Deadly Creatures: Video Game Review

Video games have made their money by taking us to strange new worlds, having us prevent an invasion of our own world, or lifting us to the heights of fantasy. In Deadly Creatures, a game released exclusively for Nintendo's Wii, Rainbow Studios shows us the world around us on a minuscule level.

The game puts the player in control of one of two main characters, a tarantula and a scorpion. Both have their strengths, and their share of weaknesses. It's a seemingly odd premise, but one that turns out to be the game's strongest element. Given the player charge of a bug, quite literally, makes Deadly Creatures unique, a stand-out from the shovelware only too present on Nintendo's high-selling console.

While the premise makes the game original in itself, the game features some sort of plot. Two men (yes, humans) are searching for a buried Civil War treasure. Both the tarantula and scorpion share some connection with the men, but the plot there is just a backdrop. It's the bugs and their environment that makes the game. As the game progresses, the player will pit his choice of creature against a rattlesnake, Gila monster, and in the case of scorpion, the humans themselves.

The tarantula is a master of stealth, quick and nimble. The scorpion may lumber around like a tank, but he makes up for his bulk with brute force. Playing as the tarantula gives the player the ability to shoot webs, thanks to the Wii remote's pointer capabilities. The scorpion has its signature stinger and its claws of death. But remember, the spider can walk up walls. This makes the tarantula's levels much less linear, but takes them to an interesting gameplay level. The scorpion's levels consist of mainly action and combat, straightforward take-em-all-out.

The game's controls are spot-on. Occasional hit-detection flukes do occur, but they affect the outcome of a fight. The only main complaint is with the camera. At times, it has a mind of its own, especially when walking up walls.

But all the elements weighed and considered, Rainbow Studios and THQ have hit a home-run. Deadly Creatures spins a tale of survival-of-the-fittest against a backdrop of treasure hunting. This is one Wii owners and serious gamers should not miss.