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

"Not the pile of monkey poo you might expect"

It seems like every big budget movie these days gets an accompanying video game (or several) to go along with it. Inevitably, most of those games suck due to a variety of reasons that run the gamut of not having enough time to deliver a finished product, to tyrannical movie studios that know jack-all about video game production and most simply of all, bad source material. However, every now and then a developer is capable of overcoming all those problems and ends up delivering a game that is actually worth playing. King Kong is one of those games.

STORY
Since this is a licensed game, it essentially follows the same path as the movie. Carl Denham, a New York filmmaker goes on an expedition to a lost island to make a movie, bringing along actress Ann Darrow and his crew. Once there, they discover a civilization, which captures them and offers Ann up to the giant ape that dwells in the jungle. After Kong snatches her and runs, it falls on Jack Driscoll along with Denham and to retrieve her.

The narrative of the game differs from the movie in that it spends significantly more time detailing the journey and tribulations that main character Jack Driscoll encountered while trying to rescue Ann. Overall, this makes the game a nice companion to the movie since it shows a more in-depth look at just what all happened on the island.

GRAPHICS
By and large, this is a pretty good looking game. Once the initial levels pass, which take place on the rocky outskirts of the island and are pretty ugly, you actually get to see what this game is capable of. The amount and quality of the texture work is impressive, and it looks quite realistic. Vines cover the ground and hang from trees and moss grows on every exposed inch of rock, all of which has the effect of making it feel as if you're really walking through a jungle.

There are also a few interesting visual effects used. The cooler of the two is the lighting technique, where you can actually see individual rays of light as they filter through the canopy and silhouette the trees. Given that it is only used in certain areas, the effect is almost always spooky and impressive. The other is a shaky screen effect that is used when something screams right in your face (typically something large). There's nothing scarier than being a few scant feet away from a T-Rex when it opens its mouth and roars at you.

SOUND
As expected from any jungle environment, there is plenty of ambient noise to be heard. It's all good and nothing seems out of place. Voice acting is similarly well-done, but it won't win any awards. The guy who does the voice of Carl Denham (as played by Jack Black in the actual movie) does a good enough job at impersonating Black that he doesn't seem too out of place.

GAMEPLAY
One typically doesn't expect much from a licensed game, especially not one that releases simultaneously with the movie. However there are some elements to King Kong that are quite unexpected, namely the complete lack of a HUD. The screen is completely bereft of anything other than the action at hand meaning you'll see no ammunition counter, no health meter and most surprisingly, no targeting reticule. Although it sounds like a bad design decision, it actually works.

The ammunition counter is handled by simply having Jack give the player audio feedback on how many rounds or magazines are left whenever he reloads the gun, and at the touch of a button. The strangest departure – the lack of a targeting reticule – also works. With a gun, Jack can aim down the sights to get a more accurate shot, but shooting from the hip is actually just as easy and accurate. With a spear, which is what you'll be using most of the time, the same method applies, although Jack holds out his hand to indicate where the spear will end up when thrown.

The health indicator works by causing a red haze to descend over the screen as you get hurt, as well as having a choir that vocalizes when you're close to death (that's actually pretty weird). While the meter works pretty well, the actual health system could have used some more work. Jack is a pathetically weak guy and it only takes a single hit from any enemy to knock him down to critical health. Another hit usually means game over. Jacks health does regenerate, but at a phenomenally slow pace.

During your trek through the island, you'll come across all sorts of nasty overgrown creatures such as giant millipedes, giant bat-things, giant scorpions, giant crabs and normal sized dinosaurs. Given that it is such a nasty island, they all pose an immediate threat to your health. Luckily, you are capable of defending yourself with spears and, when you can find them, guns. Although they may not be the best weapons with which to stave off a bloodthirsty dino, spears are the primary weapons of the game. They aren't the most powerful of weapons, but there is a certain satisfaction when you actually kill something with one. When you find a gun, be it a pistol, shotgun, Tommy gun or sniper rifle, the task of surviving instantly becomes easier since you can pick off enemies from afar.

Every now and then the narrative switches from Jack to Kong. While it would seem that this would be the highlight of the game, the Kong levels are a disappointment, and thankfully there aren't many of them. Switching from the first-person perspective into a third person camera, you'll control the twenty-five foot tall ape as he moves through the jungle taking on everything that gets in the way. Unfortunately there are quite a few problems that come with this, such as the bad camera which constantly struggles to keep up with the action and mindless button mashing. The platforming isn't anything special either, although it is entertaining to watch the first time around. While Kong does have some impressive moves, such as snapping a T-Rex's jaws in two or breaking its back, these become stale after just a few uses.

There are also some unfortunate technical glitches throughout the game. The biggest I encountered was a scripted event in which a T-Rex attacked, and then exited through the jungle. But somehow it got caught on a piece of the environment and just walked in place until I restarted the level. Towards the end of the game I experienced another weird glitch that stopped me from getting to the end of the level because of something that was on the ground, which I couldn't even see.

THE VERDICT
Contrary to the stigma licensed games often carry, this one has done quite well for itself. While I wouldn't put it on the same level as Escape from Butcher Bay, it uses its source material effectively. More surprising is the fact that there are some extremely interesting ideas put to use throughout the game, which actually work. King Kong won't blow your mind, but it should give you a thrill or two.

HIGHS
- Crazy scripted sequences
- The lack of a HUD works great

LOWS
- Kong levels suck
- Some tech problems
- Crap health system

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 10/06/08

Game Release: Peter Jackson's King Kong: The Official Game of the Movie (US, 11/21/05)