If
you can only play one FPS/Giant Ape sim game this
year, make it King Kong! by
Vaughn Smith
November
30, 2005 - Welcome
to the intro paragraph of my review of King Kong.
Correction: Peter Jackson's King Kong: The Official
Game of the Movie. That's a mouthful, but luckily
I'm typing. This is the part where I'd usually jump
right in with one of those diatribes regarding how
licensed games aren't usually very good yada yada
yada, but I just don't have it in me to start another
review of a licensed product that way today. Besides
those kinds of intros go either one of two ways: Intro
A) Licensed games are usually crap and this game
proves it or Intro B) Licensed games are usually
crap but this one is the exception. Since we're dealing
with a huge pissed off mutant mammal (Peter Jackson,
not King Kong) , let's go with Intro B for the sake
of personal safety. Relax. I keed. I keed. PJKKTOGOTM
is a whole lotta fun and manages to be almost as brilliant
as designer Michel Ancel's previous work Beyond Good
and Evil, which landed him this gig in the first place.

King
Kong the movie won't be released into theaters for
another few weeks but Ubi Soft knows that missing
the all important November release date could spell
trouble for game sales, especially if movie reviews
are lackluster even if the game happens to be great;
which it most certainly is for the most part. If you're
a diehard Kong fan and don't want to ruin the movie
experience I can only highly recommend NOT playing
the game as it follows the events of the movie.
You'll
be playing the part of successful New York scriptwriter
Jack Driscoll who takes a gig with hasbeen director
Carl Denham, voiced by Jack Black complete with all
of that charming sardonic wit he's known to bring
to his roles. Carl Denham takes his semi-reluctant
crew to Skull Island where the adventure kicks into
high gear. The year is 1933, which just so happens
to be the year the original King Kong was released
into theaters starring legendary Fay Wray and some
guy in an ape suit. However I found a little time
continuum error in the manual which states that Hayes
the first mate on the ship Venture is a weapons expert
from WWII which won't be occuring for another 6 years.

At
any rate, the game assumes you have an inkling as
to what's going on (because it assumes you'll see
the movie) and wastes no time setting up the action.
Your small crew arrives on Skull Island consisting
of Driscoll, Ann Darrow (the actress who becomes the
object of Kong's affections), Denham, Hayes and Jimmy
(a sailor) in hopes of rekindling Denham's lackluster
film career. Once you land on the island you'll find
a need to instantly defend yourself as the large shrieks
coming from God knows where are natures of way of
telling you that you ain't in Kansas anymore Dorothy.
Surely you'll want to take a moment and orient yourself
while gawking at the awesome visuals (which look best
on the X360, but manage to impress on the current
gen systems as well), but there won't be much time
for sight seeing as all kinds of trouble rears its
ugly head almost instantly. Consumate professional
Denham isn't phased in the slightest. His camera continues
to roll even after they've encountered the first wave
of giant crabs and megapedes.

The game limits you to carrying only one firearm and
a spear at one time (plus a lever used for opening
giant gates). You won't find extra ammo lying around
on the island so you'll have to take firearms when
you come across them (usually found in wooden crates
conveniently littering areas of the island). Spears
can be thrown at enemies but the aiming can be very
hit and miss. You'll primarily use the spears for
solving the games puzzles which are environmentally
designed. You may need to light a spear on fire to
burn brush away to clear a path or in a nice little
touch of realism, use the food chain to take the heat
off - stab an enemy lower on the food chain than the
beasts in your particular situation and toss it in
the opposite direction you want to go. You'll find
it creates an excellent diversion.
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
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