Creatures: The Albian Years Reviews

Amazing update of an absolutely classic game! Endlessly entertaining as is, and installing new objects and areas (called COBs in game) can refresh your experience in unprecedented ways. Recommended for anyone interested in simulation.

I love this game, I always have since the 90s and was super thrilled when i heard you could play it again on here! When i bought the game it said it was part one and two together which was even better but when i downloaded it I only got part one.Where is part two? is there something else i need to do?

Such a fun game. It started all my gaming and enjoyment of simulation type games. I love the retro feel that doesn't detract form the actual fun of the game. I highly recommend this game.

Game is a little buggy but can't deny that it's my favourite video game of all time and the logic is priceless

Great games, though with a few issues due to age. Still worth the time and money.

Creatures: The Albian Years is a compilation package that includes Creatures 1 and its standalone expansion, Creatures: Life Kit #1. This collection provides an opportunity for both new and nostalgic players to experience the origins of the Creatures series. Let's delve into a review of Creatures: The Albian Years. Creatures: The Albian Years faithfully replicates the gameplay mechanics of the original Creatures 1, offering a virtual pet simulation experience with genetically engineered creatures called Norns. Players are tasked with caring for and guiding these adorable creatures, ensuring their well-being, and observing their behavior as they navigate their digital ecosystem. The game's genetics system, which was innovative for its time, remains intact in Creatures: The Albian Years. Breeding and genetic manipulation allow you to witness the hereditary traits passed down through generations of Norns, adding a layer of depth and experimentation to the gameplay. It's a joy to observe how Norns evolve and adapt to their surroundings. However, the user interface and controls may feel clunky and outdated compared to modern games, requiring some adjustment and patience. Additionally, the steep learning curve and lack of clear objectives might be overwhelming for newcomers to the series. Without proper guidance or tutorials, understanding the intricacies of the game and effectively caring for your Norns can be a daunting task. Creatures: The Albian Years includes the expansion, Creatures: Life Kit #1, which introduces additional content and features to enhance your gameplay experience. The Life Kit offers new objects, environments, and toys for your Norns, expanding the possibilities for interaction and enrichment within the game. Furthermore, the collection allows you to access the Creatures Community, an online platform where you can share and download user-created content. This opens up a wealth of additional genetic breeds, agents, and modifications created by the passionate Creatures community, extending the longevity and variety of the game. Graphically, Creatures: The Albian Years retains the charm of its original release, with its pixelated art style and colorful environments. While the visuals may not match modern standards, they exude a nostalgic appeal and create a distinct atmosphere within the game's world. The sound design, consisting of delightful chirps and cries from the Norns, adds an endearing touch to the overall experience. However, the limited variety of sound effects can become repetitive over time. Creatures: The Albian Years serves as a nostalgic trip down memory lane for fans of the original Creatures game. It faithfully recreates the core gameplay and genetics system that made the series a beloved classic. However, newcomers may find the outdated user interface and steep learning curve to be off-putting. The inclusion of the Creatures: Life Kit #1 expansion and access to user-generated content through the Creatures Community add value and extend the gameplay experience. It allows for further customization and exploration within the Albian world. If you have a fondness for retro games or are seeking a virtual pet simulation with a unique genetic twist, Creatures: The Albian Years is worth considering. Despite its technical limitations and learning curve, it offers a charming and nostalgic journey into the origins of the Creatures series.

I loved these games when I was younger, I'm happy to see it on steam! The camera can be a hassle to work compared to newer games, but I like finally catching up with community notes and seeing these games as an adult. Nexus mods even has sections for all three games, but it looks like most of the mods from the 2000s are gone now. I recommend trying it if you want to see an older AI in action, and there is a wonderful documentary by Alan Zucconi that covers some of Creatures 1's game functions.

Aaah! I'm so unbelievably happy to see the Creatures series on Steam! These games were a huge part of my childhood. They're incredibly unique and still to this day (20 years since the latest entry in the series released!) have an active modding community putting out new objects, species, and even areas for your creatures to live in! The creatures are also still one of the most realistic simulations of life out there (possibly still THE most realistic), they have simulated brains, digital DNA, they can catch illnesses, mutate in a huge variety of ways, and perhaps most importantly, they look absolute adorable! (I've played these games for countless hours before they came to Steam by the way, pay no mind to my small number...)

I used to play this game as a kid and still can't help coming back to it every now and then. I wish more people knew about it and that someone would pick up to continue the franchise, because to this day I haven't found another game like it. I love games like this where you raise, teach and help things or people to survive through generations.

The games that started it all! Your first experience with the Creatures games will involve shuttling cute little "Norns" around, trying to teach them words and the skills necessary to survive on their own in their simulated little worlds. But once you spend some time with them, you'll realize that the "virtual life" engine goes way deeper than the veneer of cuteness -- these games intentionally allow you to peek behind the curtains and play around with the underlying "genetics" and scripts that make these little creatures tick. Creatures 1 is a simpler engine with fewer words and items to interact with, and somewhat less intelligent Norns. But don't be fooled: there is plenty to explore and a ton of fun to be had guiding these Norns around! Be wary of unfamiliar plants, and unless you know what you're doing, try to keep your Norns away from the Grendel, for both of their sakes! Creatures 2 introduces a bigger world space, smarter norns (well, kind of...), many more objects, some new tech, and a new species: Ettins! This entry is also where community-created content really took off back in the day, and there are plenty of new breeds (my favorite are "Kai Norns" and "Boney Grendels"), genetics (look up "Canny Norns" if you want actual smarter Norns), and injectable objects (check out creaturescaves.com or creatures.wiki) to keep you coming back for new and totally emergent gameplay experiences. (There are also a ton of community-created mods for Creatures 1, but not nearly as many as Creatures 2 overall.) One last, hugely important warning: both of these games are very difficult to run on modern PCs, and it may take a ton of troubleshooting and testing in order to get them fully working. (Like right clicking on all of the EXEs and selecting 16 bit colors, etc. Tools like "DXWnd" might also be able to help.) If you don't have time or patience for that, you might be better off going with Creatures Docking Station and the Creatures 3 Steam DLC.