I learned about Deadly Creatures via a retro game channel on Youtube (visit GameSack) and was intrigued by three things: Billy Bob Thornton, Dennis Hopper, motion controls. It was formally introduced at one of the last E3 events and made a big impression on the crowds- likely due to the extremely neat premise of being a scorpion or tarantula partaking in an action adventure RPG at the ground level of a lush desert.
Firstly, this game does not seem like it was play tested well. Within the first level, after have been defeated by a fairly difficult rattlesnake boss- mind you, following trivial encounters with bugs, my spider would attempt to re-enter the arena, only to freeze and take some sort of fall damage until death.
Climbing on walls is a neat mechanic and the camera behaves fairly well with it- but sure enough I crawled and jumped from the wrong sort of spot and clipped myself off the terrain of the level and plunging into a void rarely seen on a Wii. What gives? There doesn’t seem to be any penalty to dying other than a reason to wash your stats and start over.
I’m not a fan of collection questing and this game puts it front and center, with your main arachnid eating bugs to boost completion rating (presumably). Seems steep, with examples as high as 500 grubs to mash, when you are at risk to fall through the level at any time. Needless to say, after devouring the first 10 grubs then having a save game corrupt itself at the snake led me to skip all of the collection nonsense in the first level just to get to my point of current progress.
So far the Mr Hopper and Mr Bob side story hasn’t evolved other than to make these two dudes read off a script that makes them seem like caricatures of themselves. There’s a bunch of hot air, prosaic expose on the ol’ duality of man, man’s greed and secrets. Something tell me- a man is the deadliest creature of them all. Maybe I just spoiled it for myself.
The motion controls are a dog and don’t do you any enjoyable favors. Even on normal, so far, they are finicky with the quick time events, but seem fairly liberal in performing moves during a contemporary battle outside the boss. The game is motion control only, so throw that lovely Wii Pro Controller straight into the trash.
Disappointed to give the game a pre-emptive score of 4/10 but will be more than willing to budge up if things start clicking better.
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