The giant ape helps kick off the launch of the Xbox 360 with the game adaptation of Peter Jackson's remake of King Kong. The movie has been remade a few times but now you get to partake in the action as both Jack and Kong. The 360 launch titles haven't been overpowering, but can the big ape help it conquer?
The truth is that it fits in with the launch titles pretty well. King Kong is a port of the current-gen versions with improved graphics. To me, graphics aren't what make the game. So charging $10 more for improved graphics doesn't cut it. Luckily, however, the game is great to be worth the retail price of the current gen versions. Those with the current gen version of King Kong have no reason to purchase the Xbox 360 one. But those that don't have King Kong on any system should give though the 360 version if you don't mind the extra charge.
As I have mentioned, graphics are not the biggest concern to me for a game. King Kong for Xbox 360 upgrades the current gen graphics to make for an even more impressive atmosphere. Kong really comes to life the first time you see him. The graphics aren't all next-gen looking, however. The character models really don't stand out, especially compared to Kong. And the amount of loading will make you a bit puzzled. The loading times are fairly short but they happen too many times throughout the game. Some of the levels are very short and made my wonder what all the loading was about. One part in particular reminded me of the Tony Hawk American Wasteland loading tunnels where the loading happens while you are in a section of the level that is fairly bare. It seems like this perhaps could've been done in Kong by having pathways without enemies to load the next section. But otherwise, the game runs smoothly.
The game is all about putting you into the movie. To accomplish this, there is no HUD or anything on your screen to tell you your health, bullets, map or whatever. While playing the part of Jack the game is in first person, while Kong is in third person. At first, you might wish that there should be more Kong playing in the game. But really it seems like having a game centered more on Kong would get repetitive fairly quick. As it stands there is a good amount of Kong playing.
While playing as Jack, you will need to find crates that were dropped to obtain a gun (pistol, shotgun, sniper). However, going in guns blazing won't get you far as there is very limited ammo. There are, however, plenty of animal bones can be found. Or you might find some spears from the natives. You can also choose to try and not kill many of the species by distracting them with a creature lower on their food chain. This makes for interesting play and is really the only decision making you get to do throughout the game.
Playing as the big Ape means being high on the food chain. Utilizing Kong's power, you can slap and knock enemies into the air. On the bigger creatures you can do a 'finishing move' by tapping A or B quickly to take them out. You'll also be climbing and jumping from tree branches. Whether the level is Jack or Kong, your main objective is still to keep Anne alive.
Surround Sound really helps immerse you into the game and make you feel like you are on the island. The sound effects are really nicely done to give you the creepy alone in the forest effect. The voice acting comes out nicely as the actors provide the voice overs. And when you get injured, your screen gets darker and blurred, but what comes out on top is the music that is played during this time. It has a depressing feel to it that makes you want to defend yourself and get back into the action as Anne is depending on you.
One thing that bugged me a bit during the game is the AI of the rest of your party. Sometimes you'll see an enemy walking right up to someone and attack them without running or defending themselves. This of course leaves you to help them. This doesn't happen all of the time but it does get irritating.
King Kong really shines as a fun game that also looks and sound nice. There is even an alternate ending to make you go back and play the levels a second time. The 360 version takes a step up by having nicer graphics but takes a hit with a $10 price increase. In the end, the game is a great choice for those that aren't sure what to buy.
