Ancel went for a non-cluttered visual window to work in so you won't have to worry about watching health or ammunition gauges as everything you need to know is learned by giving you either visual or aural clues. If you are attacked the screen will go red. If you don't get to safety in enough time or are attacked again, the game will end and you'll restart at the current checkpoint for the level you are. Driscoll will provide you with a running tally of the ammo you have left when things are getting low so you'll have an idea when you need to jettison your firearm. No having to rely on a HUD display is a fantastic way to immerse yourself in the action at hand.

And there will be plenty of action to go around; the many enemies in the game will see to that. Certain instances will occur in PJKKTOGOTM where you are completely helpless and your only hope for survival is to not get eaten. The V-Rex species which likes to make a cameo every once in awhile appear only to keep the undergarment laundry industry in business as you can't take these mighty beasts down; at best you can distract them, but you won't be hanging their heads on display at the country club. However a certain 25 foot tall ape might have a bananas chance in hell of kicking some dinosaur butt.

Playing the game as King Kong is greatly satisfying after being chased down and attacked by the bullies of Skull Island. This is your revenge and it feels mighty good. Playing from an over the shoulder perspective, Kong has an impressive array of moves which either provide his locomotion (climbing, swinging) or his violent attacks which includes punching, biting, throwing, jawbreakers and a fury mode. Unfortunately it's short lived excitement as the majority of the game consists of the FPS portion featuring Jack Driscoll, but it's still a lot of fun nonetheless.

Speaking of visuals, there won't be too many gamers out there unimpressed with the look of the game on any system. While the Xbox 360 and the PC version definitely shine brighter (and so they should) console owners won't be disappointed in the slightest unless they've been hogging the Xbox 360 kiosk at the local EB for hours on end. The character models and the beasties lurking within the game are excellent. The surrounding landscapes are lush while at the same time swathed in a blanket of shadowy despair, permeating the experience with a constant foreboding aura. Once you get into Kong territory and start raining blows down on the various creatures, you'll marvel at the great beasts animations as he tears into the competition.

The voiceacting, soundtrack and sound effects are topnotch all the way. In fact, I'd say the roar of the V-Rex probably steals the show from Kong himself. When that dino screamed, I perked up my freakin' ears...and so did everyone in my house (until I turned the volume down).

Unfortunately it's impossible to maintain the dramatic tension of a movie over a game that lasts about 8 hours (depending on the difficulty level) and PJKKTOGOTM succumbs to repetition somewhere around the 50% mark. You'll engage in numerous skirmishes on the island that eventually lose their luster and you'll be counting down the time until you play as the mighty Kong. As mentioned, the Kong levels comprise approximately 25% of the entire game culminating in a New York battle which could have been far more ambitious than it turned out (that's where the alternate ending comes in but I won't spoil it here). As far as extras, replay value is provided in an interesting way. As you progress, you'll unlock various achievements. At 9%, you will be given a code which is you can enter on a special King Kong Ubi Soft website. There are three online codes you will eventually earn which unlock bonuses in the game. Replaying the game once you've beaten it the first time around allows you to play for points. Earn enough points and you'll unlock the online codes.

Certainly PJKKTOGOTM is not what we'd call a next gen game in terms of gameplay as there is isn't anything featured that we haven't already seen over the last few years, but it sure looks next gen if you're playing it on the X360 on an HDTV in high res. It's a fun romp though and definitely a welcome companion to the upcoming movie. There are countless tense moments playing as Jack and my only complaint is not playing as the featured star more than we were given the opportunity. It's a completely different flavor of FPS and might appeal to both sides of the fence - those that love FPS and those that usually shy away from them. So quit monkeying around and get on over to Skull Island and enjoy the scenery...while it lasts.

By Vaughn Smith
CCC Site Director