Peter Jackson's King Kong: The Official Game of the Movie

"A thrilling ride, King Kong really shines"

A lot of movie games aren't worth your attention. Peter Jackson's King Kong: The Official Game of the Movie is different. When I heard this was being made by Michel Ancel, creator of Beyond Good & Evil, this game had my attention. Now I finished the game, I can safely say it doesn't disappoint.

Graphics : 7/10

Skull Island really comes to life with some great art direction. The entire island has a very threatening atmosphere and you'll never feel completely safe. On the other hand, I found the game a bit too colorless. Add to this the fact that the frame rate has its ups and downs, and you'll understand why the visuals deserve no more than a 7.

Sound : 9/10

With all the voices done by the actors of the movie, I found the character interaction along with some great dialogue one of the games strongest points. The sound effects are great and add to the eerie feeling you get when walking around on Skull Island

Game play : 8/10

At its core, King Kong is an FPS. You assume the role of Jack, played by Adrian Brody. When playing as Jack, your main goal is to survive rather than going on a killing spree. The game is set in 1933, so don't expect any rocket launchers. In fact, the many spears found in the game are your biggest weapons. Basic weapons, of which the Tommy gun is probably the best, are used to defend yourself and your party from the various enemies like dinosaurs and bat-like creatures. But ammo is scarce. You have to use the food chain to distract your foes. For example, when facing a T-Rex, you can kill smaller monsters to lure the big one to feast on them. It's much more a game of survival than a standard FPS.

You also get to control the star of the game, King Kong. After being chased by dinosaurs as Jack, playing as Kong feels great. Using Kong's power to destroy enemies is a fantastic feeling. Too bad the Kong levels only make up about 20% of the game.

Replay Value : 6/10

King Kong's biggest drawback. Finishing this game will only take you about 6 hours and there aren't much extras to unlock.

Closing comments:

I really enjoyed this game. It's a thrilling ride and a game to be remembered, despite its obvious flaws.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 01/24/06