Peter Jackson's King Kong
Nov 22, 2005
Forget everything you know about big name movie licensed games. Forget that they're often rushed out the door, that gameplay is sub-par, and that marketing dictates all. Peter Jackson's King Kong is the exception to the rule. It may be based on a Hollywood film, but underneath it all, this is one gorgeous, expertly designed action-adventure.
The game starts off with a short video clip, culled from the film, that sets up the backstory. Then you're thrown right into the action and the pace never lets up. Sure there are puzzles to solve and monsters to kill, but the game does an excellent job of avoiding any downtime so you're always left with something to do. And each area leads seamlessly into the next, feeding the urge to play "just one more level."
One of the big achievements in King Kong is the utter lack of a HUD. That's right, there's nothing on the screen except you and the game. No health bar. No inventory. No nothing. It's just you and the game world, which does a surprisingly good job of drawing you right in. Other characters talk directly to you, work with you, and expect you to help them. If you're hurt, you know it because the controller pulses and your vision blurs red. Low on bullets? Your character will comment on it. By bringing everything into the world, King Kong sports an incredibly cinematic flair. You're not playing a game -- you're playing the movie.
Some of the more notable moments in the game include the first time the oversized V-Rex (it looks like a T-Rex and acts like a T-Rex) appears on screen and lets out a death defying roar. Or when you first take control of Kong and send him into a frenzy by screaming and beating on his chest. Another great moment is when you're near death -- your vision falters, your movement slows down, and a beautiful aria starts playing. Though the music is calming, it's your cue to get away from danger now, or you'll expire.
The levels themselves are broken into bite-sized chunks, with some taking no more than 10 minutes to complete. Though this sounds odd, it works very well, as it means both hardcore and casual gamers can enjoy the experience. The developers have also included a number of intelligent checkpoints; when you die, you don't have to worry about repeating the whole level. This is a game that is designed to keep you playing, above all else.
Visually, King Kong is top-notch, pushing both the PlayStation 2 and the Xbox to their limits. A number of lighting effects are used to indicate different status effects, such as the yellow hue that floods the screen when Kong is in a frenzy. Characters are well animated and all of the creatures in the game move fluidly. Watching Kong battle it out with a V-Rex is an amazing sight. There were the occasional visual glitches, but by and large the whole thing is solid.
Perhaps the biggest compliment goes to the current gen systems, though, because aside from a few extra effects, the Xbox 360 version doesn't look all that much different. Proving you need more than tools to make stunning visuals, King Kong on current generation systems looks better than quite a few of the Xbox 360's launch games.
Audio is also worthy of note, as all the lead actors have lent their voices to the game. Environmental effects are superb, especially on the 360 when played through a surround system. Oddly enough the Xbox version of the game refused to output 5.1, even though it claims to do so on the box.
The only real mistake that King Kong makes is in the enemy placement. In the later levels, it's not uncommon to have creatures attack you in pairs, where the first hit stuns you and the second hit kills. It's never a big setback, but it's still frustrating to experience a "cheap" death. Similar instances occur when you're supposed to be protecting your comrades, but aren't quite sure what to do. They'll die, and you'll get to reload and try again until you get it right. Thankfully these sequences are few and far between.
King Kong is a linear game that simply doesn't feel linear, and that's a major achievement. By tightly focusing the action and constantly engaging the player, the developers have managed to make you feel a part of the action without holding your hand. You don't really notice that the game sometimes goes on rails, when you're running for your life or desperately trying to save a friend. By tapping into the player's emotions, the game slyly sidesteps the natural tendency to explore. All in all, it's a masterful illusion.
Ultimately, King Kong succeeds because the developers used the film as an inspiration, but never let it drive the necessities of gameplay. The result is an interactive entertainment experience that ranks up there with the best action-adventures available. Kong is undoubtedly king in the jungle of movie licensed games.