Everything We Know About the PSOne-Era ‘Nightmare Creatures’ Reboot
In 1997, Kalisto Entertainment brought its vision of a horror-filled gothic London to the PSOne with Nightmare Creatures. It was a delightfully grim survival horror game that, while met with mixed reviews, eventually gained a cult following that could overlook its stiff controls and unforgivable combat. Three years later, the team returned with Konami to deliver Nightmare Creatures II, the less-than-stellar sequel that put the series to rest.
On September 2nd, while many Americans were face-deep in hamburgers and hotdogs, others like ourselves were glued to their Twitter feeds when the little-known developer, Albino Moose, the indy developer behind Spooky’s Jump Scare Mansion: HD Renovation, announced its latest project, a Nightmare Creatures reboot.
Details on the updated version of Kalisto’s last truly successful game are incredibly slim, though the announcement did come paired with a brief synopsis and reveal trailer.
What we can take away from the very sudden announcement is that gamers will once again take to the streets of London, overwhelmed with horrific creatures brought to life by disgraced alchemist, Adam Crowley.
The trailer gave a glimpse at some of the game’s possible locations, which look very reminiscent of the original’s claustrophobic levels, and the fiend of London himself, a scarred and pretty ugly Crowley. Curiously, however, the announcement on Albino Moose’s website does say “[r]ace around the world…” opening up the possibility that the reboot will take us to new locations beyond London’s tight streets and seedy docksides.
It’s also heavily suggested that the original heroic duo will be returning, giving us another chance to master the varied fighting styles of the staff-wielding man of God Ignatius Blackward. And also Nadia Franciscus, the acrobatic daughter of murdered immunologist and historian Dr. Jean Franciscus.
When first posted, the announcement on Albin Moose read that it was “set before and after the events of the original games,” initially putting into question whether this was a reboot or a direct sequel. But seeing as how that wording has been removed, it does sound to be drifting more toward a much-needed reboot.
As more unfolds, you can bet we’ll be on top of it, but for now we’ll have to pop in our copy of the original and enjoy that incredibly fun “Cheat Mode.”
Mark LoProto is a horror-loving gaming enthusiast who also has a soft spot for Ghostbusters, bubble wrap, and kittens. Look for his work here, here, and here.
