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Impossible Creatures

EMAIL PRINT pc

8.2 User Score:

Mixed or average reviews

Based on 30 critic reviews
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Based on 15 votes
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Game Info

Publisher: Microsoft

Developer: Relic

Genre(s): Real-Time Strategy

Players: 8

ESRB Rating: T (Teen)

Release Date: January 7, 2003

Summary

A 3D real-time strategy game set in the 1930's that pits the player against an evil madman in a desperate campaign across a chain of remote and diverse islands. Using Earth's most formidable animals as building blocks, the player creates an army of unique, mutant monsters in a struggle to protect an unsuspecting world. [Microsoft]

Cheat Codes & Hints: Cheat Code Central Game Revolution IGN Insider Guide

Also On The Web: Official Website

What The Critics Said

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

Game Chronicles

Whether you are looking for a good 25-30 hour RTS campaign, or just the next big online RTS in the tradition of Magic the Gathering, Impossible Creatures has something inventive and fun for everyone.

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ActionTrip

The replay value of this game is very good, as I've found out that MP matches can be quite intense, and after all, this is where the truly creative players should sparkle.

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GameZone

A really fun and addicting title, despite the fact that it’s pretty similar to other titles in the same genre if you strip it down to the core.

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Gamezilla!

The concept of combining animals together to create units is innovative enough to overcome other stagnant RTS aspects.

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Electric Playground

I especially like that the Army Builder screen has something to analyze your army, and tell you where it is strong and where it is lacking.

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PC Gamer

Impossible creatures really shines in its multiplayer mode. [Mar 2003, p.86]

IGN

The creature creation process is close to enough to recommend this by itself, but put together with a fun single player mode and interesting "Magic the Gathering" style army building multiplayer strategy, it's a kooky ride that most gaming fans will enjoy.

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PC Gameworld

Highly recommended to RTS fans, yet is not daring enough to follow through with some of its ideas and reach its full potential.

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GMR Magazine

What on the surface looks like your run-of-the-mill RTS game is actually a sophisticated action-packed balancing act. [Mar 2003, p.71]

GamePro

The real fun for many IC players will be the Army Editor, which lets you play with combinations of animals and create your own creatures.

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Maxim Online

Once you get past all the gamesmanship, you can concentrate on bitch-slapping Mother Nature by creating twisted beasts that would make Jack Hanna brown his khakis.

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G4 TV

One of the more interesting and entertaining strategy titles to come along in quite some time.

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PC Format

A welcome mutation, but not as evolved as you’d think.

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GameSpot

Though the actual battles in Impossible Creatures aren't all that great, the game's offbeat premise, good looks, enjoyable campaign, and open-ended design make it both distinctive and recommendable.

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Game Revolution

Though it struggles a bit as a real-time strategy game, Impossible Creatures makes great strides in unit building and should be commended for its lofty goals.

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Game Informer

A great idea on paper, but it simply fizzles when the meaty portion of its plot is exposed to play. [Mar 2003, p.90]

Game Over Online

The innovation gets waylaid by the less than revolutionary components that make up the rest of the title... On the other hand, its less than revolutionary portions are actually very well polished and executed.

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GameSpy

What's truly surprising, given how atmospheric Relic's Homeworld was, is just how lame the story and ambience of Impossible Creatures turned out to be.

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Eurogamer

We were disappointed by the game's lack of depth, but we very much enjoyed playing it - and that, at the end of the day, is far more important than anything else.

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All Game Guide

The combat is fast-paced and aggressive, but balanced. The creature-combining mode is deep and involved, but accessible.

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Cincinnati Enquirer

Unfortunately, the game play in "Impossible Creatures" doesn't match the title's ingenious premise.

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PC Arena

The great retro sci-fi setting and creative twist in unit creation just can’t make up for cumbersome gameplay and poor unit control.

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Entertainment Weekly

If most real-time strategy titles are elaborate versions of rock, paper, scissors, Impossible Creatures is the world's most sophisticated game of rock. [7 Feb 2003, p.90]

Adrenaline Vault

Great production values aren’t enough to raise Impossible Creatures from being a mediocre exercise in button pushing, as it’s high on glitz but short on actual strategy.

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Yahoo! Games

Animal creation, plot, and fast-paced multiplayer and skirmish options all lend a certain amount of charm to the proceedings, although play is much more boring than you'd expect in a game where you can breed an unholy attack force of elephants with scorpion stingers and pincers.

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Computer Gaming World

It's a good concept set against an intentionally silly story. But the game is all style and little substance. [Apr 2003, p.110]

TotalGames.net

Most unforgiveable of all though, is the abysmally bad combat. Once your army is built, there is really nothing for the player to do other than point them at the enemy and hope to be last man standing.

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Computer Games Magazine

Boredom becomes a factor partly because of a limited number of combinations with which to experiment. [Apr 2003, p.78]

Edge Magazine

Apart from its admirable combinatorial system, Impossible Creatures is just another RTS. Indeed it's fairly simplistic as the genre goes...In theory this should foster a quick and immediate title, but in practice the build-up of resources is slow. Plainly average. [March 2003, p.100]

Armchair Empire

In a vacuous bubble, the prospect of combining creatures would create all sorts of wacky experimental fun. But in the context of real-time strategy, it becomes an unnecessary chore.

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What Our Users Said

The average user rating for this game is 8.2 (out of 10) based on 15 User Votes

Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Gary S. gave it a 10:
With the Insect Invasion MOD, even more creatures and abilities become available. And this expansion is available as a free download. Honestly, this game has saved me a lot of money because every time I think of buying another PC or console game, I think to myself: "Yeah, it looks good. But is it worth taking time away from playing Impossible Creatures?" Different maps and terrains call for different types of units, so you'll find yourself creating multiple armies and spending hours testing the abilities of your creatures. Most if not all of the magazine ratings were based on the original release. The expansion software adds so much in the way of strategy that it doubles the enjoyability and longevity of the game. As a schoolteacher, I have recommeded this game to my students and all who have purchased it seem to be enjoying it as much as I do.

Rex C. gave it a 9:
Not much new here in regards to RTS mechanics but the addition of army building (creature combining) really revitalizes this genre. Actually, I find that I spend more time combining creatures than playing the game - its such a fun gimicy mini-game. As for strategy, I find that if you play this enough, just like any game, there is a definite strategy - less on the tactics, more on the building the proper counters. Definite fun, I highly recommend trying it out.

Andy K. gave it a 10:
This game is great. I believe this game has the potential to be one of the greatest ever in the rts genre. Aside from the obvious ability to customize your own units, teh multiplayer games are very fast paced with the forst battles happening at around teh 3-5 minute mark. On top of all this relic is making a FREE expansion for the game set to be available for download any day now. It will contain 15 new animals and 9 new abilities, talk about the generosity of relic. P.S. Take it from me, i've actually played the game.

Jok`R de Mo gave it a 4:
Game sucks, take warcraft 2+ 3d graphics + hmm yeah nothing more. Ah yeah combine 2 animals - is that genetic game??? crap why can't I combine 3 animals? why I cant combine 2 species that I have created? CRAP CRAP CRAP...

Andrew C. gave it a 9:
It's pretty fun. Great for rts fans. Unless you want to focus on strategy. I haven't tried the multiplayer mode yet but I think it'll be great. Combining two animals in an rts game is clever though.

Steven K. gave it a 4:
I've seen enough of these games. Build base, create peasants or whatever. Make them collect resources. Build barracks or whatever. Create soldiers with your barrack. Battle with your soldiers. Blah blah. Soo dull. The only innovative in this game is the "combine 2 animals" mode. Or what the heck they call it. You select two animals, combine em. Thats it. Seriously, this game sucks.

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Impossible Creatures

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What The Critics Said

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