A 2.5D side-scroller that takes cues from "Mark of the Ninja" and "Deadlight," "Kong: Survivor Instinct" has you scurry around crumbling cityscapes as King Kong lurks in the background and pops up in occasional cut scenes.
Since its star is used sparingly and most of the focus is on your protagonist, those who are here strictly for the big guy will undoubtedly be disappointed. There is some charm, though, to the gameplay. Light puzzles, platforming and combat challenges abound.
You will search rubble for screwdrivers or keys that let you through locked entryways, dispatch armed guards by incapacitating them with hand-to-hand combat or shoving them off ledges, and scrounge up a variety of MacGuffins that tie in to the complex story of bioresearch related to King Kong and assorted corporate plots.
The setup may have worked better as its own, unlicensed theme, or as a side mode to a larger King Kong epic. It's too much of a "gotcha!" that you don't get to actively play as or against the famous beast, and all your maneuverings seem inconsequential in his wake, like the meaningless human characters in a Kong or Godzilla flick.
"Kong: Survivor Instinct" turns out to be more of an endurance test than a joyous indulgence. 'Twas ennui, rather than beauty, killed the beast in this case.
Publisher provided review code.
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