the work in. The two main creatures animate excellently, so much so that any arachnophobe might get a shiver up their spine from watching the game. The modeling is undertaken to an equally high degree as well, so that when the camera gets in close, you can almost believe you’re watching a documentary instead of playing a game. The environments are suitably gloomy and well put together, and you’re always aware that you’re a small creature, given the relative size of some of the obstacles and features you’ll meet along the way. The audio is also up to the same standard, especially the aforementioned voice work from Thornton and Hopper. It’s nice to not only hear recognisable voices in the Deadly Creatures, but to hear them done well and in a way that actually draws you into the story through vocal work alone. The background music is, finally, never intrusive but always feels relevant, giving the game’s atmosphere an extra boost. It is clear that Rainbow Studios have put a lot of work into the game and from a technical point of view, it has been time well spent.

Unfortunately though the game is not without its problems. The camera is generally well implemented, following your creepy crawly from behind and giving you a good view of the action. However, it can fall down when you start to climb surfaces and can sometimes get caught in a bad position, forcing you to move around before it unlocks itself. Collision detection also has its problems at times, with enemies occasionally moving through solid scenery to attack you. From a fighting point of view, some of the moves are also a little sluggish to activate, either through the gestures not being picked up quickly enough, or there simply being a lag between your gesture and the move starting. It is something you can work around at times, starting an attack a moment before you know you should, but it’s not something you should have to work around. The game also suffers for only having the Adventure Mode, with no other game modes and nothing of any real value to unlock; though there are some artwork galleries available if you can collect all of the grubs.

Deadly Creatures is an interesting concept that is commendable from a technical point of view, and is only let down by a few niggles. The ten levels of the game are not overly long, so you’ll have it done in less than ten hours unless you decide to explore everywhere and find all of the 450 grubs. If you’re prepared to put up with the few problems mentioned above, you’ll find an entertaining game that offers a new twist on a stalwart genre.

70%

By David Pitchforth