Publisher: Microsoft, www.microsoft.com
Ages: nine and up.
Parental
Advisory:
None
My son's favorite T-shirt shows a picture of a penguin with a caption that reads "I wish I could fly." And if this cute little penguin could play a part in Microsoft's Impossible Creatures, he could soar in a creative world where great white sharks stalk the land and rhinoceroses move with the agility and speed of leopards. This real-time strategy/war game is a creative and innovative endeavor that has flaws, but is definitely worth a look.
The game lets you merge the features and capabilities of more than 50 real-world animals to create thousands of bizarre and fantastic units. After developing creatures, you command them in bizarre armies through 15 single-player battles, or against other players through online or LAN (local area network) connections.
Because the game uses animals, it's relatively easy to understand the relative strengths of armies. And you're free to create armies of customized units to accomplish what you wish. For example, for strong aerial attacks, you can add the wings of a snowy owl to a rhino; or to launch amphibious assaults on an opponent's base, you can mutate a killer whale so it has the strong arms and legs of a silverback gorilla.
The game offers an entertaining and challenging single-player campaign. The only downside is that there are no options for working in formations during battle. As a result, battles in this game are mostly free-for-alls, which contrast with the organized campaigns offered in the best real-time strategy games.
The game serves first rate graphics that effectively bring the creatures to life and make the game fun to watch. You can also participate in multi-player games over a LAN or online through an IP connection or the IC Online player-matching service. If you're so inclined, you can also use a mission editor to create scenarios of your own.
In the end, the creative aspects of Impossible Creatures soar, while the battle segments are par for a real-time strategy game. Despite the game's war theme, Impossible Creatures is a fresh, innovative and creative take on the popular real-time strategy genre. And one that I recommend.
1/27/03
Wayne N. Kawamoto
Managing Editor, www.daytrum.com
