One of the most incredibly immersive experiences I've had with a game in a long while, Kong is an instant classic!
It is a common known story among most people who live on Earth. A group of foolish Americans voyage out to sea in search for an uncharted island. Upon reaching said island, Skull Island, their young, blonde, attractive actor gets swept up by the natives and sacrificed to Kong. To make a long story short, they get the girl back, capture the giant monkey, the monkey escapes, and the monkey dies upon falling off the Empire State Building. But this is Peter Jackson we're talking about here, it's never that simple. While the movie really fleshes out the bond between the monkey and the girl, the game is focused on showing the intensity and primativity of survival on this island. And while this is a much more interesting concept for a game than a monkey dating sim, it really does occasionally feel too simple to be a Peter Jackson product. Luckily though, in exchange for the heavy hitting tear jerker moments, we get much more of the survival aspects of the story.
The gameplay is split between the Kong parts and the Jack parts. Jack's parts are all about surviving in the hostile island environment. Ancel took a very interesting approach to the game, trading off information through a HUD in favor of verbal and visual ques from Jack. For example, instead of having a little meter that shows how much ammo you have, you push a button and Jack says something like, "Four rounds left." It creates a highly immersive feeling, but if you're not into that, then you can turn the HUD on. The controls are fluid and never feel like they get in your way. Aiming's easy, just aim in the general direction of the enemy and it's most likely to hit something that's trying to eat you. And nothing is more satisfying than impaling a velociraptor's skull with a spear. Puzzle solving is kept simple with little burn the bush and food chain puzzles to break up the shooting. But it is the Kong parts that are truly enjoyable. Being the "King", your size makes you feel capable of anything. The simple controls may seem boring at first, but when you get in yout first fight with a V-Rex, you'll feel the sheer power coursing through you. These battles are visually stunning to watch and even more fun to play. And the platforming parts are smooth, dramatic, and take next to no skill to complete. That may be a down for some people, but I felt it gave you more time to appreciate the moves he was pulling off when you were only pushing one button to do it and not a special combination of four. Too bad the Kong parts are less than 1/3 of the game and the fabled New York level feels so empty with next to no people or cars to terrorize. Another thing that shoots Kong in the foot is its length; I know Mr. Ancel was going for movie-like, but six hours is just too short for something this good.
The visuals are incredible to say the least. And not only do they look good, they contribute to gameplay. Go into rage mode with Kong and the screen will film over with yellowish gold. Become close to death as either characters and the screen turns red. It's all a very unique and well executed process and it made me find the game artistic in a sense. The art style for the game is sort of dreary and wild; and the creatures are beautifully animated and modeled. The way the centipede arches its back before it strikes or how a V-Rex leans over to engulf you is stunning and well polished.
The sound is another high point for this game. The voiceovers are well acted and the script is never boring, it was written so someone is always talking to keep it from seeming like a totally solitary experience. The sound effects, however, impressed me even more. The way each creature roars and hisses is perfect and the music is beautifully orchestrated. But I don't think I'll ever forget Kong's mighty roar.
All in all, if you're a fan of the movie, you're sure to love this game. And if you're just a gamer up for an adventure, this will also float your boat quite nicely, albeit if only for a short while.