Peter Jackson's King Kong: The Official Game of the Movie

Peter Jackson's King Kong: The Official Game of the Movie
North American cover art for PC
Developer(s)	Ubisoft Montpellier, Ubisoft Casablanca, Phoenix Studio
Publisher(s)	Ubisoft
Director(s)	Michel Ancel
Producer(s)	Xavier Poix
Artist(s)	Florent Sacré
Writer(s)	Jacques Exertier
Composer(s)	Chance Thomas
Engine	Jade
Platform(s)	PlayStation 2, Xbox, Nintendo GameCube, Microsoft Windows, Xbox 360, PlayStation Portable, Nintendo DS, Game Boy Advance
Release date(s)	List GameCube, PS2, PC, & Xbox JP December 15, 2005 NA November 21, 2005 PAL November 17, 2005 Nintendo DS JP May 25, 2006 NA November 21, 2005 EU December 2, 2005 AUS December 15, 2005 Xbox 360 JP December 22, 2005 NA November 21, 2005 PAL December 2, 2005 PlayStation Portable NA December 20, 2005 PAL December 16, 2005 AUS December 20, 2005
Genre(s)	Action-adventure
Mode(s)	Single-player
Distribution	DVD-ROM, GameCube Optical Disc, cartridge, UMD

Peter Jackson's King Kong: The Official Game of the Movie is a first-person shooter action-adventure video game based on the 2005 film King Kong. It is a collaboration between the film's director Peter Jackson and video game designer Michel Ancel

It was released on PC and sixth generation platforms on November 17, 2005, as well as a mobile version also released in Winter 2005, developed by Gameloft. In the United States, the Game Boy Advance version is titled Kong: The 8th Wonder of the World. All film cast members reprise their roles.

There is also a version for mobile phones called King Kong: The Official Mobile Game of the Movie.

Gameplay

In the game, the player assumes the roles of both New York scriptwriter Jack Driscoll and the giant gorilla, Kong as they struggle to survive the threats of Skull Island in 1933.

This game is exhibitive of an industry trend to de-emphasize the role of a heads-up display: it lacks a life bar, aiming reticule, and ammunition readout (the ammo readout and aiming reticule can be turned on and off at the player's will, but will be disabled by default.), further adding to the challenge and encouraging the player to find alternate weapons and techniques.

Interspersed with Driscoll's adventure are levels in which the player controls Kong himself, traversing Skull Island's unique geography, battling various giant monsters while defending Ann. The Kong levels take place in a third person view, as the player directs Kong to punch, grab and use objects/corpses as weapons. He can also bite, climb, charge, hurl enemies and even pound his chest to go into fury mode. When Kong is sent into fury mode, the sky becomes tinted with a golden hue and Kong becomes more powerful and less vulnerable to attack. Many of the Kong sequences fulfill the role of boss fights, as the giant ape is able to effectively battle the gigantic creatures that Jack's weapons cannot harm.

In the alternate mission of the game where Jack tries to save Kong, the player controls a seaplane. Diving down firing the machine gun at spotlight, warplanes, and even Kong. The flying is limited in movement and action, but players can perform various stunts like a nose dive and a loop to loop.

Plot summary

The plot loosely follows the film on which it is based, however, it diverges and is expanded upon in order to extend the gameplay.

In 1933, film director Carl Denham (Jack Black), has gotten hold of a mysterious map, which reveals the secret location of a large island known as Skull Island, a place located in the far reaches of the Indian Ocean (correctly the Pacific Ocean in the game). Carl hires playwright Jack Driscoll (Adrien Brody) to write his script and plucks a starving, out-of-work actress Ann Darrow (Naomi Watts) to play the part of leading lady and a tramp steamer called the Venture to take them to the island. The ship, controlled by Captain Englehorn (Thomas Kretschmann) arrives at the island on October 12, 1933. But due to the stormy seas and huge rocks, it can't get close enough to land so the crew orders the captain to send three lifeboats containing the cast, crew and a few sailors to the island and he does. However, the lifeboat containing Jack, Carl, Ann, Hayes (Evan Parke), and Briggs gets hit by a chunk of rock which falls from a large stone structure, tossing the party out into the sea.

Jack is horrified to find out that one of the sailors, Briggs is dead and the lifeboat completely wrecked. Hayes shoots out a distress signal, informing everyone that if Englehorn sees it, he'll come looking for them via the ship's plane. The group head upwards to a cave entrance leading into a dark, flooded cave. After fighting off several giant crabs with their 9mm Luger P08 pistols, they head towards the exit and move out onto a rocky outcrop, to the left there is a rocky slope leading down to a stony beach. Carl suggest shooting some test shots for his movie, he asks Ann to scream and her classic damsel-in-distress style wailing is answered by a loud roar. The director and his men are suddenly attacked by huge crabs that crawl out from the shore, rifles raised, the men shoot the miniature tanks down, but a huge bellow erupts from the water. A 30-foot crab emerges from the murk and knocks over a wooden platform supported by wooden beams which is standing next to the slope. After much man-made commotion the creature is defeated, and they move on through a gigantic wooden door. Jack has the option of swapping his Luger for a Winchester Model 1897 pump-action shotgun.

The party progress forward, meeting up with the second lifeboat containing Preston (Colin Hanks), Jimmy (Jamie Bell) and Lumpy (Andy Serkis), although it cannot land because of the strong current of the sea. The team continue traversing the island, battling with many vicious creatures, and are eventually forced to split up. Jack crosses a wooden bridge, but after he crosses it, it breaks. Ann insists on going with him and climbs up to the cliff above Jack. After a huge battle with Megapedes and Scorpiopedes through a seemingly abandoned village, Jack and Ann are captured by the island Natives. Jack gets to use a Mauser Gewehr 98 sniper rifle, but loses it.

When Jack wakes up tied to a stake, he can only watch as Ann is taken by Kong, a 25-foot (7.6 m) gorilla during a native sacrifice. Carl eventually rescues Jack and the two give chase. During the dangerous journey through the jungle, in which they battle numerous dangers, Jack and Carl reunite with Hayes. Soon after, they meet up with Preston, Lumpy, Jimmy and another sailor, who are crossing a bridge, but they are attacked by a V-Rex. Lumpy is torn apart, Jimmy and the sailor fall down into the crevasse, but Preston got to the other side. Jack is separated from Carl and Hayes, who tell him to continue look for Ann. Jack eventually finds Ann, but she is kidnapped by a queen Terapusmordax. Kong comes to the rescue and saves Ann. Jack continues on into the canyon, where he sees a migrating herd of Brontosaurus's, and also battles Megapedes and Scorpio-Pedes. Jack meets up with Carl and Hayes, and continue on their path. In the jungle, they come across Jimmy, who is attacked by some Venatosaurus's. They eventually meet up on a raft, where Jimmy tells the group that everyone is dead. After escaping the Skull Islanders the team are pursued by two V-Rexes. Kong comes to the rescue and kills them. As the teams continue their journey, they enter a swamp, and fight against strange looking Swampcrawlers. After leaving the swamp, Kong interrupts their log crossing and tips them into a huge ravine. Carl's camera is broken and he gives up, heading downstream towards the Venture. Jack, Jimmy and Hayes continue their pursuit of Ann. Jack gets to use the last weapon, a .45 caliber Thompson submachine gun with a 50 round drum clip.

Jack eventually saves Ann from a V-Rex, and the party continue the adventure to find a long stretch of water of which the seaplane can land on. After fighting off some Venatosaurus's in a cave, and leaving a swamp, they finally come across a long stretch of water. Captain Englehorn, in his seaplane, lands on the water. However, he takes flight as a huge V-Rex follows them into a large area cluttered with ancient stone ruins. The monster breaks through the barricade and begins smashing down their shelter. Ann signals for Kong to come. Eventually, Kong comes to save them. As Hayes tries to stop the fight, the V-Rex charges at Kong, who steps on Hayes, injuring him. Jack and Jimmy stand over Hayes, who tells Jimmy before he dies to get back to the ship. Jack and Jimmy fight many Venatosaurus's and head back to the stretch of water and find the seaplane. Jimmy climbs in (there is only one passenger seat) and Jack climbs up into the mountains to save Ann.

To the Lair/Kong's Lair/Fight in the Lair/Free!/Chased by Kong/Heading Back/Back to the Village/Kong's Capture/In the Streets of New York/The Empire State Building/Kong's Death

Jack discovers Kong's lair and kills two juvenile V-Rexes and the pugbats roosting above the entrance. He rescues Ann while Kong fights several cave serpents. After leaving the jungle, Jack and Ann arrive at The Wall, Ann is captured by the natives until Kong comes to get her. He saves her then heads for the shore. Kong gets gassed by sailors once he reaches the shore. He eventually passes out and is taken to New York City, where he is put on display on Broadway. Kong isn't held captive for long and wanders New York in search of Ann. He eventually finds her and, after destroying many army trucks and making a tip of Manhattan, he takes her up the Empire State Building. He tries to destroy a swarm of biplanes but is eventually shot down. Carl stands beside Kong's body and says "It wasn't the airplanes. It was Beauty that killed the Beast."

Alternative ending

The alternate ending occurs if the player defeats enough biplanes as Kong, and then destroys the army's searchlights, Kong will climb down the Empire State Building and a cut scene will play of Kong roaring on the top of his homeland, having been safely returned. To unlock the alternate ending, players must complete the entire game and then go back and play through various maps and earn a total of 250,000 points. It can also be accessed by using the cheat codes.

Releases

The Xbox 360 release featured improved graphics and audio over the sixth generation console releases. The PC version, known as the "Gamer's Edition", (originally only available with select graphics cards and later offered on game download services) also included these improved features.

The "Special Edition" version of the game was available for a limited time. Along with the two standard game discs, included are: A bonus disc, containing concept art and a screensaver; and a making-of disc, containing a featurette with Peter Jackson. There was an error in the printing of the discs and the disc labelled "Making of" was actually the "Bonus" disc and vice-versa. The signature edition also comes with a Topps trading card of King Kong, a code for a downloadable ringtone, and a cover signed by Peter Jackson.

Reception

Reception
Review scores
Publication	Score
1UP.com	A-
Game Informer	8.5 out of 10
GameSpot	8.2 out of 10 DS: 2.8 out of 10 PC: 8.1 out of 10
GameSpy
IGN	8 out of 10
Nintendo Power	9.0 out of 10 DS: 3.5 out of 10
X-Play	(Xbox 360)

The PC and console versions generally received very positive reviews. However, the Nintendo DS and PSP versions were widely panned by reviewers because of bugs and glitches, poor level design and enemy AI. The DS version was listed in the 'Flat-Out Worst Game' list of GameSpot's Best & Worst of 2005.

Awards

• Spike TV Award for Best Action Game
• Spike TV Award for Best Video Game Based on a Movie
• Spike TV Award for Best Leading Male Performance (Jack Black as Carl Denham)

The game was humorously awarded the 'Most Long-Winded Game Title' in the "Dubious Honors" category of GameSpot's 'Best of 2005'. It was included on Game Informer's "Top 50 Games of 2005" list and it was placed #10 on the "Top 10 Heroes of 2005" list.

Technical issues

Symptomatic of early seventh generation console games, the Xbox 360 version was only correctly set up for HDTV, leaving the image on standard-definition TVs very dark and unsatisfactory for gameplay. As a result, Ubisoft recommended fans buy the Xbox version until a fix for the problem was produced. The patch was eventually released.

The Xbox version is not currently backwards compatible with the Xbox 360.

The PC version is also known to utilize the StarForce copy protection system, which may cause unforeseen difficulties for players, especially those using Microsoft Windows 7. No patch has been released by the publisher to remedy this problem. Digitally distributed version are DRM Free

External links

• Official site
• Mobile version
• Peter Jackson's King Kong: The Official Game of the Movie at the Internet Movie Database
• Peter Jackson's King Kong: The Official Game of the Movie at MobyGames