wii
The Only Reason I'd Want Anything to Do With Spiders
Posted by Brian Crecente at 12:00 AM on July 23, 2008
I had a chance to sit through a demo of upcoming Wii action adventure game Deadly Creatures Rainbow Studios in the lead up to E3. The game has you taking turns controlling a spider and a scorpion as they make their way through a hostile desert environment and try to suffer the indignities, and boots of a pair of humans.
The Wii exclusive does a lot of neat things with the genre. First is the fact that while you do take turns controlling both the scorpion and spider in Deadly Creatures, they aren't buddies. In fact, they're deadly enemies of one another. You will never actually do combat while controlling either creature, but you get to witness a few stand-offs as the game unwinds.
While most of the action of the game takes place in the desert of Arizona, there is an overriding story that deals with these mysterious guys searching for something. It's these cut-scenes that sort of tie the entire experience together.
Controlling the spider and scorpion involves a lot of motion control, but the good kind, not the bad one. For instance, while moving the spider around you can target nearby creatures and then strike at them with a sudden flick forward of your hand. This also allows you to do some distant jump attacks. The spider, of course, can also crawl up walls and such, and both creatures regain health by eating crickets. Movement can be just as important as combat in the game too. In one scene the spider had to ditch a rattle snake by tricking it to strike into a cactus repeatedly. The whole thing, from interface, to movement and types of attack, has a very organic feel to it.
Both creatures unlock new abilities, like the ability to spin spider silk to capture creatures, by defeating a set number of creatures to hit predator goals.
Unfortunately, the game won't include any two-player co-op play. Instead you get take turns playing as the two critters in alternating chapters.
While almost all of the game is about surviving the environment and other nasty creatures, the final boss is one of the two humans in the game, the developer told me.
"I don't want to give too much away, but it will make you very squeamish", the developer said. "We do awful things to that poor man".

Comments (AU Comments · US Comments)
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ThursdayNext
Posted 2:06 AM 23/7/08
@Eltigro: @xyzface: Boo! GITS was way better.
ThursdayNext
xyzface
Posted 1:58 AM 23/7/08
any one remember the spider game for the ps1?came out pretty early in its life..it was good fun if not a little tedious at times [www.gamespot.com]
xyzface
Eltigro
Posted 1:56 AM 23/7/08
@kubevubin: Yep, I scrolled slowly through the posts to see if anyone else would mention it. It was called "Spider" actually. I remember I had a demo of it on a Playstation Underground disc. It was pretty fun.
Eltigro
ThursdayNext
Posted 1:48 AM 23/7/08
@kubevubin: @ThursdayNext: and a link to prove how right I am...[www.vgzone.com]
ThursdayNext
Boboh
Posted 1:44 AM 23/7/08
The E3 trailer is pretty sweet. ---> [www.gametrailers.com]
Boboh
ThursdayNext
Posted 1:37 AM 23/7/08
@kubevubin: Oooh, "ghost in the shell" methinks.
ThursdayNext
kubevubin
Posted 1:22 AM 23/7/08
Wasn't there a pretty decent game for PlayStation (1) that had you playing as some sort of robotic spider with missile launchers and flame throwers on its legs? I'm trying to remember the name of it, but I'm drawing a blank.
kubevubin
cirej2000
Posted 1:14 AM 23/7/08
The scorpion has a battle with a bunch of wolf spiders (shiver!!). Pretty creepy.
I thought that there was a rumor that this game got pushed out to 09. Anyways, I'm going to at least rent it. But my hands are tingling and it's getting hard to swallow just thinking about it.
This and "Fatal Frame IV" are my two aversion therapy games...I'm going to get them no matter how much potential there is to freak me out!
cirej2000
Captain_Collide
Posted 1:13 AM 23/7/08
This reminds me of Sim ant.
I'm horribly horribly arachnophobic, but this sounds like tons of fun.
Captain_Collide
Mommar
Posted 1:05 AM 23/7/08
@phatseejay:
You must not live someplace where there are Scorpions. Seriously, Scorpions are much worse.
Mommar
ThursdayNext
Posted 1:04 AM 23/7/08
Sounds cool. Bit like Mr Mosquito...but y'know...good.
ThursdayNext
valhum
Posted 1:02 AM 23/7/08
This looks pretty promising, cannot wait for more info.
valhum
Mr. Fluffykins
Posted 12:45 AM 23/7/08
You don't get to fight the spiders and scorpions? No amount of happy pills and mellow music is going to keep me from being annoyed by that.
Mr. Fluffykins
liquid_kore
Posted 12:44 AM 23/7/08
Try not to drink the spider Brian...
liquid_kore
Shiryu
Posted 12:43 AM 23/7/08
Looking forward to this one, hope THQ doesnt screw this one up with a rushed released.
I have faith in the developers, but not in the publishers, see...
Shiryu
DarkHavoc99
Posted 12:41 AM 23/7/08
"I don't want to give too much away, but it will make you very squeamish, but, you can lay eggs in the poor man's ear."
DarkHavoc99
phatseejay
Posted 12:38 AM 23/7/08
This game could be the best game Wii will have to offer for all I'll care but I will never find out... seriously... spider... *shivers in a corner* go away... *waves newspaper*
phatseejay
Onizuka-GTO
Posted 12:28 AM 23/7/08
do want!
Onizuka-GTO
frostcircus
Posted 12:27 AM 23/7/08
(I'll also be very impressed if they pull off the spider's walking animation. Most companies can't even do bipeds!)
frostcircus
frostcircus
Posted 12:24 AM 23/7/08
I'm very interested in this! The 'alternating between deadly enemies' mechanic worked brilliantly in Call of Juarez, and if they can bring that sort of dramatic tension to the animal world, I will be happy.
frostcircus
DUOPHONIX.com
Posted 12:23 AM 23/7/08
@IronsUK: HAHAHA post of the day!
DUOPHONIX.com
blueshoals
Posted 12:22 AM 23/7/08
Please, please tell me they hired Morgan Freeman to narrate this.
It would be the most epic game of all time.
blueshoals
Enkur
Posted 12:22 AM 23/7/08
So there ISN'T insect-fighting in this game, or just not between those two in particular? Latter is a let-down, but this is still more promising than most Wii titles on the horizon.
Enkur
todde7
Posted 12:20 AM 23/7/08
This game actually doesn't look to bad. At least there are some 3rd parties trying to pick up the slack of Nintendo's worst E3 ever!
todde7
IronsUK
Posted 12:18 AM 23/7/08
I don't like crickets, oh no. I love them.
IronsUK
Koontz
Posted 12:18 AM 23/7/08
So is there no combat at all, or is there just no combat between the two main creatures: the spider and the scorpion?
Also, sorry but editorial OCD kicks in: "Instead you get take turns playing as the two critters in alternating chapters." Insert "to" after "get."
Game looks awesome.
Koontz
Guild_Navigator
Posted 12:15 AM 23/7/08
It would be great if this game had a David Attenborough narrating it.
Guild_Navigator
The_Foo
Posted 12:14 AM 23/7/08
*insert grumbling about harcore gamers*
I think this looks pretty interesting.
The_Foo
themule
Posted 12:13 AM 23/7/08
This kinda sounds like a animal planet thing. hopefully this game doesn't get too dull.
themule
excel_excel
Posted 12:12 AM 23/7/08
"We do awful things to that poor man."
YES...awful thing....hahaha...BWAHAHAH....
Looks awesome. More human killing please?
excel_excel
shaunomacx
Posted 12:12 AM 23/7/08
EAT HIM! Its like arachnaphobia but worse!!!! Yuck
shaunomacx
DuckPuppy
Posted 2:59 AM 23/7/08
@Mommar: I lived in a place with both (I actually used to be a game developer for Rainbow Studios, the developers of this game, in Phoenix, AZ), and I'm still more afraid of spiders than scorpions... *shiver*
DuckPuppy
EmeraldDragon
Posted 3:26 AM 23/7/08
Still want this game.
EmeraldDragon
brightneonlights
Posted 3:12 AM 23/7/08
@Koontz: That's funny, Koontz, I had the same reactions to both of those sentences. I think Crescente was rushed or something, because this is one confusing, poorly-written preview.
brightneonlights
Highlar
Posted 3:49 AM 23/7/08
Yeah, this game looks like its coming along nicely. I saw the play test demo on G4 during E3, and I liked what I was seeing. The wall/ceiling crawling will be great, since it keeps the world with YOU, and makes it go upside down instead of you doing it, so they will be times when the sky is down instead of up. Going to be a blast, I think. The animations already seem to be moving pretty fluidly, too.
As for the comment of "at least there are third parties trying to make up for Nintendo's E3 showing" I've lately begun thinking that maybe Nintendo did that on purpose. They showed their casual stuff off, because they knew that there were 3rd party companies hosting several "core" games at the show, and they were (to my mind, although its still no excuse for the pitiful showing they made with their broken promises of "three games for the hardcore") giving 3rd parties a chance to shine and advertise instead of Nintendo taking the spotlight. Anyone else think this could maybe have had something to do with it?
Highlar
cynopt
Posted 4:28 AM 23/7/08
I am officially in love with this game.
We need a whole genre of games like this: I want to see a blood-soaked fighting game with elephants battling polar bears; I want a pikmin style strategy game where you command festering hordes of roaches and rats; I want a sim game about ANTS!
Granted, we got that last one, but I want ANOTHER sim game about ants.
Failing that, I want to be able to lay eggs in the boss's nostrils.
cynopt
Plan303e
Posted 4:48 AM 23/7/08
What, animals killing a human?
PETA will declare it GOTY.
Plan303e
Hansel
Posted 5:17 AM 23/7/08
Now how about a feature that allows you import new faces to those human characters from photos? Lurking your boss in the ceiling as a tarantula would be a relaxing thing to do after long day at work.
Hansel
GiantEnemyCrab
Posted 6:47 AM 23/7/08
wow that actually sounds cool. A 3rd party Wii game that doesn't involve any form of carnival games is welcome by me.
GiantEnemyCrab
Bricked
Posted 6:41 AM 23/7/08
There's should be one boss who's a survival show host that tries to eat you.
@kubevubin:
It was called Spider.
Bricked
BassForever
Posted 6:38 AM 23/7/08
DO WANT! Hopefully this will have a nice replay value to it.
BassForever
nautnaut
Posted 6:55 AM 23/7/08
Even looking at a picture of a digital spider makes my skin crawl...! Fuck spiders! Fuck them all! I still want to see more of this game though..>_>
nautnaut
Torgen got his apology faceplate but not his fixed GH3 disc
Posted 7:54 AM 23/7/08
@Torgen got his apology faceplate but not his fixed GH3 disc: I mean Primal Rage.
Torgen got his apology faceplate but not his fixed GH3 disc
Torgen got his apology faceplate but not his fixed GH3 disc
Posted 7:53 AM 23/7/08
@cynopt: You want Bloody Roar?
Torgen got his apology faceplate but not his fixed GH3 disc
KM91
Posted 8:43 AM 23/7/08
I hate spiders as much as Indiana Jones hates snakes.
KM91
Placentasaurus
Posted 10:23 AM 23/7/08
Hopefully my childish fear of spiders won't stop me from enjoying this game on someone else's Wii.
Placentasaurus
donquijote23
Posted 10:58 AM 23/7/08
@Hansel: oh I just got out of work and that really does sound appealing.
donquijote23
JokesJokes
Posted 3:37 PM 23/7/08
@JokesJokes: Good gourd...the errors are multiplying!
JokesJokes
JokesJokes
Posted 3:36 PM 23/7/08
@JokesJokes: href="#c6814292">frostcircus: "here" being "There" you'll have to find the link yourself@
JokesJokes
JokesJokes
Posted 3:33 PM 23/7/08
@Bricked: Ha ha! That would be amazing.
@frostcircus: I thought they did a pretty good job. here are some older vids on IGN you can check out. Pretty nifty.
Yeah, we used to have scorpions where I lived...hate the little buggers, but not as much as I hate black widows. They're not evn that deadly but...something about the way they move...that fat bloated body amdnd those spinly legs reaching and plucking as they crawl across the tangled mess of a web...ugh! Freaking myself out. Now I won't be able to sleep tonight.
JokesJokes
TheUnlovingSonOfCammie
Posted 5:12 AM 23/7/08
SPOILER ALERT
TheUnlovingSonOfCammie
Al3xand3r
Posted 4:36 AM 23/7/08
Why would you ruin the last boss for us... WHY?!
Al3xand3r
Al3xand3r
Posted 1:33 AM 23/7/08
...Ghost in the Shell... It was sub par, with some good anime cut scenes, but ultimately crappy levels and enemies. It was pretty cool the first few times you climbed walls and ceilings though.
Al3xand3r
Al3xand3r
Posted 12:37 AM 23/7/08
The video :P
[www.gametrailers.com]
The snake looks much improved over the last trailer too, nice to see they're putting in the effort...
Al3xand3r
Toastbusters
Posted 3:32 AM 23/7/08
Buck Bumble Wii!
Toastbusters
cynopt
Posted 9:12 AM 24/7/08
@Torgen got his apology faceplate but not his fixed GH3 disc: Close; I want a realistic Primal Rage with actual animals relying on natural traits to brutally murder each other. Think steel cage matches organized by a crazed Marlin Perkins.
cynopt
Glasspaper
Posted 1:21 AM 23/7/08
I've got to play it. I LOVE spiders!!! (Meaning I like them if they are not on me or VERY near me). I may not buy it, but that's what gamefly is for.
Glasspaper