PlayStation Hardware & Games

For Xbox:
Video: 5
Sound: 5
Gameplay: 4

For PS2:
Video: 4
Sound: 5
Gameplay: 3

From one of the most anticipated films of the year comes a highly anticipated game. Peter Jackson's King Kong follows the movie story line of the newest version of this classic beauty-and-the-beast tale. The game starts off with the actual movie trailer, and we learn that filmmaker Carl Denham has happened upon a map of an island known only by myth. He decides to have this Skull Island as the backdrop for his new picture. Along for the ride are his leading lady Ann Darrow, the screenwriter, Jack, the first mate on the Venture (the ship that brought you to the island) Hayes, and Jimmy, a young sailor from the Venture. Gamplay opens up right after the ship hits a wall of the infamous island. You play as Jack and find yourself along with others being lowered in a dingy into very stormy waters. You finally make it to the island, and the game begins.

This is a difficult game, but not to the point where it is frustrating. It is a different kind of first-person shooter where you actually have to think about what to do instead of just shoot everything in sight. You are only given a limited amount of ammo, and guns are few and far between. Most of the time you will be using spears to fight off giant megapedes, crabs, and dinosaurs. You can find spears almost everywhere, unlike the guns, but they also do run out.

The controls are not too complicated, and there is a tutor that pops up here and there. But it does take some getting used to. There is no auto aiming, lending the game a certain feel of reality, but some of the flying creatures are very hard to hit with spears unless they are right in your face. Now, I may be biased because I am an avid Xbox player, but the controls for the PS2 version were a lot harder to figure out. Especially because of the damn R1, R2, L1, and L2 buttons. I kept hitting the wrong one at the wrong time and got killed more than in I did playing the Xbox version.

An aspect I really liked about this game is that you can't fall off a cliff that you aren't supposed to. Yes, this goes against the quality of realism, but I would otherwise have died five times more than usual because of the narrow walkways.

Both platforms support a 480p video resolution. The graphics for the Xbox Kong are great. Very, very lifelike. The PS2 version, though good in its own right, just doesn't seem to live up to the Xbox version. Right from to start of the game, when you are in the dingy, the waves are crisp and clear, and the rocks have their own individual features—they don't just look like one large wall as in the PS2. The scenery was the biggest difference between the two. The characters look good in both versions, especially the facial features; however, in the PS2 version, you don't see as many lines, hairs, and so on. The creatures look good; they actually managed to freak the hell out of me!

The sound was the overall best aspect of this game. Xbox has Dolby Digital 5.1 sound and the PlayStation 2 version has Dolby ProLogic. Both consoles exploit the surround sound well—from waves hitting the rocks, to wind blowing all around, to Kong roaring. When you first hear him, you shake in your seat, because you can hear him all around you. At the beginning of the game, you feel as if you are truly in a massive storm with hard rain coming down and waves smashing up against the boat. Another bonus is that all the actors from the movie do their own voice work, which adds to the enjoyment.

So, all in all, King Kong is a great game for either platform. The sound quality alone is worth the playing time. But, for someone who needs that little extra, I would recommend the Xbox version. And wait until you get to play as Kong himself!