Nightmare Creatures 2

Written by Tom Clare in PSOne Game Reviews, Friday 18 March, 2005

See the world as an axe-happy chappy!

Straight from the word go Nightmare Creatures 2 was creating a genuine stir on the PlayStation scene. Early 2000 saw the emergence of some eye-opening screenshots that were as violent as they were beautiful. This coupled with press releases (from developers Kallisto) claiming the final code to be 'far more hellish' meant that, if nothing else, the arrival NC2 would not go unnoticed.

Nightmare Creatures 2 was the long-overdue sequel to 1997's hack 'n' slash adventure Nightmare Creatures. This instalment is set one hundred years later and once again focuses on ker-azy sorcerer Adam Crowley, who hasn't let something as insignificant as his own death stand between him and complete control of the world. A successful resurrection and century-long rest later, and he's back to make a nuisance of himself all over again.

From one loon to another then - the player assumes control of one Herbert Wallace; a man living out his days in a lunatic asylum, accompanied only by his axe and tasteful trench coat. He has been plagued by his own insanity, as well as some truly horrific visions. One day, he is summoned to pursue the meddling Crowley, with the chance to exact some long-awaited revenge. Thus begins his trip through Victorian London and Paris piecing together clues as to the whereabouts of his nemesis.

Nightmare Creatures 2 is never quite what it seems - simultaneously pretty and rough; the shock-tactics and blood-letting it employs are wildly over the top and yet strangely appropriate, and a complete failure to live up to its own considerable hype, though you can't help enjoying it for what it is.

The action is played from a third-person perspective and basically involves lots of fights with zombies, freakish bodged-experiments, monsters and various other (ahem) creatures. To add a little variety to the proceedings, some simple puzzles (e.g. find the key to unlock the door) and basic platforming elements (climb ladder/jump-the-gap) have been included too.

The main improvement over the original game comes in the form of a 'lock-on' system for battles. This means that whenever Wallace is in the near vicinity of an enemy, he will automatically target them and move into 'Combat' mode. The hero is a fairly dexterous chap all things considered; he can perform vertical and horizontal chops with his trusty axe, as well as the odd combination move that will really see the limbs flying! To add a more tactical slant, he can also dodge, kick and block as well. It is successfully implemented overall, though evading confrontations can become a trying process, and you can never fight more than one opponent at a time.

It's a pretty playable game on the whole; the simple action is easy to get the hang of and there's a fair bit of fun to be had in mastering combos and the gruesome 'fatalities' (moves that finish off an enemy who is stunned). Repetition inevitably proves a problem over time, and isn't helped by the lack primary weapons at the players' disposal - you'll have to make do with the axe for the entirety of the game. Luckily, there are a host of secondary weapons that can be found scattered about the levels; magical attacks that gift the ability to freeze or burn enemies, as well as the nasty 'jar of flies' and 'spike crown'.

To the untrained eye, the visuals may come across as rather rough, and perhaps they are. However, they compliment the games gristly manner, and manage to maintain their unique stylings throughout the course of the adventure. The characters (particularly Wallace) are very impressive; not only does each look distinctive, detailed and suitably deformed, they all move in a unique way - some of the baddies scuttle around at speed whilst others stomp or lurch about; but all in a convincing fashion. The levels themselves score top-marks for the dark, murky and original environments, and some notable effects such as breakable scenery, fire and rain hammering down on to the streets.

Presentation is of a very high standard - the selection of cut-scenes is welcome with fine voice-dialogue, and many of the loading screens are made a great deal more interesting thanks to Wallace's monologues.

Perhaps because of the new battle-system NC2 sacrifices its ability to truly scare the player, even with its ominous, dingy levels. You never get the feeling that you are in any immediate danger, though the sound effects and music do manage to create a decent atmosphere in many of the playing sections.

In terms of lifespan, Nightmare Creatures 2 fairs well. Although there is little incentive to return once you have played it through to the end, it should take a while to complete. The game opens up after a fairly uneventful first level, and with the introduction of some tricky boss battles and crafty enemy A.I, the later levels should take awhile to polish off. Deaths are unlikely to cause too much anguish either as the spacing of save points has, in my opinion, been judged to a tee - you won't have to replay large sections just to re-reaching a tough boss-battle here!

The 15 certificate is perhaps justified alone by the axe-orientated violence of hero Herbert Wallace. There's a fair bit of the red stuff too (as with most games these days), though I'm sure it will be the decapitation of the various creatures populating the game that will have parents raising an eye-brow or two.

Nightmare Creatures 2 is neither as shocking nor as scary as it perhaps sets out to be, and its linear gameplay may frustrate those looking for a sophisticated action/adventure. That said, it sports some very nice visuals, interesting levels and a suitably dark atmosphere. Granted, there are better games out there than this, though Kallisto's illusive adventure is unlikely to disappoint those who enjoyed the original. Good, though little more than a stop-gap between the first and (as yet unreleased) third instalments, so it would be best to try Silent Hill or one of the Tomb Raider's first.

Leave a Reply