by
Ted Kritsonis
Faze Technology Editor

What it’s about: If you’ve seen the movie already, then you know what the basics are. If you haven’t, then just think of Kong as a big badass ape who rules a tiny place in the Pacific Ocean called Skull Island. Film director Carl Denham wants to shoot a masterpiece on the uncharted island with the hot Ann Darrow as his leading lady, and brings screenwriter Jack Driscoll along with a crew of people aboard a ship. While the video game stays true to the characters in the movie, the story takes a few twists that aren’t in the movie at all.

What’s good about it: Play or watch this game on a high-definition TV and you’ll be amazed at how real it looks. The way Kong moves, the fights with the T-Rex and even the up close and personal feel of playing as Jack combine to create an immersive world that’s hard to resist. See, when you play King Kong, you’re not just getting a game, you’re also getting an experience and atmosphere. When a dinosaur or centipede jumps at you (while playing as Jack), you’ll flinch because it all happens so fast. When a T-Rex starts chasing you, it really is as scary as it sounds. As both Jack and Kong, you both want to find and protect Ann, but there are plenty of exciting obstacles that get in the way.

What’s NOT good about it: As great as it is, King Kong has some puzzle elements that you need to figure out before you move forward. That’s great, but it doesn’t always play out very well. You’re forced to fight off enemies with little ammo in your gun, all while trying to protect Ann. Even though other crew members (Hayes especially) fend for themselves really well, they won’t always be able to watch your back. Oh, and don’t expect it to take too long to clear the game either.

What’s the verdict: This is a good one, no doubt about it. But you also need to be patient when playing it because of all the puzzle elements. If you’re going in expecting to play as Kong all the time, forget it because you only play as the big guy for maybe 30 per cent of the game. But if you want a gaming experience that’s a little different than your average FPS game, then definitely give this one a chance.

Publisher:
Ubisoft
Developer:
Ubisoft France/Montreal

Platform:
Xbox 360

Rating: 8.5/10