Nightmare Creatures

Nightmare Creatures
Developer(s) Kalisto Entertainment
Gameloft (Mobile)
Publisher(s)
Producer(s) Nicolas Gaume
Designer(s) Pascal Barret
Laurent Beauvallet
Cyrille Fontaine
Marc Pestka
Programmer(s) Alain Guyet
Sébastien Morin
Artist(s) Pascal Barret
Benoît Milhorat
Composer(s) Frédéric Motte
Platform(s) PlayStation, Microsoft Windows, Nintendo 64, Mobile
Release PlayStation
  • NA: 17 November 1997[1]
  • EU: January 1998
Microsoft Windows
Nintendo 64
  • NA: November 1998
Mobile
  • WW: September 2003
Genre(s) Survival horror
Mode(s) Single-player

Nightmare Creatures is a survival horror video game released for the PlayStation, Microsoft Windows and Nintendo 64. It was developed by Kalisto Entertainment and published by Activision and Sony Computer Entertainment. A sequel, Nightmare Creatures II, was released three years later. The mobile phone version of Nightmare Creatures was developed and published by Gameloft in 2003.

Plot

The story behind Nightmare Creatures draws upon gothic horror elements of the 19th century. The story begins in 1666, when a devil-worshiping cult called the Brotherhood of Hecate were conducting sinister experiments in London so as to take over the city, and then the world. The Brotherhood tried to develop an elixir that would endow them with superhuman powers. However, rather than creating their intended superhumans, their experiments created only grotesque monsters. When they decided to use these creatures as an army of conquest, one of their number, Samuel Pepys, set their headquarters on fire, resulting in the First Great Fire of London.

The game takes place in 1834 when London falls victim to several evil occurrences. Monster sightings are reported along with news of people mutating into ungodly creatures, and that the dead are waking from their graves and walking among the living. All of London is in a panic and vulnerable to the schemes of Adam Crowley, a mad scientist and occultist enlisting the help of the Brotherhood.

A book is dropped off at the home of Ignatius Blackward, a priest and occult expert. He finds it is the lost diary of Samuel Pepys, which contains the Brotherhood's research. Knowing he needs help, Ignatius sends the diary to a renowned American immunologist named Dr. Jean Franciscus of New Orleans, who shows up with his daughter Nadia. The doctor is murdered and the book stolen. At the funeral, Ignatius and Nadia are approached by a man who gives them a note reading: "Know about Adam Crowley, Brotherhood of Hecate --- HVHJ." Ignatius and Nadia head out to an address listed on the note, hoping to seek out Crowley and to neutralize the monsters.

Gameplay

Secondary weapons such as pistols, mines, fire bombs, and magic spells can be used in addition to each character's primary weapon.[3] The game features an optional adrenaline bar which causes health to be lost if it runs out, and players are forced to continuously seek out and win battles to keep the adrenaline bar full.

Versions

While the PlayStation and Microsoft Windows versions are essentially the same, the Nintendo 64 version saw a handful of minor changes. Given the limited storage capacity of the N64's cartridge system, all full-motion videos were removed. Brief segments of scrolling text are used at the game's start and following each level to advance the plot. The platforming elements were made much easier in the N64 version, and the health-depleting adrenaline meter could also be turned off in the options menu, allowing players to explore the environments at a more leisurely pace. Also graphically, the N64 version is more crisp, clear and detailed than the PlayStation version, without the pixelization and texture-warping.

Reception

Reception
Review scores
PublicationScore
mobileN64PCPS
AllGameN/A[4]N/A[5]
EdgeN/AN/A7/10[6]N/A
EGMN/A4.825/10[7]N/AN/A
Game InformerN/A8/10[8]N/A8.75/10[9]
GameProN/A[10]N/A[11]
Game RevolutionN/AN/AC+[12]B+[13]
GameSpot8.5/10[14]6.7/10[15]5.5/10[16]5.7/10[17]
IGN6.5/10[18]7.4/10[19]N/A7.8/10[1]
Nintendo PowerN/A6.6/10[20]N/AN/A
OPM (US)N/AN/AN/A[21]
PC Gamer (US)N/AN/A82%[22]N/A
Aggregate score
GameRankings70%[23]65%[24]51%[25]78%[26]

The PlayStation version of Nightmare Creatures received "favorable" reviews, while the Mobile, Nintendo 64 and PC versions received "mixed" reviews, according to the review aggregation website GameRankings.[23][24][25][26]

Film adaptation

On 8 December 2000, a film adaptation based on the game was announced, but never got into production.[27]

References

  1. 1 2 Douglas, Adam (26 October 1997). "Nightmare Creatures (PS)". IGN. Retrieved 2 August 2014.
  2. ↑ "Nightmare Creatures - PC". IGN. Retrieved 8 July 2017.
  3. ↑ "Sneak Previews: Nightmare Creatures". GamePro. No. 102. IDG. March 1997. p. 50.
  4. ↑ Marriott, Scott Alan. "Nightmare Creatures (N64) - Review". AllGame. Archived from the original on 14 November 2014. Retrieved 8 July 2017.
  5. ↑ House, Michael L. "Nightmare Creatures (PS) - Review". AllGame. Archived from the original on 14 November 2014. Retrieved 8 July 2017.
  6. ↑ Edge staff (August 1998). "Nightmare Creatures (PC)". Edge. No. 61.
  7. ↑ "Nightmare Creatures (N64)". Electronic Gaming Monthly. January 1999.
  8. ↑ McNamara, Andy; Andreson, Paul; Reiner, Andrew (January 1999). "Nightmare Creatures - Nintendo 64". Game Informer. No. 69. Archived from the original on 5 December 2000. Retrieved 8 July 2017.
  9. ↑ McNamara, Andy; Reiner, Andrew; Storm, Jon (November 1997). "Nightmare Creatures (PS)". Game Informer. No. 55. p. 68. Archived from the original on 21 January 1998. Retrieved 8 July 2017.
  10. ↑ Scary Larry (January 1999). "Nightmare Creatures (N64)". GamePro. No. 124. p. 134. Archived from the original on 1 October 2004. Retrieved 9 July 2017.
  11. ↑ Scary Larry (November 1997). "Nightmare Creatures Review for PlayStation on GamePro.com". GamePro. No. 110. Archived from the original on 12 February 2005. Retrieved 9 July 2017.
  12. ↑ Anderson, Tom (January 1998). "Nightmare Creatures Review (PC)". Game Revolution. Archived from the original on 5 February 2004. Retrieved 8 July 2017.
  13. ↑ Cooke, Mark (November 1997). "Nightmare Creatures Review (PS)". Game Revolution. Archived from the original on 13 June 1998. Retrieved 8 July 2017.
  14. ↑ Brown, Damon (2004). "Nightmare Creatures Review (Mobile)". GameSpot. Retrieved 8 July 2017.
  15. ↑ Fielder, Joe (20 November 1998). "Nightmare Creatures Review (N64)". GameSpot. Retrieved 2 August 2014.
  16. ↑ Kasavin, Greg (16 January 1998). "Nightmare Creatures Review (PC)". GameSpot. Retrieved 2 August 2014.
  17. ↑ Fielder, Joe (31 October 1997). "Nightmare Creatures Review (PS)". GameSpot. Retrieved 8 July 2017.
  18. ↑ Buchanan, Levi (5 December 2003). "Nightmare Creatures (Cell)". IGN. Retrieved 8 July 2017.
  19. ↑ Casamassina, Matt (30 November 1998). "Nightmare Creatures". IGN. Retrieved 2 August 2014.
  20. ↑ "Nightmare Creatures". Nintendo Power. Vol. 116. January 1999. p. 126. Retrieved 9 July 2017.
  21. ↑ "Nightmare Creatures". Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine. 1998.
  22. ↑ Harms, William (April 1998). "Nightmare Creatures". PC Gamer. Archived from the original on 5 March 2000. Retrieved 9 July 2017.
  23. 1 2 "Nightmare Creatures for Mobile". GameRankings. Retrieved 8 July 2017.
  24. 1 2 "Nightmare Creatures for Nintendo 64". GameRankings. Retrieved 2 August 2014.
  25. 1 2 "Nightmare Creatures for PC". GameRankings. Retrieved 2 August 2014.
  26. 1 2 "Nightmare Creatures for PlayStation". GameRankings. Retrieved 2 August 2014.
  27. ↑ Zoromski, Brian (8 December 2000). "Nightmare Creatures Movie Announced". IGN. Retrieved 8 July 2017.
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