Impossible Creatures really cool!

[mtkafka]

Well on about 5 hours play I'm more than happy with the game. I'd say it's gameplay is akin to a conventional rts'd version of Earth 2150 meets Sacrifice BUT the biggest exception is there seems to be a good balance to the game so far. Combined tactics does help it seems, so rush tactics are an option, but I can see them being countered. I really like the idea of being able to build an animal army and the tons of options available with the creatures (50 available!).

I dont know how people can criticize this game over War 3 or AoM, when this game has as useful an interface as both of those and as good a campaign (I'm up to mission 5) and a pretty good skirmish AI. I've yet to play online, but so far I am impressed with the game. I'd say its the best rts I've played since WBC2 last year (ahead of both War 3 and AoM!) based on few hours. Its not completely original, but when you see an army of aardvark-wolves, and butterfly bomber monkies... it really is cool! Half the fun is building an army template! Almost like building a deck in Magic!

etc

[Erik]

Sacrifice

I'm not getting a sacrifice vibe at all. Please elaborate.


but when you see an army of aardvark-wolves, and butterfly bomber monkies

I agree that this should be the best part of the game. Unfortunately, the graphics are neither detailed enough nor well animated enough to make the battles very interesting to watch. For the most part, it's a bunch of stiff, similar looking things bumping into each other. The animals look pretty good in the designer screen, but pretty bad in the field.

[mtkafka]

In sacrifice online you can mix and match your force, that was what i mean, as well as the werid creature 'vibe'. Though gameplay wise its far from Sacrifice.

Also, I think the graphics are fine. If IC's creatyres are stiff looking than I'd say War 3 and AoM's are the same.

etc

[MrAngryFace]

Is this going to be another 'game has potential so that means its awesome' things?

[Anonymous]

dunno but after I got over the initial thrill of putting units together...it just seemed like the same ol same ol standard RTS thing. I agree with the potential of it all but when it comes to actual gameplay I have played this game about 50 times under 50 other titles. Will give it another day and then probably return it if I do not discover some buried vein of originality or cool here.

[Anonymous]

This game is awesome! It has so much potential!

[mtkafka]

aww shaddup! i like the game so sue me!

it ain't dat bad.

etc

[MrAngryFace]

POTENTIAL = GOTY!

[Erik]

Because it's my job, I've been playing IC online for the last couple of nights. After being spoiled by the one button matchup service in AOM and WC3, it's really, really hard going back to IC's old school "pick a game, then wait around the lobby until it fills up" interface. Not that the quick match would work for IC, since there's almost nobody playing it. The multiplayer game really is just an exercise in plowing through the tiny, linear tech tree and then pumping out as many of your one best unit as fast as possible. This is especially true because pretty much all of the twenty people who play IC insist on a 10 minute no attack rule, which makes low and mid level creatures totally irrelevant.

[Monty Cantsin]

a 10 minute no attack rule.
I wish chess players would show this kind of courtesy. I can't tell you how many times I've been carefully preparing a tactically complex queen-based strategy only to fall prey to a mindless pawn rush.

/mc

[xahlt]

Psssh.. Chess is a turn-based game, get with the times man, it's all RT these days.

[Brian Koontz]

Real-time Full-contact Chess... now *there's* an idea.

Jason Taylor (Miami Dolphins) kicks Kasparov's ass.

[Alan Au]

Have you tried Kung Fu Chess (http://www.kungfuchess.com/)?

- Alan

[Robert Sharp]

This one is getting pretty bland reviews. Almost everyone says it gets old fast, and the novelty only barely covers up the typical combat, which is hardly tactical at all, since you can't really control anything. Any of that fair?

[Lee Johnson]

Completely fair. I think the Games Domain review nailed it pretty well.

I'm not in the habit of taking games back to the EB, but I took Impossible Creatures back. I exchanged it for MGS2: Sons of Liberty and credit on my Zelda pre-order. I'm pretty happy with this decision.

[Mark Asher]

I finally played some of this and it is surprising how dull it is. You make your mad scientist creatures but then you can't remember what the hell they are, and you see your opponent's creatures and you have no idea what they are, so operating under this fog of mystery you just send your weird creatures at his weird creatures and hope for the best.

It's too bad because the concept is certainly cool and it's a lot of fun to design the creatures. The production values are good and I like the 30's B-movie style -- I love the music! The gameplay just doesn't grab me.

I think the combat could have been helped by better visual and aural cues. For monsters that attack by claw, we should hear some shredding noises and see fur and meat flying. Large monsters should make loud thuds as they run. Monsters that use horns to attack should knock back their targets. All we get are these combat animations where the opposing creatures sorta get close and wave at one another until one dies.

[wumpus]

All very good suggestions. It is a lot of fun to see units get knocked back and thrown around in AoM, and in WC3 you can definitely hear the Taurens' massive footsteps before you see them.

I haven't even bothered to open my copy of Impossible Creatures, and I can't return it, since I got this game as an exchange for another game I returned.. doh.

Hey, it's this year's Dungeon Siege!

[chet]

I think I discovered how MS should advertise this game.

RTS For Kids.

My nephews love it. It has simple strategies and resource gathering. And it has monsters you can play with for hours, even while your uncle is behind you yelling "enough already choose the lobster/whale".

They are 14 and 11 and 9 and the 11 & 9 year old love it and the 14yo thinks it is kinda cool, but gay. But I am pretty sure everything is gay to him right now.

Chet