Creepozoids depicts a grim vision of 1998, a mere six years after a global nuclear exchange between superpowers has reduced Earth to a "blackened husk" of a planet . The survivors navigate a world defined by urban decay and the constant threat of deadly acid rain, which forces small bands of military deserters and scavengers into fortified underground bunkers . In this timeline, the primary remnants of the old world are secret government research facilities tasked with desperate biological projects to ensure human survival in the wasteland .

The film’s central technological dynamic revolves around experimental biotechnology intended to create a "higher form of life"—specifically, humans capable of synthesizing their own amino acids . This advancement was theorized to eliminate the need for food, a critical resource in a post-nuclear environment. However, the application of this science results in uncontrolled genetic mutation, leading to the creation of hostile, predatory lifeforms and hyper-evolved pests like giant rodents . Earth is portrayed as an abandoned political center where social order has completely collapsed, leaving only local survivalist conflicts.

While the film’s depiction of 1998 diverged significantly from reality—most notably in the absence of a 1992 nuclear war—it offers an early cinematic look at the fears of genetic engineering and environmental collapse. The concept of creating soldiers who do not require sustenance prefigures real-world metabolic research, though the film's "Creepozoid" monster and the sudden birth of a mutant humanoid baby remain firmly in the realm of horror tropes rather than scientific foresight . Critical retrospectives highlight that despite its 1998 setting, the film is an "80s production all the way through," reflecting contemporary anxieties about nuclear winter and the limits of biological experimentation .