Creature Shock is a 1994 sci-fi action game produced by Argonaut Games and Virgin Interactive released for the MS-DOS and 3DO Interactive Multiplayer. It's notable for being packaged in two discs, employing detailed, pre-rendered graphics in both cutscenes and gameplay, unique Gameplay Roulette features and multiple branching paths for players to choose during stages.
In 2123, an unspecified apocalypse turns the earth into a wasteland no longer suitable for habitation. Surviving populations of humans started migrating to space stations instead, seeking a new planet they can call home while facing otherworldly threats.
During a routine inspection, the USN Amazon, sent to explore what appears to be an asteroid was ambushed when said asteroid turns out to be organic. The Amazon's captain, Sumoki, managed to let out a distress signal before warning remaining humans of the impending invasion, and the best explorer available, Commander Jason Barr, sets off to investigate, before discovering said asteroid to be filled with all kinds of hostile alien life.
It's worth noting that '"Creature Shock'' features a unique blend of gameplay varieties; while players, in control of Jason Barr, explores various alien worlds from a first-person perspective, battles against alien creatures alternates between using the controller to shoot at enemies (akin to a classic FPS) or having the screen remain in a fixed position, as the onscreen cursor plucks away at monsters coming towards Jason (like a Rail Shooter). There are stages where Jason pilots a spaceship to get in-between destinations while firing away at asteroids, space-mines, and hostile alien ships, ala Shoot 'Em Up.
A couple of years after it's initial release, later ports of the game are made available for the PlayStation, CD-i and Sega Saturn.
Prepare for Final Approach...
- Asteroid Thicket: The first stage where Jason flies through space to investigate the USN Amazon have him going through an asteroid field.
- Attack Its Weak Point: For bosses taking up the entire screen in the Rail Shooter segments, their weaknesses are all glowing red spots Jason needs to shoot at, either to inflict damage or cancel incoming attacks.
- Blank White Eyes: Displayed by Captain Sumoki when jason retrieves her. And then she transforms into a hideous monster mere seconds later.
- Captain Space, Defender of Earth!: Commander Jason Barr is a rather straightforward example. Ace Pilot? Check. Improbable Aiming Skills with a blaster? Check. Dare to explore alien worlds no man have braved? Check. Battles hordes and hordes of alien monsters? Check. Badass? Absolutely.
- Creepy Centipedes: A fairly common enemy, where gigantic centipede monsters will crawl out of walls to attack Jason.
- Decoy Protagonist: The opening cutscene introduces Captain Sumoki of the USN Amazon transmitting a message to the human space station, and with the amount of focus on her you'll likely be inclined to think she's the hero. But alas, after said cutscene she gets ambushed by the living asteroid, cut to opening titles - and the game's hero, Jason, doesn't appear in person until the player presses start.
- Disc-One Final Boss: The monstrous form of Captain Sumoki is a literal example, being fought halfway into the game. In fact after the battle the game immediately tells the player to "Insert Disc 2".
- Fighter-Launching Sequence: Jason is introduced in a Fighter Landing Sequence as he docks into a hangar for his assignment. There are several cutscenes where he takes off after that, which preceeds most spaceship segments of the game.
- Gameplay Roulette: A mix between a FPS, Rail Shooter, and spaceship shooter. The latter is at least expected (when transitioning between levels, the moment Jason gets on his spaceship during cutscenes you'll be expecting one of these to pop up) but for the former two it seems to come at random.
- Genius Loci: The planet-sized asteroid which the USN was assigned to investigate turns out to be sentient, and is assimilating space stations into itself. When Jason managed to land on the asteroid, it actively releases it's defense system and sic plenty of alien monsters on Jason.
- Giant Spider: Huge alien spiders are another enemy in the Disc 2 portion.
- Go for the Eye: Shooting the eye is the only way of inflicting damage to Sumoki's giant monster form. Luckily she tends to repeatedly shove her face into the camera, and there's plenty of time for Jason to plug in a few rounds in-between her attacks.
- Hidden Villain: The Alien Geomorph leader who is attempting to terraform earth, and is controlling the asteroid the whole time. It doesn't show up until the game's second half after interting Disc 2.
- Hulking Out: After Jason retrieves Captain Sumoki, it turns out she's been infected with some alien virus which turns her into a gigantic alien monster. She reverts into human after a lengthy boss fight.
- It Can Think: The Geomorph Leader initially appears to be a rampaging insect-like monster, which Jason fights in it's control center. But after taking it down, the Leader comes back for another round while piloting a Jet Pack and wielding a massive BFG - turns out the monstrous creature is perfectly sentient after all.
- Latex Space Suit: The space suit worn by Jason when exploring alien worlds on foot resembles one of these, though he does have an armored chestplate for protection.
- Sand Worm: Huge alien worms will try to chomp all over Jason in a few worlds, though they turn out to be of the Fake Ultimate Mook variety - repeatedly shooting at them (they take up most of the screen and is quite hard to miss) will put them down in seconds.
- Sequential Boss: The Geomorph leader Final Boss is first fought as an armored beast, and it's defeated when Jason damage it enough causing the armor to break off. But after it's initial defeat cutscene, it comes back for a second round requiring Jason to fight it all over again... only to come back a third time, this time piloting a Jet Pack and holding a laser-spewing BFG.
- Space Mines: Another fairly common hazard in the spaceship segments, and getting hit by one deals greater damage to Jason's ship compared to asteroids.
- Spider Tank: A huge, building-sized alien mecha on spider-like legs appears as a boss in one of the spaceship levels, and Jason needs to take it down to complete that stage.
- Terraform: The final cutscene have Jason hijacking the Geomorph's organic terraformer, initially targeted towards the ruins of earth, before he redirects it to terraform Mars instead. Cue Mars turning into a green planet with plenty of seas and a duplicate of earth, and in the aftermath humans have found a new home on Mars.
- Womb Level: The first world Jason explores is the asteroid, which turns out to be organic - it's interior caverns are lined with meat and the whole thing is alive.
