Creatures 3
by Mindscape
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List Price: Category: Video Games See more product details |
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Video Game Reviews of Creatures 3
Customer Review: THIS GAME IS GREAT!
Summary: 5 Stars
When I got Creatures one i did not get ab owners manual or anything. Alls i got was the cd. i didnt even know what it was. but i tried it out and still didnt have a clue to what it was. slowly i figured out this and that about it. It has been almost 2 years since i got that game and i loved it (once i knew what to do)i am only twelve so it took me a while to do. i didnt get the internet until just recdently and found out that there was a C2 and C3. the next day i was out searching for either one of them. Unfortunatly i couldnt find them anywhere. so i got on the internet and ordered C3 for i only had enough for one. I have only had it for about a week but it is awesome. it is much more advanced than C1 and funner too.Customer Review: Few improvements over the original Creatures
Summary: 2 Stars
The original Creatures game represented a new class of computergame: real-time evolution. But Creatures had many problems: lots ofbugs, a lousy user interface, and a "flat" world where creatures can only move in one dimension at a time (a la the Mario Brothers) rather than in 2 or 3 dimensions (as with Diablo, Red Alert, Half-life, and most "modern" games).Unfortunately, Creatures 3 does little to remove the problems of the original. The game still limits your movements and still has a very clunky user interface. The creatures *are* smarter, with more genetic diversity. And the game doesn't seem as prone to crash. But this is a game that still needs a lot of work.
The interface relies on a long-deprecated "mode-based" approach for the four most common commands, which are all mouse actions. In the "normal" mode, a left mouse click touches an item under the mouse. In "help" or "training" mode, a left mouse click causes the name of the item to be spoken. To get into "training" mode, you press the F1 key. To get back into "normal" mode, you must press F1 again (except for one or two exceptions...). For uncommon or infrequently used commands, this type of mode-switching might have been acceptable. But for commands you're using constantly, it's entirely inappropriate. It doesn't take a brain surgeon to see that Shift+Click, etc., would have been preferrable to this mode-based approach. --Switching between modes is another example of the annoying "one dimension at a time" thinking that is so deeply rooted in this game.
The user interface also suffers in other ways:
* Dialog boxes can't be moved, they can only be closed.
* Important commands and actions are hidden in side pannels that can't be left exposed at all times.
* Getting critical information on a norn requires opening a separate window, and even here the amount of information given is grossly inadequate. (You can't see if the norn is sick, tired, or hungry, for example.)
* Entering the learning center, a key area, involves a context switch, and you have to let go of any norn you're taking there in order to invoke that switch: with the frequent result that the norn runs off, leaving you to learn the meaning of "frustrated" from the computer by yourself.
* It's still easy to reward instead of punish, or vice versa, because these are both delivered by a left mouse click, where "reward" occurs if the mouse is over a creature's nose, and "punish" occurs over the creature's bootay. The problem is, norns tend to move quickly, and they can stand up, crouch, or lay down, making it quite easy to deliver a negative reinforcement when a positive reinforcement is desired.
These problems make Creatures 3 appropriate only for die-hard fans. The rest of us who would like to play, but won't accept this kind of abuse, must wait for Creatures 4--and hope it's more than just another cosmetic upgrade.
Customer Review: Best game EVER!
Summary: 5 Stars
I may be only 9 years old, but the person who gave this game a bad review needs to be more observant and logical. This game rules, and is simple when you understand. These adorable creatures called Norns roam Albia in their quest for protection. Now you come in. There are also impish creatures called Ettins who steal your machinery that are supposed to be helping you out. Also, horrible Grendels KILL and STEAL things, including eggs! But there are cheats, one to clog the Grendel Population! Buy this game! Help the Norns! Good luck.Customer Review: Not worth the money
Summary: 1 Stars
I'm completely perplexed by the rave reviews for this game. I found it frustrating and confusing as to just what he heck this game was about, much less how to make everthing work. The manual is vague at best and trying to make anything work was impossible. Don't waste your time with this.Customer Review: Best Game in existance
Summary: 5 Stars
The creatures in this game, calles "Norns", are created by mindscape to be able to manipulate their environment, develop skills, learn languages, play games, but none of these behaviors is in any way pre programmed. For instance, in Creatures 1, the creatures were playing with a simple ball. they bounced it, and then ran after it and bounced it again. The creatures in C1 were not very advanced, but two Creatures figured out that they could get the ball faster and play more if they threw the ball to each other. This shocked the whole online community of Creatures, even the creators, as this kind of behavior is not expected of the creatures in C1. In C3, this is a tiny feat compared to what they can do. The programmers have taken a revolutionary step in not preprogramming the behavior. Furthermore, these creatures can have children, with genes inherited from their parents, and these genes mix, match and mutate to create a creature that just like a human, will never exist again.Ahh.. but there's a challenge. There are two other types of creatures, just as smart as the Norns, and the Giant Grendels will eat the norns' eggs, and the small, crafty ettins will take apart your most carefully planned machines in a flash and run off back home with them. It's up to you, the user, to guide the vulnerable norns through evolution, until they can care for themselves.
This Game is a top buy, and I strongly reccomend it to New users and Creatures Veterans alike.