GENRE
	Action/Adventure
	DEVELOPER
	Rainbow Studios
	PUBLISHER
	THQ
	NUMBER OF PLAYERS
	1
	WI-FI ENHANCED
	No
	DS COMPATIBLE
	No
	BUY NOW AT

Two men scavenge through the desert in search of Spanish gold. A sweltering heat beats down their necks, causing sweat to drip down their faces. The duo are the story’s main characters in Deadly Creatures, but at the same time, are never controlled. Instead, a scorpion and tarantula act as the catalysts to a humanistic tale, seen from a perspective that’s a few millimeters off the desert sand. This hook establishes a much more fluid form of video game storytelling, though it becomes hindered through a somewhat spastic camera and frustrating combat balance. Even so, the creativity from Rainbow Studios ultimately stands to be applauded.

visuals

Creepily crawling as a tarantula into the desert may send shivers to those with arachnophobia. The attention to detail on both arachnids is superb, as individual hairs arise from the spider’s legs and a glossy shine reflects off the scorpion’s body.

The environments pack the same pizazz. They're full of geometry: octopus cactus twist and turn to create needle-filled mazes. Human objects are strewn throughout the desolate land, providing a grand sense of scale for the tiny heroes. Even enemies react realistically, with lizards schizophrenically running and stopping, flipping out their tongues in between.

The cut scenes -- if you could call them that -- tie it all together. While there are a few traditional segments, most of the storyline happens as play continues. For instance, the scorpion will traverse sand as the two humans discuss what they’re up to, which is very effective and interactive.

audio

To bring the humans to life, Rainbow tapped Billy Bob Thornton and Dennis Hopper. The two Hollywood stars provide first-rate voice work, although neither really pushes things too far. In the background, ambient noises and effects fill the air. Grasshoppers will be heard chirping, and light, moody music intensifies with enemy encounters. The package is impressive, as the minimal audio presentation is very fitting for this nature of game.

gameplay

As either the tarantula or scorpion, Deadly Creatures focuses on a mixture of combat and light adventuring. The combat is the weaker of the two. Although fighting upgrades add depth, certain battles can be a real nuisance. Multiple enemies –- such as lizards, rats and bugs -- will usually confront either arachnid. The diversity is robust, as a variety of strategies is key to defeating each. But sometimes, the foes will continually knock you down, with almost no way of retreating. As such, watching your character die is the only alternative. This wouldn’t be too heart-breaking, but save points are sparingly distributed throughout levels, which can lead to playing areas over and over.

Although the save points and knockdowns are problems, the main sore spot for combat -- and the game in general -- is the spastic camera. Having creatures that can traverse sideways and upside down on surfaces provides interesting challenges for any camera, and Rainbow does a decent job. But hang-ups occur more frequently as you progress because environments become more complex. As such, struggles will occur throughout, whether adventuring or fighting. Bad angles make the simplest battles terribly difficult and also create problems with where to go next. Luckily, the developer provides an easy directional on-screen marker to point you in the right way.

Speaking of controls, the Wii remote motions are incorporated intelligently. Button presses are designated for most attacks, while motions are mapped to stronger strikes and quick-time events. Something feels disgustingly satisfying about thrusting the remote down to unleash the scorpion’s stinger. Even the IR functionality adds to the gameplay, as it allows for the tarantula to accurately target opponents or latch onto loose webs.

The main strength of Deadly Creatures, though, is the story pacing and adventuring aspects. Both are melded together to feel as one, which doesn’t happen too often. In most games, cut scenes stop progress and force story, but that rarely happens here. Dialogue bits will occur a bit through each of the game’s 10 chapters, slowly revealing more plot points. But no one would care about the narrative if traversing the land was boring, which is definitely not the case. Navigating the desert is refreshing and offers some intriguing areas, such as the inside of a cactus or bathroom of a gas station. It almost has a feel of the Metroid Prime series, as each new locale will slowly showcase your next goal by zooming in on objects. This sense of exploration is definitely welcome.

multiplayer

N/A

overall

Publisher THQ and Rainbow provide a novel tale for Wii owners with Deadly Creatures. Assuming the role of insects to steer a mature storyline seems odd, but it ultimately works better than most video game blockbusters. Exploration elements provide awe, as well as a video and audio presentation that push the system to its fullest. A living, breathing world awaits, but the camera hiccups really do stutter the experience. Other technical problems arise, such as the combat, but it becomes easier to overlook with a game that is dripping with so much originality and spirit.

7.9/10