Impossible Creatures

Impossible Creatures is a real-time strategy game set in a steampunk sci-fi world on uncharted islands, where players genetically engineer unique hybrid creatures by combining DNA from various animals, such as a speedy cheetah-bull or defensive porcupine-skunk, to build armies and engage in tactical battles. The campaign follows Rex Chance, who rushes to his dying father’s side only to be ambushed by monstrous wolf-scorpion hybrids, forcing him to use a creature workshop to craft custom beasts and rescue his parent amid resource management and multiplayer skirmishes.

Impossible Creatures: Review

Introduction

Imagine commanding an army of elephant-shark hybrids that spew sonic blasts while amphibious gorilla-scorpions burrow under enemy lines—welcome to Impossible Creatures, Relic Entertainment’s audacious 2003 real-time strategy (RTS) experiment that dared to let players play mad scientist. Released in the shadow of RTS titans like Warcraft III and Age of Mythology, this steampunk-infused gem from the Homeworld studio introduced a revolutionary creature-combining mechanic, blending H.G. Wells’ The Island of Doctor Moreau with pulp adventure flair. Though it flew under the radar commercially, its legacy endures through a fervent modding community and a 2015 Steam revival. Impossible Creatures is a triumphant proof-of-concept for player-driven creativity in RTS, where endless hybridization elevates rote base-building into godlike experimentation, even if tactical depth occasionally lags behind its wild ambition.

Development History & Context

Relic Entertainment, fresh off the critically acclaimed Homeworld (1999)—a 3D space RTS that redefined the genre—sought to innovate on the ground in their sophomore effort. Directed by Alex Garden, with lead designer Jay Wilson (later of Diablo III fame) and lead programmer Shane Alfreds at the helm, Impossible Creatures evolved from an initial prototype titled Sigma. It underwent two name changes: first to Sigma: The Adventures of Rex Chance, then its final moniker, reflecting a pivot from pure sci-fi to 1930s dieselpunk adventure.

Development leveraged Relic’s in-house SPOOGE graphical engine, alongside separate physics/collision, AI/script, and combiner engines, built on lessons from Homeworld‘s middleware like Bink Video and Lua scripting. Technological constraints of the early 2000s—era of NVIDIA TNT2 cards and Pentium IIIs—demanded optimization for massive unit battles (hundreds on-screen), achieved through modular creature animation that procedurally blended animal parts without pre-rendering every combo. Microsoft Game Studios published, providing resources after securing the deal in 2001, amid a post-StarCraft RTS boom dominated by Blizzard and Ensemble Studios.

The 1937 setting, inspired by the Tunguska Event as a Sigma tech origin story, captured pulp serial vibes amid a landscape craving fresh twists. Early previews teased tranquilizing animals for DNA; the final version simplified to shooting samples, streamlining campaign flow. Beta-tested in late 2002 and demoed on Valve’s nascent Steam prototype at GDC, it launched January 7, 2003 (NA), February 28 (EU). Relic supported it post-launch with free expansions like Insect Invasion (2003, adding 15 insects/arthropods) and bonus animals, but poor sales halted sequels. Rights ping-ponged post-Relic’s Sega acquisition, landing with THQ Nordic for the 2015 Steam Edition, bundling patches, SDK, and revived multiplayer via Steam Cloud—integrating community fixes like those from the Tellurian mod.

In a genre saturated by rock-paper-scissors unit counters, Relic’s vision was prescient: player agency via endless combos (50+ base animals yielding ~2,500 viable hybrids) foreshadowed procedural generation in later titles like Spore (2008).

Narrative & Thematic Deep Dive

Impossible Creatures‘ 15-mission campaign unfolds across the Isla Variatas archipelago—jungles, deserts, tundras—as Rex Chance, a disgraced 1937 war reporter (voiced by Lee Tockar), heeds his estranged father Dr. Eric Chanikov’s deathbed summons. Ambushed by wolf-scorpion freaks, Rex allies with Dr. Lucy Willing (Kathleen Barr), Chanikov’s assistant, uncovering “Sigma Technology”: fusing animal DNA into hybrids. Upton Julius (David Kaye), a Gestapo-esque capitalist tycoon, murdered Chanikov to monopolize it for world domination, deploying lieutenants like brute whaler Whitey Hooten, aerial aristocrat Velika La Pette, and mad vet Dr. Otis Ganglion.

Plot Structure and Pacing: Missions escalate from survival (“Exile”) to revenge (“Fathers and Sons”), culminating in “Seeds Down” atop Julius’s volcano fortress. B-movie cutscenes—live-action FMVs with campy dialogue (“Mix it, baby!”)—propel a revenge saga laced with twists: Rex’s latent Sigma mutations (super senses, Pack Hunter buffs, creature mind-control) reveal him as the tech’s “essence,” born from Tunguska’s blast. Lucy’s capture forces uneasy alliances (e.g., Ganglion’s heel-face-revolving-door defection), while side-quests like rescuing villagers add flavor.

Characters and Dialogue: Rex embodies pulp heroism—intrepid yet hygiene-challenged—evolving from skeptic to Beastmaster. Lucy’s scientific zeal (“For science!”) grounds the whimsy, their banter crackling with unrequited tension (no romance, just camaraderie). Villains chew scenery: Julius’s megalomania, Hooten’s Hair-Trigger Temper (triggering an avalanche), Velika’s Femme Fatale flirtations, Ganglion’s Blasphemous Boasts (“Greatest creator since the Almighty!”). Henchmen are Punch-Clock Villains, defecting en masse.

Themes: Genetic hubris echoes Doctor Moreau, questioning creation’s ethics (human experiments horrify Lucy). Environmentalism subtly critiques exploitation (Julius’s resource razing), while Rex’s arc explores identity—human or hybrid? The white-eyed cliffhanger teases sequels unrealized, leaving thematic resonance in player godhood versus narrative fatalism.

Gameplay Mechanics & Systems

At its core, Impossible Creatures mirrors RTS staples—gather coal (mined by henchmen) and electricity (via Lightning Rods/Towers)—to build Labs, Workshops, defenses (Soundbeams, Brambles), and research (50 tiers unlocking abilities). But the combiner steals the show: fuse two animals (head/paws/legs/back/rear customizable) from 51+ (76 with expansions) into up to 9 army slots. Hybrids inherit traits: cheetah speed + bull strength = Cheebull; porcupine quills + skunk stink = Porskunkine. Campaign locks animals behind hunting (Rex tags ’em), forcing adaptation.

Core Loops: Scout/hunt DNA → combine/research → mass-produce via Workshops → deploy in Tactical Rock–Paper–Scissors (melee beats ranged beats artillery). Micromanagement shines: Frenzy (damage amp via endurance burn), Regeneration (Healing Factor), Charge (Dash Attacks), Poison Touch. Flyers ignore terrain but vuln to AA; burrowers (ants/lemmings) ambush. UI excels—intuitive combiner zoo, rally points (Insect Invasion), dynamic mid-mission tweaks. Multiplayer modes (Destroy Lab/Base, Hunt Rex) support 6 players via LAN/Internet/IC Online (Steam-revived), emphasizing custom armies.

Innovations and Flaws: Design-It-Yourself units yield replayability (30,000+ combos), but AI pathing falters (ranged ignores distance), electricity trivializes late-game (cheap rods overflow), and 90% hybrids underwhelm—meta favors “best” like Sperm Whale artillery or Elephant tanks. Campaign hero units (Rex/Lucy; death = loss) add risk, but “tank-rush” dominates over nuance. Skirmish AI improved in Steam patches, yet lacks Brood War depth. Mod SDK/Workshop enables Tellurian (new animals/balance), extending life.

Mechanic	Strength	Weakness
Combiner	Infinite creativity; procedural balance	Meta dominance; no >2-animal mixes
Resources	Dual (coal/elec) adds strategy	Elec imbalance post-rods
Combat	Hybrid synergies (e.g., Eel shock + flyers)	Mouse-skill zergs over tactics
Multiplayer	Custom rosters shine	Server woes pre-Steam

World-Building, Art & Sound

The Isla Variatas sprawl—volcanic isles, icy tundras, swamps—fosters biome-specific play (amphibians thrive watery). Steampunk labs (locomotive airships) clash with bioluminescent hybrids (glowing eyes standard), evoking dieselpunk wonder. Art direction (Andy Lang) delivers grobypoly models that scale smoothly (elephant-whales dwarf ants), lush environments holding 100+ units at 30+ FPS on era hardware. Insect Invasion adds web-throwers, firefly blinds.

Jeremy Soule’s orchestral score swells adventurously, Miles Sound System delivering crisp effects (sonic booms, quill barrages). Voicework charms: Rex’s grit, Julius’s sneer. Atmosphere immerses—wild DNA hunts feel exploratory, hybrid clashes visceral, though low-poly limits spectacle versus Warcraft III.

Reception & Legacy

Critics averaged 72% (Metacritic 72/100; MobyGames 72% from 41 reviews): IGN/GameZone lauded creativity (8.3-8.5/10), ActionTrip awarded Editor’s Choice (90%) for balance/replay. Gripes: “generic RTS under gimmick” (GameSpot 7.9; Eurogamer 7/10), weak AI/campaign (GameSpy 72%). Players: 3.3/5 (innovation praised, depth critiqued).

Commercial flop denied sequels, but free Insect Invasion (88MB, 15 creatures/maps) and Steam Edition (2015; widescreen/Workshop) revived it. Influenced Spore, Evolva; Relic’s engine fed Dawn of War. Cult status via mods (Tellurian integrated patches), Reddit nostalgia (“held up super well”). GOG/Steam sales ($2.49) sustain niche play.

Conclusion

Impossible Creatures boldly reimagines RTS as a sandbox of grotesque genius, where combiner tinkering outshines formulaic combat, etching a cult niche in gaming history. Flawed by imbalance and overshadowed giants, its legacy—procedural armies, ethical sci-fi—endures via mods and re-releases, proving Relic’s vision timeless. Definitive verdict: Essential for RTS historians and creature crafters; a 8/10 mad-science marvel warranting modern playthroughs. Hunt those hybrids—you’ll never command orcs the same way again.