King Kong's Surprisingly Competent Survival Video Game, Explained
Games starring King Kong are few and far between, but there is one game based on the character that is well-worth playing even for those who wouldn't consider themselves fans of the king of Skull Island. Unlike his recent co-star Godzilla, Kong hasn't found much success in the realm of video games. Sure, there are countless knock-off characters inspired by the Eighth Wonder of the World such as Nintendo's own Donkey Kong or George from the Rampage franchise, but few games feature the original King Kong in all his glory.
It's a shame, because there is plenty that can be done with the property. For starters, Kong is a gigantic gorilla who fights dinosaurs. That seems like an obvious game-idea contender. But Kong's home of Skull Island is also ripe with gameplay opportunities. After all, it's an unexplored, prehistoric island filled with monsters and mysteries.
Thankfully, in the early 2000s Ubisoft realized there was potential to be had with a King Kong video game, and, basing their game off of the 2005 Peter Jackson film, actually made one of the best film licensed video games of the last two decades. It released on nearly every platform available at the time and was a major Xbox 360 launch title. It's filled with action, adventure, and, of course, dinosaur-punching, making Ubisoft's Peter Jackson's King Kong worth checking out for Kong fans - and gamers in general.
In Peter Jackson's King Kong, plays step into the shoes (giant feet?) of two characters: New York playwright Jack Driscoll (Adrian Brody's character from the film) and King Kong himself. While controlling Jack this King Kong game is played in a first-person perspective, as players use guns, spears, torches, and other items to survive the hostile environment that is Skull Island. Most of the actors from the film lend their likeness and voices, which helps give the title, along with its impressive visuals for the time, a big-budget, cinematic feel that isn't often seen in licensed games.
The heads-up-display in Peter Jackson's King Kong is off by default, meaning there are no ammo counters or health bars cluttering the screen, allowing players to get immersed in the experience as they run for their lives from dinosaurs and navigate through the dense jungle. Players are always low on ammo and just a few hits away from death, meaning they have to tread carefully against some of this King Kong game's stronger enemies. It's a survival-horror lite title in many ways. Jack moves slowly and is too weak to confront many enemies at once, so players have to get creative and use their resources carefully to survive.
On the flipside are portions of Peter Jackson's King Kong where players control Kong as he defends Ann from all manner of monsters and mayhem. These levels let players cut loose and knock around dinosaurs and often serve as boss battles of sorts, making for a stark contrast from the human-controlled portions of the game. Kong can go into "fury" mode, which blurs the screen and lets Kong go on a rampage. Compared to the survival portions as Jack, Kong's game levels leave much to be desired, as players must endure fixed cameras, awkward platforming, and constant button-mashing to smash through each level.
What also elevates the Peter Jackson's King Kong game are some of the names behind it: namely, Peter Jackson himself and game director Michel Ancel of Rayman and Beyond Good and Evil fame. Jackson seemed to be heavily involved in the King Kong game's creation, at least from an idea standpoint, and it truly feels like it shows in the game's high production values. This was not a run-of-the-mill cash grab like many licensed games back then seemed to be. Peter Jackson's King Kong even features an alternative ending where Kong survives his trip to New York City, something that feels like Jackson had a hand in.
It certainly didn't reinvent the wheel, but by 2005 standards the game stood out both visually and from a gameplay perspective, leading to positive reviews and solid sales. It still holds up today as one of the best licensed games ever made from a film and most certainly the best Kong game to date, even if the actual King Kong-controlled portions are probably the worst part about it.