Deadly Creatures
When this one scuttled it’s way to my mail box I smiled. Like a boy I quicky ran to Linda. “Gross!” squealed, revealing her inner 3rd grader. I mean come on, this should be a top seller! It lets you portray and hunt as a scorpion and a tarantula! And it’s not edutainment! (<- more on that later). It’s also got a cool double narrative. As you perform your predatory goals, two crotchety old men (Billy Bob Thornton and Dennis Hopper no less) and their hard luck life scrabbling for gold among the “Deadly Creatures.” Man, when I was in 3rd grade I would have literally fainted and then fainted again. Wait! I’d think,”they’re making games out of my dreams?” Yep, too bad they rated it T-Teen.
It’s rated T for the violence – snake on scorpion on grub on spider action! – but the greenish blood is more icky then offensive. There is some salty language and an alcohol reference or two, but nothing you couldn’t see on TV. The game itself is pretty good, if a little repetitious. The main campaign spoon feeds you the surprisingly deep fighting controls and starts you out with the spider. After cricket chomping, some mild cannibalism (other tinier spiders), an epic battle against a rattler and a fight with the scorpion – you get to play the scorpion. Their adventures are similar. Eat, fight, listen to the two old men talking. But the fighting is fun, particularly the scorpion. He’s got, claws, tail, pincers, and he can use his pincers like a boxer guarding his face. The spider is all attack. He leaps, lands, bites and is gone. Oh and there is webbing too!
One thing Deadly Creatures should not be confused with is edutainment. The creatures look accurate but it ends there. Unless you believe a Tarantula is capable of a spinning flying saucer attack. More facts, more realism, would not only make a better game but an easier one to recommend. Cool goes a long way though, y’know? And just seen bugs fighting gets my 10 year-old goosebumps … uh… bumping.
The review scores this one is getting are too low if you ask me. Sure, it’s not as good as one of the great ones, but the premise makes up for it.
Deadly Creatures – ESRB T-Teen 13+
GamerDad – 10+ This game is too hard for youngsters and maybe too scary, but this is also the demographic that’d most enjoy role-playing spiders and scorpions.
March 23rd, 2009 at 3:36 pm
I have been a regular reader but this is the first time I have felt compelled to post. I strongly second gamerdad’s positive opinion of Deadly Creatures. There’s been a lot of hype around “hardcore” games for the Wii, such as Madworld and House of the Dead Overkill. Those games are way over the top killing fests, which have their place, but for me, the unique Deadly Creatures was alot more fun to play… plus my kids can watch! Anyone looking for a fun and interesting single player adventure on the Wii… check out Deadly Creatures… it looks and sounds great too!
March 23rd, 2009 at 5:21 pm
Agreed, of course. Really this is how the game should be sold:
FOR 4th GRADE AND UP!
It’s got a Tarantula and a Scorpion
YOU CAN FIGHT A GILA MONSTER!
also, it stars Billy Bob Thornton and Dennis Hopper as giant humans
Anyway, you know how suddenly everyone loves Psychonauts, Painkiller and Thief? (I mean aside from Yatzhee?) It’s because they were cool in a way classics of their time weren’t.
PS: I’m waiting for someone to rediscover Odama, Sacrifice and Die By the Sword (that one has been long enough) but it’s probably too soon.
March 23rd, 2009 at 5:21 pm
Doesn’t sound like the sort of game for me. I really wouldn’t like to play as my least favourite species. It also sounds mediocre at best.
I’ll go back to zombies. Spiders are just too creepy for me.
March 23rd, 2009 at 5:52 pm
Dennis Hopper is doing a lot of voice over work of late. I think he is top in this game and i just got him on my GPS too!
i got the GPS voice from a site called Navtones. they do real celebrity voices for GPS and Hopper is one of them. It’s some funny stuff.
i like this game but I wish you could do more stuff with the humans!
March 24th, 2009 at 2:44 pm
Looks neat, but not neat enough to blow 50 bucks on. Maybe when the price goes down.