Peter Jackson's King Kong
- December 02, 2005 14:34 PM PST
- Email this!
Sure he's huge, but can the King of the Jungle defeat the dreaded curse of the licensed movie game?
- GamePro Score
- User Score
- Write your review!
Rumble in the Jungle
The story closely follows that of the film with the addition of several extra plot twists and added scenarios, as you and your film crew land on a remote island infested with prehistoric predators, nasty natives and one really big ape. The game maintains a highly cinematic atmosphere with outstanding voice acting and realistic likenesses from the stars of the movie (including smoking hot Naomi Watts and wisecracker Jack Black) that create an especially dramatic experience. This Hollywood presentation really shows in the absence of any HUD which adopts the clean-screen approach of games like The Getaway, but also leads to a bit of confusion without any vitality or ammunition gauges.
The first-person action segments (which comprise the majority of the gameplay) benefit from exciting combat with weapons ranging from shotguns to spears, a super-simple stripped-down control scheme, and a nifty save-anywhere feature that helps mitigate some of the difficulty. But the real fun comes when you take on the role of the mighty Kong in brutal third-person combat against an assortment of massive beasts.
Going Bananas
Graphically, the Xbox 360 King Kong is way ahead of the other multi-platform versions, but isn't quite the mind-blowing next generation quality some gamers might expect (just check out Jack's misshapen mitts). Still, the lush tropical environments, killer lighting effects and excellent audio presentation help maintain the immersive atmosphere throughout.
Although the game shines overall there are a few areas where minor issues seem to dampen the fun. On the technical side, some of the environments are extremely dark (making it too easy to get lost) while the frequent and frustratingly long load times are a true buzz kill. Controlling Jack's slothful movements can also be annoying, and the nebulous life and ammo measurements leads to lots of exasperating deaths. But the biggest gripe by far is the infinitesimal length of the game - we strolled through King Kong is a leisurely 6 hours. Sure, we had a blast during that time, but the adventure was over almost as soon as it began, leaving us with a crummy handful of unlockables. For shame!
Long Live the King
But even with this list of gaming grievances, Peter Jackson's King Kong is still an excellent way to burn a few hours swinging through the secret jungles of death. Flawed though it may be, the chance to fight as a giant ape is something gamers have dreamed of since the 2D days of Rampage.
