Peter Jackson's King Kong (PlayStation 2, 2005)

This game is a mix of FPS and adventure type third-person hack and slash to make for a solid game. Although the game is short, it has a unique re-play feature and some levels will be fun over and over again
Despite the game coming out prior to the movie I found that the movie was not spoiled. Besides most people have read the book, or watched an earlier version of movies and that never ruins the movie experience.
Anyway, the story is centered on the actress Ann Darrow, the filmmaker Carl Denham, and the screenwriter Jack Driscoll. Desperately Carl tries to save his film from being cancelled by a movie studio. Enter his hair brained plan, travel by ship (quite a beauty) to Skull Island. With a name like that you can get the drift.
You begin playing through the eyes of Jack. Take time to look around and don’t rush through the game so you can explore each environment. They are done quite well and the sound (music and effects) are just right to set the mood. Although there is no permanent gauge that displays the character’s health, ammo, map, and other key statistics I found this approach allowed me to immerse myself in the environment. The game will alert you on screen if you’re low on health. Jack will tell you when to reload ammo.
Ahh the combat. Weapons and ammo are abundant (sometimes just spears or bones) and in realistic locations further adding to the realism. You have a limited supply of ammo (except for bones), but with a little planning you’ll be able to pick em off one at a time. You will be battling small to large winged demon bats, various insects, scorpions, dinosaurs and centipedes. The enemy may group up and attack you with or without awaiting turns (the freakin’ leaches!). Further enhancing the realism is the fact that some enemies cannot be killed. Ergo, run you idiot! All in all I found the combat portion satisfying yet not super sized (no hand cramps induced here).
The puzzles (find objects, clear a path) are nothing you will have to speed up your synapses for; however, they make for yet another plus in the game.
One thing I did not expect was that in the game KING KONG I would be playing KING KONG more often. While only being 1/5 of the gameplay this is one of the best parts of the game. This part is in third person, allowing you to open a can of Kong on the enemies. Kong uses brute force, so all you martial arts gurus might be disappointed, jump, beat, and repeat until dead. Of course you’ll be holding Ann, so put her down so she can help you inflict damage with spears.
I found the visuals to be quite impressive. As an RPG and shooter fan I loved the detail each level had, the amount of background and supporting visuals contributed to the feeling that you were on the island. I was a bit disappointed with NY though, I have been there and it is A LOT bigger. Overall the graphics were one of this game’s strong points.
I found that the sound effects and the music was rich. Crank up your surround sound and be sure to have a sub-woofer on. When King Kong beats his chest you feel it. The voices are done by Jack Black, Naomi Watts, and Adrien Brody.
Overall King Kong is a solid weekend adventure/FPS game that is the product of developers working within a film, not restricted by it. The game combines different gameplay styles, an exciting story (who can resist a maiden in distress), rich visuals, beautiful audio and tense combat. All of this immerses you in the game feet fir