Impossible Creatures is a real-time strategy game developed by Relic Entertainment and published by Microsoft Games. It was released in December 29, 2002. Relic released official expansions later on, that can be installed to add new features to the game
Nordic Games, released a version of the game for Steam on November 12th, 2015. It is optimized for modern computer systems and software. The game contains all expansion packs and patches released in the past. The IC Online servers are reimplemented through Steam's cloud service and the game's modding SDK are included in the package with the Mission Editor originally available within the game's files.
It consist in a fight between armies used are created by the Player. This army conisist of 9 creatures, which are the combination of two animals from a group enlisted in the game. The game includes an extensive Campaign mode, a Multiplayer mode, and a Player VS Computer mode.
In the year 1908, A brilliant scientist by the name of Dr. Eric Chanikov, participated in a weapons project called the Death Ray, first developed by Nikola Tesla. The project back-fired, resulting in a explosion later known as the Tungunska Event. The results of the explosion somehow brought into existence, the Sigma Technology; a method that allows you to genetically combine two species together into one, Impossible creature. The disaster killed Dr. Chanikov's wife but miraculously his young son Rex, survived despite exposure to gamma radiation; but he was not unaffected. Dr. Chanikov later confided to his colleague Upton Julius, that he believes his son is the very essence of Sigma; having been combined with thousands of elements from his environment, granting him super human senses.
After the event, Dr. Chanikov fled persecution at the hands of the Russian government and exiled himself on a series of islands in the Variatas Archipelago. There, he continued perfecting the Sigma Technology, while his son was sent away to live a normal life in America; unaware of his abilities.
Twenty-nine years later; Dr.Chanikov contacts Rex in the form of a letter, instructing him to come visit him on his secret base so he can tell him the truth about who he really is. Unfortunately, he asked his colleague Julius to help with finding him; Upton decides to betray Eric instead, hoping to use his son Rex for his own nefarious purposes.
The Game starts with Rex Chance, former War Correspondent, receiving this letter from his dad whom he mistook for dead. Upon arriving at the Variatas Archipelago, he's unable to find his father and instead gets attacked by Julius and his horde of combined creatures. Rex is rescued last minute by Dr. Lucy Willing in her mobile Lab, a colleague of Dr. Chanikov and expert on the Sigma Technology. She tells Mr. Chance that she too is looking for his father and aids in the search.
They investigate a series of Isla's under Whitey Hooten's watch; Julius's right hand. From him they learn that Dr. Chaikov is in fact dead and buried. Rex Chance uses the Sigma creatures to defeat Whitey and vows to get revenge for his father's death.
Rex and Lucy set out to find Julius, making a quick pit-stop on Isla Aduro where they encounter Velika La Pette, a Parisian who has supposed intimate relations with Upton Julius. She attempts to stop them on his orders using her combined creatures but Rex defeat's her as well, rescuing the native villagers she had kidnapped.
Rex starts noticing he's feeling more aggressive, stronger with a keen sense of his surroundings; unaware that it's his abilities being awakened by his exposure to the Sigma creatures. This becomes even more apparent when they get stranded on Isla Perculsus and must fend off a horde of Julius's creatures. Here, Rex discovers he is able to control their Sigma animals without the use of combiner relays and is in fact communicating with them directly, much to Lucy's astonishment.
Later, they arrive on Isla Mutatio; where Julius's top scientist, Dr. Otis Ganglion, does his research. A former veterinarian who used inferior science to create his own spliced creatures via inhumane techniques. After seeing how the Sigma technology is being abused at the hands of Julius, Rex decides they need to destroy it. Lucy protests but changes her mind after discovering Ganglion had tested the technology on humans, killing them as a result.
The two plot to stop Ganglion by attacking his base on Isla Fervesco. After his defeat Lucy and Rex confront the Doctor but one of Julius's pets, a giant gorilla named King, kidnaps Lucy instead. Furious, Rex takes Ganglion hostage, threatening to kill him unless he helps him rescue her. Ganglion plays along in hopes of leading him into Julius's hands. Rex learns from Ganglion about his past as well as Julius's desire for world domination; believing Rex holds the answers on how to successfully combine humans with Sigma, creating men that could command Julius's armies at his will. After a failed attempt to ditch Rex on Isla Inasnum Rex follows him to Julius's base on Isla Tantus where the two men capture him. Because Rex is a Sigma creature himself, Julius attempts so use the combiner relays on him like regular Sigma animal; it almost works but Julius's creatures rally behind Rex and he's able to overcome the relay's control. Together, Rex leads the Sigma creatures into victory over Julius and they capture him.
Lucy escapes Julius's burning base unharmed and runs into Rex's arms for a hug. As Rex consoles Lucy, his eye's inexplicably turn white. The story ends with the cliff hanger, suggesting a possible sequel though none was ever made.
The Campaign consists in Rex and Lucy fight against Upton Julius and his men to prevent the use of the Sigma Technology to take over the world. You must build an army of combined creatures, to fight against Julius's armies built by him and his loyal men, with animals that Rex must hunt through every mission.
In this game mode you will be able to create your own battle. It can set which map to play, choose an army, choose the opponent's army, the max. population, and other options. Some maps allow more than two players to join in the battle.
Multiplayer[]
It works similar to the Player vs Computer, but the battle can be set online from two different locations. Many players can join the battle.
LAN TCP/IP[]
Players' computer must be connected in the same network to be able to join a game together.
Internet TCP[]
On Internet TCP you must type an IP address in order to join the host's game. And if you host a game, players must type your IP address in order to join your game.
IC Online[]
You are able to log on in IC online servers, public servers for all to use. IC Online was dead for a long time due to Relic's abandonment of the game but Nordic Games brought it back in late 2015.
Army Builder[]
The Army Builder feature, allows you to make your own army of 9 creatures maximmun that can be stored in the slots (picture). The army can be saved. The "New Army" button will clear the slots of any creature previously built and set them blank again.
Combiner[]
The Army Builder displays the creatures image on these 9 slots(center).
In the Combiner, you will be able to choose which animals to combine it to build the new creature, alternate between each animal's abilities and attacks, and adjust the resource cost.
Zoo[]
Creatures previously created will be storaged automatically in the Zoo. You can make use of them anytime you want and add them to your army. This space will replace the older creationes with the newer if in runs out of space and will notify is there any name repeated twice.
Animals[]
There are 51 animals in the game. They must be gathered by Rex Chance as Genetic Samples for combining to build creatures in the Campaign; in Player vs. Computer these animals are already available. In the Impossible Creatures Demo only 14 of these animals are available to play with. These are the following:
Impossible Creatures official expansions were released until 2004, when the game popularity began to decrease. The official expansions are available for available download on the DLC and they come with the Steam Edition. These are the two official expansions:
