[7] The story behind Nightmare Creatures draws upon gothic horror elements of the 19th century and begins in 1666, when a devil-worshiping cult called the Brotherhood of Hecate were conducting sinister experiments in London so as to take over the city, and then the world.

Monster sightings are reported along with news of people mutating into ungodly creatures, and that the dead are waking from their graves and walking among the living.

Ignatius and Nadia are at Jean's funeral, where they are approached by a man who gives them a note reading: "Know about Adam Crowley, Brotherhood of Hecate --- HVHJ".

[12] Initially Mindscape was slated to be the publisher,[13] but the publication rights to Nightmare Creatures were acquired by Activision just before the 1997 Electronic Entertainment Expo.

The platforming elements were made much easier in the Nintendo 64 version, and the health-depleting adrenaline meter could also be turned off in the options menu, allowing players to explore the environments at a more leisurely pace.

They almost uniformly praised the game's spooky atmosphere[26][8][37][47] and the monster designs,[26][34][37][47] though many found that the controls had issues[26][34][37] and the camera, while effective the vast majority of the time, would occasionally frustrate the player with a poor view of the action.

[26][8][47] Next Generation stated that "While the visuals are compelling enough to drive many players forward, the repetitive action is enough to make most wait for a level select code and a weekend rental.

For example, GameSpot stated that "Since the more complex moves are significantly harder to pull off (especially with those attacking creatures interfering and all), you'll end up jamming on the kick or slash buttons with an occasional block or dodge.

"[34] On the other side, GamePro said even the more elaborate combos "are a breeze to perform", and give the game a 4.5 out of 5 for control and a perfect 5.0 in every other category (graphics, sound, and fun factor).

They summarized that "With its speedy gameplay and fast-moving enemy interaction, not to mention the intense, creepy nature of the backgrounds, Nightmare Creatures is sure to haunt your dreams for months to come.