Nightmare Creatures II
Developer(s)Kalisto Entertainment
Publisher(s)Konami
Programmer(s)Stéphane Le Dorze
Artist(s)Pascal Barret
Composer(s)Frédéric Motte
Platform(s)PlayStation, Dreamcast
ReleasePlayStation
  • NA: 23 May 2000[1]
  • EU: 12 October 2000
Dreamcast
  • NA: 8 June 2000
  • EU: 8 September 2000
Genre(s)Survival horror
Mode(s)Single-player

Nightmare Creatures II is a survival horror video game developed by Kalisto Entertainment and published by Konami for the PlayStation and Dreamcast. It is the sequel to Nightmare Creatures.

Plot

In 1934, exactly one century after the previous game, Adam Crowley, an occultist, and antagonist from the previous game has created a vast race of mutant creatures, which he is using to wipe out a group of monster hunters called the Circle. Meanwhile, Herbert Wallace, a patient at Crowley's genetics hospital, escapes from captivity, armed with an axe. He arrives in London, where he discovers evidence of a picture of Ignatius Blackward, who in the previous game with Nadia Franciscus, had defeated Crowley. In a fire, Wallace is rescued from it by Rachel, the only surviving member of the Circle. They head their separate ways, with Wallace venturing to Crowley's castle, only to discover that Crowley himself is not there, but he is in Paris.

He then falls down a chute, which leads to a biplane that he flies to France. Wallace enters a cinema, where he finds a note from Rachel informing him that she knows of Crowley's plans. He then proceeds onwards to a museum to meet up with Rachel, but unknown to Wallace, Rachel is captured by zombies. Wallace then enters the museum, where he finds a detailed blueprint of the Eiffel Tower, along with some of Crowley's plans. In a crypt that Wallace enters, he is attacked by zombies, escapes in a car, and crashes in an elaborate graveyard after getting assaulted by a zombie that hid in the back, where he finds a part of Rachel's shirt snagged on a tree.

Wallace departs from the graveyard and falls into a sewer, which in turn takes him to the Paris underground, where he finds evidence of documents of ancient cults and a passage that leads to the Eiffel Tower. He then climbs to the top of the structure, where he finds a grotesque monstrosity. Using dynamite, he explodes the creature, only for the explosion to throw him off the top of the spire. However, his fall is cushioned, and he is reunited with Rachel, whereupon they walk away together. Whether Crowley is plotting his next scheme or gone forever is completely unknown.

Gameplay

The gameplay is similar to the previous installment, seeing the adrenaline bar abandoned and the addition of fatality moves to execute weakened enemies. Unlike the previous game though, Herbert is the only playable character and the unlockable ability to play as a monster is absent.

Music

The game features licensed music from Rob Zombie in the cutscenes while the in-game music was composed by the Nightmare Creatures composer, Frédéric Motte.

Reception

The PlayStation version of Nightmare Creatures II received "mixed" reviews, while the Dreamcast version received "unfavorable" reviews, according to the review aggregation website GameRankings.[2][3] Greg Orlando of NextGen quoted a song by Carly Simon, "You're So Vain", in saying of the latter console version, "Konami's 'dream' turns out to be nothing but 'clouds in our coffee.'"[22]

Uncle Dust of GamePro said that the PlayStation version "certainly earns its 'Mature' rating with plenty of blood and severed body parts, so it may not be for everyone. PlayStation horror fans, though, will find it a terrific, sharp-looking and -sounding action/adventure game."[24] He also said, "While the visuals are certainly more impressive than the PlayStation version's, the Dreamcast version of Nightmare Creatures II remains otherwise almost identical—which is a good thing, because the PlayStation Nightmare Creatures II is a great game."[25][lower-alpha 3] However, 2 Barrel Fugue said of the Dreamcast version in another GamePro review, "If you're the type of person who gets a kick out of exercises in futility, then Nightmare Creatures II is for you. If not, back away slowly and, when it's not looking, run like hell."[26][lower-alpha 4] The Electric Playground gave the PlayStation version a favorable review while it was still in development.[10]

Notes

  1. ↑ Three critics of Electronic Gaming Monthly gave the PlayStation version each a score of 4/10, 4.5/10, and 6/10.
  2. ↑ In GameFan's viewpoint of the PlayStation version, three critics gave it each a score of 55, 49, and 71.
  3. ↑ GamePro gave both the PlayStation and Dreamcast versions each two 4.5/5 scores for graphics and fun factor, 5/5 for sound, and 3/5 for control.
  4. ↑ GamePro gave the Dreamcast version 4/5 for graphics, and three 2/5 scores for sound, control, and fun factor in another review.

References

  1. ↑ IGN staff (22 May 2000). "The Games of May/June". IGN. Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on 22 March 2023. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
  2. 1 2 "Nightmare Creatures II for Dreamcast". GameRankings. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on 5 May 2019. Retrieved 5 March 2021.
  3. 1 2 "Nightmare Creatures II for PlayStation". GameRankings. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on 1 May 2019. Retrieved 5 March 2021.
  4. ↑ Thompson, Jon. "Nightmare Creatures II (DC) - Review". AllGame. All Media Network. Archived from the original on 15 November 2014. Retrieved 10 July 2017.
  5. ↑ Woods, Nick. "Nightmare Creatures II (PS) - Review". AllGame. All Media Network. Archived from the original on 15 November 2014. Retrieved 10 July 2017.
  6. ↑ Young, Jeffrey Adam (28 June 2000). "Nightmare Creatures II (DC)". Gamecenter. CNET. Archived from the original on 24 August 2000. Retrieved 5 March 2021.
  7. ↑ Steinberg, Scott (24 May 2000). "Nightmare Creatures 2 [sic] (PS)". Gamecenter. CNET. Archived from the original on 18 August 2000. Retrieved 5 March 2021.
  8. ↑ Davison, John; Johnston, Chris; Hager, Dean (July 2000). "Nightmare Creatures II (PS)" (PDF). Electronic Gaming Monthly. No. 132. Ziff Davis. p. 144. Archived (PDF) from the original on 10 July 2023. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
  9. ↑ Conlin, Shaun (17 July 2000). "Nightmare Creatures II (DC)". The Electric Playground. Greedy Productions Ltd. Archived from the original on 7 May 2003. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
  10. 1 2 Hudak, Chris (18 April 2000). "Nightmare Creatures II (PSX)". The Electric Playground. Greedy Prodtctions Ltd. Archived from the original on 15 May 2003. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
  11. ↑ "Nightmare Creatures II (DC)". Game Informer. No. 89. FuncoLand. September 2000.
  12. ↑ "Nightmare Creatures II (PS)". Game Informer. No. 86. FuncoLand. June 2000.
  13. ↑ Van Stone, Matt "Kodomo" (July 2000). "Nightmare Creatures II (PS)". GameFan. Vol. 8, no. 7. Shinno Media. pp. 42–43. Retrieved 5 March 2021.
  14. ↑ Mylonas, Eric "ECM"; Ngo, George "Eggo"; Weitzner, Jason "Fury" (July 2000). "Nightmare Creatures 2 [sic] (PS)". GameFan. Vol. 8, no. 7. Shinno Media. p. 12. Retrieved 5 March 2021.
  15. ↑ G-Wok (June 2000). "Nightmare Creatures 2 Review (DC)". GameRevolution. CraveOnline. Archived from the original on 13 September 2015. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
  16. ↑ Sanders, Shawn (June 2000). "Nightmare Creatures II Review (PS)". GameRevolution. CraveOnline. Archived from the original on 20 April 2004. Retrieved 5 March 2021.
  17. ↑ Provo, Frank (20 June 2000). "Nightmare Creatures II Review (DC)". GameSpot. Fandom. Archived from the original on 18 January 2005. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
  18. ↑ Provo, Frank (25 May 2000). "Nightmare Creatures II Review (PS)". GameSpot. Fandom. Archived from the original on 22 August 2023. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
  19. ↑ Wheat (17 September 2000). "Nightmare Creatures 2". PlanetDreamcast. IGN Entertainment. Archived from the original on 24 January 2009. Retrieved 10 July 2017.
  20. ↑ Gantayat, Anoop (12 June 2000). "Nightmare Creatures II (DC)". IGN. Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on 22 August 2023. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
  21. ↑ Perry, Douglass C. (30 May 2000). "Nightmare Creatures II (PS)". IGN. Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on 22 August 2023. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
  22. 1 2 Orlando, Greg (July 2000). "Nightmare Creatures II (DC)". NextGen. No. 67. Imagine Media. p. 91. Retrieved 5 March 2021.
  23. ↑ Davison, John (June 2000). "Nightmare Creatures 2 [sic]". Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine. Vol. 3, no. 9. Ziff Davis. p. 103. Retrieved 5 March 2021.
  24. ↑ Uncle Dust (July 2000). "Nightmare Creatures II (PS)" (PDF). GamePro. No. 142. IDG. p. 80. Archived (PDF) from the original on 13 August 2023. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
  25. ↑ Uncle Dust (July 2000). "Nightmare Creatures II (DC)". GamePro. No. 142. IDG. p. 88.
  26. ↑ 2 Barrel Fugue (30 May 2000). "Nightmare Creatures 2 Review for Dreamcast on GamePro.com". GamePro. IDG. Archived from the original on 12 December 2004. Retrieved 1 December 2023.{{cite magazine}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
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