Video Game Corner: Peter Jackson's King Kong: The Official Game of the Movie (2005)

They couldn't just call it King Kong: The Game or Peter Jackson's King Kong? They really had to make it so clear that this is a video game game adaptation of Jackson's then recent remake, as if people were too dumb to figure it out for themselves? In any case, I knew this was a thing only when I saw it in stores after it was released in late November of 2005, as I hadn't heard anything about it. If you've read my review of the movie, you'd know it was my most anticipated of that year, having known of it since Jackson announced he'd planned to make it after he was finished with the Lord of the Rings trilogy. So, obviously, when I learned of this game, I just had to play it, and that desire only doubled when I was in a store where I was able to pick up the case, look on the back, and read that you could play as both Jack Driscoll and King Kong himself, as well as saw images of Kong running rampant in 1930's New York and fighting dinosaurs, as well as a POV of Jack shooting at one with a Tommy gun. While the movie was still my highest priority (and seeing it in the theater was one of the best movie-going experiences of my life), with Christmas coming up, I made sure to let members of my family know that I wanted this game... although, I might've pushed a little too hard. I not only got both the Nintendo GameCube and PC versions of the main game, but also the GameBoy Advance version, Kong: The 8th Wonder of the World. Between that, getting the recently released special edition DVD of the original King Kong, and an action figure based on the Jackson movie, it was an amazing Christmas for a fan of the great ape. As for the game itself, I'll say from the outset that it was one I thoroughly enjoyed playing the first time through and, as I've come back to it periodically over the years, it's never disappointed me. While the graphics have, unavoidably, dated, and both gameplay modes have their fair share of annoying aspects, it's still a very fun, intense, and exciting experience, one of the best movie tie-ins by far, and hands down the best video game revolving around King Kong (not that there's a lot of competition).

(Obviously, when I mention the controls and specific aspects of the game, I'm going to be referring to the GameCube version. Regardless, aside from some minor differences, it's basically the same game ported across multiple consoles and the PC.)

For a good chunk of the game, you play as Jack Driscoll in first-person shooter style gameplay. But what sets it apart from most other games of this genre is that there's no HUD (heads-up display) showing how much health or ammo you have, as the developers wanted the experience to feel much more immersive (you have the option to activate such a display for the ammo, as well as remove dialogue subtitles or the controller vibrations, the latter of which I try to do on any game, as I find

that annoying). You might think this would be a huge detriment but it's actually not, as the game itself takes care of that for you. Whenever you get attacked and are badly injured, the screen begins flashing red, everything becomes slower, and the sound is drowned out by a piece of haunting music, a signal for you to either kill your attacker quickly or run and hide until it stops, as two or three more hits will kill you (though, while it does its job, it can really get annoying after a while). As for your ammo, you can push one of the buttons to

automatically check how much you have left or, when you reload your weapon, Jack himself will say so. Speaking of the controls, moving, aiming, and firing are set-up as they usually are for these types of games, but you can also crouch and interact with nearby NPCs, sometimes either to progress the story, get them to toss you a weapon if yours is empty, or just to hear hear what's on your mind. The "Fire" button can also be used to take weapons and ammo you find, as well as punch at enemies to temporarily repel them or interact with the environment in various ways.

You have two types of weapons to use: firearms and spears. The former you find in crates scattered across the island, dropped by Captain Englehorn from his seaplane. When you find them, they're either broken open on the ground, or hanging from a tree branch and you can easily get them by standing under them and hitting the "Fire" button to knock them down. You have four specific firearms: the Luger P08, the first one you get, which fires eight bullets at a time, is quick to reload, and is best used against the smaller enemies; the Winchester 1897, which has the strongest firepower and can easily kill most of the 

the bigger enemies, but takes a while to reload, and is best used up-close; the Gewehr 98 sniper rifle, which I love, despite its slow rate of fire and reload, as it's very accurate and has a sniper scope you can access to clear away enemies from a distance; and the Thompson M1928 machine gun, which fires rapidly and is very useful when you're faced with lots of enemies at once, but its reload rate is, again, slow and you tend to drain through the ammo about as soon as you get it. You can only carry one firearm at a time, meaning you often have to make a choice when you come across a crate while carrying one that isn't spent. There are also many times where you find yourself without a firearm (sometimes, you lose it in-between stages)

and are forced to either run for it or make use of spears, which you often tend to find right when you need them most. There are two types of spears: actual weapons made by the natives and bone fragments you can grab from an animal's half-eaten carcass (you never run out of the latter). The actual spears do a surprising amount of damage when thrown at certain enemies, and can be used several times in a row, although they eventually break like a twig; the bone fragments don't do quite as much damage but, when you need them, they're better than nothing. Both can be made into torches for additional damage, as well as to clear away obstacles and kill enemies in the ensuing fire, and you can also use them to spear small creatures in order to distract larger enemies with bait.

Although the main goal of each stage is to fight your way through and reach the end, there are some instances of puzzle-solving required to advance. The most common types involve finding missing levers necessary to operate large doors that block your path. With rare exception, there are two columns in front of these doors that you need to operate in tandem with one of the NPCs, and one or both of them will be missing the levers you push to rotate them, forcing you to search the nearby

area until you find them. Often, they're not that far from the door, but sometimes, you do have to do a bit of exploring to locate them. There are also spots where you have to, as I said, burn through patches of thick, dead brambles in order to continue on or reach a lever (amazingly, these wooden levers don't catch on fire themselves when you're burning everything). Sometimes, this involves getting fire from one spot to another using lighted spears and urns in tandem. And you also use bait to lure away hordes of deadly Moonspiders for the same reason as clearing away brush.

You often have at least one of a handful of NPCs at your side: Ann Darrow, Hayes, Carl Denham, and Jimmy, and each of them has their own strengths and weaknesses. Ann, unlike the other characters, including Jack, can actually climb, either to reach levers to open doors for you or burn away obstacles (this also applies to the levels where you play as Kong), and she can also heal injured NPCs, although she can't do the same for you. Like Denham and Jimmy, she only uses spears to fight

back against enemies instead of firearms, but she's a lot more useful than they are. Denham spends most of the time he's onscreen filming everything with his camera, and often has to be saved when he gets attacked, as does Jimmy. Hayes actually uses firearms (although, he doesn't inflict much damage with them), and you can trade with him, although there are some instances where that's not possible. You have to keep all of your given NPCs alive until the end of the level or you'll to start again from a

certain point, like when you die. Like in other games, this can be quite frustrating, and the characters' constant yelling for help can start to grate on your nerves after a while; fortunately, you can't hurt them with friendly fire. Speaking of dying, besides being killed by enemies, it happens if you fall from a great height or get burned to death. There's no set amount of lives, so you can try as many times as you want, and if you're fairly far along or near the end of a level when you die, you'll start a little bit from where you died, rather

than having to redo the level from the beginning. The levels sometimes end rather abruptly, although if you see a roof up ahead with a fire-pit underneath it, that marks the end. And some levels are not only brief but don't force you to battle any monsters or clear obstacles, acting as just segues from one true level to the next.

In the levels where you play as King Kong himself, the perspective switches to third-person and the gameplay becomes a cross between platforming and beat 'em up. Most of the time, you're either saving Ann from the island's predators or carrying her to safety. You can run fairly fast with the B-button, as well as jump and climb across patches of vines along cliff walls, climb up tall structures, and swing across great distances using branches and ledges. In fighting both the island's other monsters and the Skull Islanders, you have an assortment of attacks, from punches and charges to being able to

grab and throw your enemies, perform violent knockouts, or even bite and tear into them using Kong's teeth, the latter of which you use against smaller enemies when they latch onto you. You can also sometimes grab objects like tree trunks and large chunks of stone and use them as weapons, and there are instances where the latter is the only way to get rid of enemies attacking from a distance. When you fight the island's largest monsters, either one or more V-Rexes or the

Terapusmordax Queens, you have to beat them down and, when they're weak enough, perform a finishing move that consists of either ripping their jaws or wings apart, or throwing them. You also sometimes have to do this to break a potentially fatal attack, like when a V-Rex goes for the neck. The downside, however, is doing so requires you to rapidly press either the A- or X-button in a punishingly fast manner. By doing the same with the Y-button, you make Kong rapidly beat his chest until he goes into Fury mode, where the screen gets

a golden hue. In this mode, your attacks are much more powerful, and you don't take as much damage. But, while you're certainly a lot stronger as Kong than as Jack, you're not invincible, and will go into that same red-flashing danger mode if you take a really bad blow. Like with Jack, the "danger mode" can get annoying, but even worse is how the camera angle and perspective constantly change as you make your way through these levels. One moment, you'll be watching Kong from behind, and then suddenly, it'll switch to a position across from him. Such sudden shifts can throw you off and leave you open to attack before you're able to mentally adjust.

You have to be careful with Ann during these levels and find a safe spot to put her while you fight, as you can't fight to your full extent while holding her. Once you put her down, she's vulnerable to any nearby creatures, forcing you to either distract or pummel them as soon as possible when they threaten her. Even when there are no big predators around, she can still be attacked, mostly by swarms of Moonspiders, if you walk away from her. Like when you're playing as Jack, there are some levels where you need her help to clear your path. You climb up onto some columns with trees

atop them, set her down, and she then usually finds a torch to burn away an obstruction. There are some instances of this where she still needs protecting regardless, and there are also moments where she'll run off while you're fighting or, randomly, after clearing the way, forcing you chase after her before she gets into more trouble. More often than not, while she's being attacked elsewhere, you have to clear a blocked gate by repeatedly pressing a button to make Kong toss aside a fallen tree trunk or column, and then smash your way through the gate.

As in the movie, Skull Island is crawling with loads of deadly monsters, some of which are original to the game. Among those you're likely to remember from the movie are the Venatosaurs, the large, dull green-colored dinosaurs that resemble Velociraptors. They tend to hunt in packs and will run right at you and attempt to drag you away in their jaws. They're pretty tough to kill and can take a lot of punishment, which especially sucks if you're forced to use spears. There's also a smaller type that often hunts in big groups and isn't nearly as tough, but can still be a nuisance if you have no firearms. Neither of them will follow you into

water, which you can sometimes use to your advantage. There are also a number of times when you're faced with a Vastatosaurus Rex, or V-Rex, as Jack, and those are the definition of survival tests. There's no weapon you can use to kill a full-grown V-Rex, and you often find yourself either running like hell, trying to escape him, or distracting him from attacking the other characters while they try to get a door open. Sometimes, you can kill another creature to distract a V-Rex with a meal, but if you don't have the option, you basically have to let him chase you and try to avoid  

his jaws until the others accomplish their task (it takes only two snaps to kill you). You can slightly slow one down by shooting at him, but it's to do this to repel him when he goes in for a bite. Even when you're playing as Kong, they can be tough enemies, especially when, like in the movie, you have to fight two or three at once. There are also some adolescent V-Rexes, about the size of the Venatosaurs, that you encounter as Jack. These can be killed, but it takes a lot to do so. And finally, in several levels taking place in the canyon, there are Brontosaurs. While they don't actively attack you, you don't want to get in their way, either, as they can easily crush or badly injure you without even trying.

Those ugly bats from the movie, the Terapusmordax, are quite common throughout the game. Once in a while, they may just ignore you while hanging upside down and roosting, but if they spot you or you do something to disturb them, they swoop down with a screech and hover in front of you before slashing at you with their claws. They come in either very small, dog-sized types or large ones about the size of a man, and while they don't take much to put down, they're able to come at you so suddenly and quickly that they can snag you before you can react. Unlike the adult V-Rexes, you can kill the enormous Queens as Jack,

but they take a lot of firepower and/or spears to put down, and they tend to circle wherever you're perched before coming down at you. When fighting them as Kong, you can dodge their swoops, then swing around and whack them. In the later levels, where Jack journeys up to Kong's mountain lair to rescue Ann, you run into these different types of bats that are even freakier-looking than the ones you've seen before. Like the others, there are some that ignore you if you just walk past them while they're eating without disturbing them. (I've heard that in the Xbox version, it's the same bats that you've seen up to that point.)

The Udusaurs, or Swampcrawlers, which only appeared in the movie's extended edition, are a common enemy in the swampy levels where you have to wade through waste-deep water. Looking like big salamanders, they take some precise shots to put down, and are hard to hit because of how fast they swim and because the water obscures your shots. This is especially frustrating when you're having to act as a sniper and protect the other members of your party as they wade their way through the water. Also, in the level taking place in the cave up in Kong's mountain lair, you have to fight these creatures called Cave Serpents,

which are like snakes but with fish-like heads. You fight both some enormous females and much smaller males, and while the latter aren't too hard to handle, the former can be about as tough as a V-Rex, right down to how they tend to go for your throat whenever you manage to grab them (which isn't easy in and of itself, due to their slimy, wriggling nature).

Besides dinosaurs, swamp creatures, and flying monsters, Skull Island is also teeming with creepy-crawlies, chief among the Megapedes, enormous centipedes that, like the Terapusmordaxes, can come at you from out of nowhere and attack without warning. They're often found in dark, dank areas, and come crawling out of big holes in the wall, hissing at you before rearing up and striking. Few places are safe from them, as they can climb along walls, swim, and leap at you, and they tend to attack in large groups, so you have to kill them quickly when you run into them. Besides the brown-colored, bulky types, some black, slimmer

ones also appear from time to time, and these are much more agile and harder to get a bead on. Fortunately, they only take a couple of shots or spears to put down. The same can't be said for Scorpio-pedes, which you encounter in some of the early levels and which attack by charging at you, intending to sting you with their tails. While they're quite vulnerable to spears, they can take a lot of shots, and also tend to attack in groups. The same goes for the Cunaepraedators, which are these big, vicious, snarling crabs that charge at you from the water, often in big groups, and take a lot more

punishment than you would expect. In one of the first levels, you fight an enormous one that takes a crap-load of shots to kill, and you have to hit it beneath the shell to be effective; fortunately, you don't run into any others. And there are the aforementioned Moonspiders, which can never be killed, only baited away or driven back with fire. Said bait consists of big larvae, large dragonflies, and baby Udusaurs.

Sometimes, you face the Skull Islanders, both as Jack and Kong, and while they're easily disposed of as the latter, they can still be potentially deadly if they shoot you with enough arrows and poison blow-darts; there are also stages where you have to protect Ann from them while she tries to accomplish a task. When you're Jack, you're either trying to evade them as they fling flaming spears at you, burning everything around you, or setting fire to the wooden structures they attack from in order to defeat them. Either way, they can be tough to deal with, and it's best not to waste your ammo shooting at them, as the odds of hitting one of them are very slim and it doesn't help much.

The Skull Islanders are sort of a prelude to the enemies you battle during the final stages when you're playing as Kong rampaging through New York. While on the streets, you have to deal with soldiers who shine spotlights on you and then fire their machine guns, police cars that drive by and fire on you, and military trucks with mounted anti-tank guns. It takes only one blow to defeat any of them, but while the soldiers and police cars are fairly easy to reach and destroy, those trucks can kill you in just two blasts, forcing you to hit them from afar by using other vehicles as projectiles. And naturally, on the final level atop the Empire State Building, you battle the biplanes which, while easy enough to destroy, have the most powerful guns to use against Kong.

When you first play through the game, starting and naming a profile, you just go straight through from level to level (the game also starts here with footage from the movie), but when you replay that profile, you can select each level, or chapter, individually. You're also now able to get a score for each one, dependent upon how long it takes to complete it, how many hits you take, how many times you die, how many times your friends get injured, how many different attacks you use as Kong, and so on. Each time you get a higher score for a level, you get the option to save it, and the more points you earn, the more extra features you're able to unlock, one of them being an interview with Peter Jackson himself, talking about the game, which he was fairly well involved with.

Graphics-wise, the game is a mixed bag. On the one hand, the many varied environments on Skull Island are very well-designed, with the place coming off just as harsh, dark, and dangerous as it does in the movie, a notion that's reinforced by the transitions from one level to another, showing a haunting cutscene, as well as tracing you path on Carl Denham's map. The first few levels, on the shoreline and in the village, are totally barren and made of sharp, uninviting rock, craggy cliffs, and lots of dead brambles, and even when you get into the island's interior, the jungles are never lush and beautiful but, rather, are thick, dense, and full of

underbrush, with more briars, lots of weeds, boggy swamps, and dark caves and tunnels. Like in the movie, the environment gives off a feeling that there was once a thriving civilization on much of the island that has long since been abandoned and is now overgrown, with lots of stone structures, the many wooden doors you have to open, and the enormous temple you pass through while climbing your way up to Kong's mountain lair. However, while the environment is never exactly picturesque, and the skies are often gray and overcast, with many instances of rain, there are some very lovely-looking moments in the game as well, especially

when you can see beams of sunlight poking through the clouds. There's no better example of this than those later levels heading up the mountain, which take place late in the afternoon, at sunset. On the other hand, some of the levels in the tunnels and caves are a tad too dark, forcing you to turn up your TV's brightness and possibly washing out the image. Similarly, while later versions of the game, like on PC, fixed this problem, the details of the other environments on Skull Island sometimes blend together and mess with my eyes, as do the enemies. (Therefore, I apologize if many of these

images are hard to make out. At first, I was taking screenshots from an updated version, but I decided that I'd rather this review feature images from the version I actually played.) I also find the last levels set in New York to feel much more confining and not as expansive as you'd want or hope. While it is cool to be able to smash and throw cars, climb along the sides of buildings, and battle the police and military, you're always either running down streets, narrow alleyways, and swinging along the undersides of bridges. You don't get to wreak havoc in Times Square or Central Park, and there's

nothing that special about climbing the Empire State Building, as you just start the climb and the rest of it is done through a cutscene, whereas I think they could've made a whole level out of the climb. Finally, while setting the final battle atop the building at night instead of during the day was an interesting change, and it's cool that you can still see out across the city, I would've liked it more if it were set during the daytime, just for more detail.

The graphics are also mixed in regards to the character models, as there's a definite Uncanny Valley vibe to them, with them coming off like moving, plastic action figures, and they sometimes get stuck and won't what they're supposed to. The creatures look better, especially the dinosaurs and flying enemies, but there are many instances of their clipping through objects and, in some instances, looking as though they're floating along right above the ground. Kong himself looks a bit off. While they got the basic design of him being a giant, silverback gorilla with a lot of scars and injuries on his body, like the scratches on his chest

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and side of his face, and his dislocated lower jaw, his face doesn't look the way he does in the movie. This could be due to the final design still being a work in progress even into the summer of 2005, as the film's trailer showed a version of Kong that was slightly different from what they finally went with (Kong looks much more like his movie counterpart in the updates). Audio-wise, however, the game is pretty much flawless. It's cool that all of the major actors from the movie voiced their characters here, including Naomi Watts, Adrien Brody, Jack Black, Evan Parke, Jamie Bell, and

Thomas Kretschmann, making it truly feel like a companion piece. They also put in nice details like the characters panting as they make their way through environments, with Jack loudly huffing and puffing when you do something that involves a lot of running. The vocalizations they gave the various creatures, including Kong himself, not only fit them but are also effectively threatening, making you kind of frantic whenever you hear them before you see them. But the best thing they did with the sound design is the ambience of the environments. On Skull Island, when there's no

music playing, you can hear the sounds of insects, the eerie, distant calls of creatures, the sounds of birds flying overhead, human screams (even when Ann is with you, making you wonder who screamed and why), the muffled sound of the Skull Islanders when they're watching you, and Kong roaring in the distance when you're heading up the mountain, among others. And when you're in New York, you can hear the constant sound of blaring sirens, people screaming, cars screeching away, and cops and soldiers barking orders to stop you.

The movie's last minute production tweaks might also be the reason why, rather than the actual film score, the game has original music all its own, composed by Chance Thomas. While it's certainly not on the level of James Newton Howard's work, the game's music does fit the nature of this story, usually coming off as mysterious and haunting, with lots of vocalizing, like on the main menu and when you take a serious hit, as well as frantic and exciting for the many skirmishes you find yourself in. In fact, the music often acts as a warning that danger is nearby, as it will break the silence, allowing you to prepare yourself. There are even parts of the score that allude to the feeling of wonder and majesty that the King Kong story is all about, playing during a moment in one level when you and Denham first see Kong walk by, when you're heading up to his lair, and during the cutscene of him climbing the Empire State Building. And while not often, there are moments of poignancy in the music as well.

The Venture: The first level is an example of one where you don't have to fight any enemies or worry about getting a score on repeated playthroughs. Starting with a black screen that reads, "Pacific Ocean, October 12th, 1933," the first thing you see is a close-up of the Venture's hull, as Captain Englehorn calls to Jack Driscoll, who tells him that he doesn't look so good and asks him to look up at him. You then do so yourself, and after you pick the control scheme, Jack says he's feeling better. Looking around, you see that you're in a small boat with Hayes, a sailor named Briggs, Carl Denham,

and Ann Darrow. After Englehorn and Denham argue, the latter insisting that he's going to land on Skull Island, regardless of the conditions, Hayes and Briggs begin rowing towards the shoreline, along with two other boats. Despite the danger, Denham refuses to turn back, while another boat manned by Preston, Lumpy, and Jimmy heads further down the shoreline. Hayes tries to warn Denham about some falling rocks up ahead but he, of course, ignores him. When they go further, larger rocks fall, hitting the boat and causing the screen to go completely white, as you hear the muffled sounds of screaming.

Skull Island: Jack starts out unconscious, then his vision is restored to see Ann looking at him. When you get up, Ann says that Briggs was killed. His covered body lies next to the beached boat, as Hayes tries to contact Englehorn by shooting a flare up into the sky. You then head up a path along the cliff-side, stopping at a passageway that's completely dark. Ann lights up a flare, and when she does, you see some Cunaepraedators in a watery chamber up ahead. Hayes offers to give you a Luger P08 and the two of you open fire on the crabs. There are quite a few of them but it's easy to

take them down. After smashing your way through a wooden door, you head along the cliff-side and to another part of the shore, as well as the first gate requiring you and another NPC to open it together with levers. As you do, Denham and Ann act out a scene that was shot for the movie but cut: he films her, telling her to scream, and when she does, Kong suddenly roars off in the distance, shaking the screen. You're then interrupted by more Cunaepraedators emerging from the sea, forcing you and Hayes to blow them away again. Once they're all dead, the screen shakes again, and a gigantic one comes ashore. You have to keep it at

bay while Hayes tries to get the gate open, and it takes a good number of shots to put down. Once it's dead, Hayes and Denham manage to open the gate and you head through and farther up the cliff-side. Englehorn's seaplane passes overhead for the first time, and after he leaves to find somewhere else to land, you head on to find the first ammo crate, which contains a Winchester 1897. Up ahead are more Cunaepraedators, with a big group behind a wooden door you smash through, as well as another gate you and Hayes have to open together. It's also the first time you have to find a missing lever, which, in this case, is on the ground in front of the gate. Once it's open, you head on into the next level.

Necropolis: Heading onto another cliff-side path, you see the rowboat with Jimmy, Preston, and Lumpy, as they try to come ashore, but are unable to because of the current. There's also another ammo box containing a Winchester 1897, as well as some bones for defense and patches of briars, on a nearby ledge. Once the boat rows away, you and your group head on, through another passage and into a large, exterior tomb. There's also a lit urn, which you have to use to light a spear and clear away some brush and wooden scaffolding to continue on. Another passage leads into a cave, as

well as a dead end, and you're then ambushed by a swarm of Megapedes, which start crawling out of the walls. There are quite a few of them, and they tend to blend in to the walls, which isn't helped by the low lighting. After you kill the initial swarm, and Denham films some shots of Ann in front of a statue, several more Megapedes burst out from behind it, along with some Terapusmordax that swoop in through the passage the bugs revealed. Once you've killed them, you continue, running into some more Megapedes in the passage, including one that attacks Denham, forcing you to

shoot it off him. While Ann heals him, you continue into another exterior area, where you get attacked by more Terapusmordax and Megapedes. Once they're dead, you cross over a small, wooden bridge that breaks and falls when you get to the other side. You then make your way up another narrow wooden walkway, when Ann insists on coming with you. She climbs her way up the side of the cliff-wall, forcing you to shoot some Megapedes that come after her. Once she makes it to the other side, you do the same, and after you interact with her, the two of you go on without Hayes and Denham. You head through a canyon,

shooting more Megapedes and Terapusmordax, and at the end, you have to burn through some brush and scaffolding to clear the way to a gate (you also can potentially kill some Megapedes lurking in the brush). Ann climbs up the wall to open the gate, and you again have to shoot a Megapede that goes for her, then defend yourself from some Terapusmordax that come swooping at you from behind. When she gets the gate open, there's a patch of Moonspiders you have to bait away so you can head on through the passage.

Scorpions: Coming out of that passage, you head up some steps, getting attacked by a Terapusmordax on the way, and enter another exterior location. Like before, there's some brush blocking your path, but this time, Ann has to climb up to an urn in order to light a spear and clear the way. Again, you have to protect her, as well as yourself, from Terapusmordax that swoop in. When she gets to the top, she sees the Great Wall in the distance, then sets the brush afire. Once it's cleared, you wade through a shallow canal filled with Udusaurs. Fortunately, Ann covers you from

the bank, and when you reach the end, you interact with her so she can help you up before you get attached by one last Udusaur. Once you're out, you head through an area filled with spots of brambles, which are also teeming with Scorpio-pedes. Initially, you have to kill them yourself, but up ahead, you can make your way around the brush to a burning urn and use it to not only clear your way but kill more Scorpio-pedes, as well as Terapusmordax. You can also clear the way to an ammo crate, only to get attacked by some Megapedes when you go for it. You then head up the hill, through another exterior corridor, and

come to a spot where you have to knock a torch off the wall to clear your path. You then hear Hayes and Denham talking and meet up with them ahead, on the other side of a large crack in the stone ground. You can have Hayes toss you his Gewehr 98 sniper rifle and, once you do, more Megapedes come for you from behind. When they're dead, Denham uses a lever to lower a bridge you can cross over to the next part of the settlement.

The Wall: After breaking through a wooden door, you come into a large, wide open area, filled with patches of brambles. You can run up to a nearby vantage point and use the sniper scope to shoot some torches on nearby pieces of stone wall to clear some of the brush away, as well as kill some Scorpio-pedes hiding within. You're not able to burn away all the brush, meaning that you still have to shoot some Scorpio-pedes that come at you, as well as deal with a bunch of Terapusmordax attracted by the dead bugs. Englehorn also drops a crate full of ammo for your

Gewehr in the center of this spot, and you're going to need it, as the Scorpio-pedes are particularly relentless here. Once you get past this, you enter some ruins and, in a very creepy touch, hear the Skull Islanders murmuring and see glimpses of them watching you and then running and hiding. At the end of this passage, you cross a narrow bridge and enter another large area filled with chunks of brush, as well as Megapedes, Scorpio-pedes, and Terapusmordax. Like before, it's best to use your sniper rifle to shoot or spear some torches to burn both the brush and a lot of the creatures. Past this area is another spot where you come

across a large gate, with Ann having to climb up to reach the control. This time, you don't have to defend her from anything, and after she opens the gate, there's another one on the other side of a shallow pool. She goes to open that one as well, then suddenly goes silent. The gate opens, only to reveal a group of natives, one of whom hits you with a spear.

Sacrifice: The screen starts out black, then Jack regains consciousness. Though you can look around, you can't move, as Jack realizes his hands are tied behind him. You watch as Ann is lowered onto the sacrificial altar, and after a few seconds of the natives chanting continuously, they stop. Kong then emerges from the jungle, approaches Ann, and after looking around, beating his chest and roaring, takes Ann and runs off. A few seconds later, Denham shows up, frees you, and the two of you run down to the ground, making your way up around the altar and towards the jungle, dodging

flaming spears that the natives toss at you. The path leads to an exterior passageway, with a large split in the ground that forces you to cut through an opening in the left wall to get around it. You come to a spot with another large gate, this one missing one of the levers needed to open it up. But before you can look for it, you get attacked by some Venatosaurs, as well as Megapedes. And even after you kill them, some smaller Venatosaurs show up. You don't have your weapons anymore, so you have to bring them down with spears and bones. Once they're dead, you can get the lever, which is hidden behind some brush you need to burn, and open the gate to the next level.

On Kong's Tracks: This level starts with an awesome moment where, after following Denham for a bit when he says he heard Ann scream, you see Kong walk past a tree-line in front of you while carrying her. Following a path up and around to where he's walking, you see him swing off into the distance, while you reach the edge of a cliff. That's when Denham's penchant for filming everything gets him in trouble, as a Terapusmordax Queen swoops in, grabs him, and flies off (you can throw as many spears as you want at her, but you can't stop this). You then have to chase them, fending off

smaller bats that swoop at you, as you head along the cliff-side, past a waterfall, through a wooden door, and a passage where you run into some small Venatosaurs. After dispensing with them, you come to another cliff-side path, with more Terapusmordax swooping at you, and once you deal with them, you have to cross some narrow, rickety bridges and head up a hillside, taking down more bats. Past a cave at the top of the hill, you get dive-bombed by even more bats, but you also find an ammo crate containing a Winchester 1897 with two magazines. Once you're locked and loaded,

you cross some more bridges to reach the nest, which you climb your way up to. With Denham standing in the middle of the nest, you take on the Queen and some of her offspring, downing them with both the shotgun, as well as a Luger and some ammo that you find nearby (this fight is where you learn how much of a liability the shotgun's slow reloading can be). Once they're dead, and Denham gets a shot of them, you head back the way you came, killing more bats that come at you, as well as more small Venatosaurs in the tunnel where you encountered the first batch (when you kill them, Denham complains about wanting a chance to film

them, which makes you want to strangle him). Eventually, you two come to a gate that you both have to open before moving on to the next level (Denham compliments himself for continuing to film while the Queen was flying off with him).

Hayes: After walking along a path that passes by a spot where some Moonspiders are crawling around, you come upon a large temple, where two Venatosaurs and some Terapusmordax are feeding. There's a torch and an urn around here that you can use to burn the grass near them and possibly kill them, and there's also an ammo crate hanging near with a Luger and some ammo. After you kill the initial two Venatosaurs, another one shows up, so you may run out of ammo. Once the monsters are all dead, you have to find two levers for the gate leading into the temple. One can be found behind

some brush that you have to burn, while the other is behind those Moonspiders you passed earlier. After opening it, you walk through the temple, finding a crate with a shotgun and some ammo, and then through a tunnel, hopping down into a spot with a shallow but strong stream rushing through it; the place is also filled with Megapedes. You eventually come upon an enormous cavern, where Hayes is stuck on a ledge that's blocked by some brambles. You have to make your away around to where there's an urn to clear the way for him, but there are also some Venatosaurs roaming around.

Odds are you'll have run out of ammo after killing those Megapedes, so you have to either use spears against the Venatosaurs, bait them away, or dodge them using the small structures on their side as cover until you can get around to the ledge across from Hayes. There, you can have him toss you a Tommy gun, but you have to be quick, as another Venatosaur comes around and jumps on his ledge. After you burn the brush and clear the way for him to reach Denham, you can use the machine gun to kill the other dinosaurs. Hayes and Denham cross over to your side when you've done so, and after finding a lever in the back of this chamber, you use it to open another gate. You head through a tunnel filled with water, while up above, you hear the other party being attacked by something, a hint at the next level's main challenge.

V-Rex: Right at the start of this level is some ammo for your Tommy gun, which you're going to need. Past the tunnel is a cliff where you see Preston, Lumpy, Jimmy, and the others cross a bridge. After Preston warns you about a monster in the area, a V-Rex shows up and attacks, destroying the bridge, sending Jimmy and another man falling into a ravine, and killing Lumpy. You and the others have to retreat to some nearby ruins, as Hayes and Denham try to open a gate. The V-Rex bursts his way into the clearing and you have to work to distract him, killing some Terapusmordax

circling above. However, because the other two take their sweet time in getting the gate open, you have to use yourself as bait, letting the V-Rex chase you around this small area while avoiding being eaten (Hayes constantly yells at you to draw him away, as if you're not already trying like mad to do so). They don't tell you when they've gotten the door open, either, so you could be so focused on avoiding the V-Rex that you might not realize they've already run for cover! Once you make it through, the V-Rex smashes his way into that clearing as well, and the three of you have to take cover past some stone structures and in the far back

of a shallow hole in the cliff. The V-Rex easily destroys the stones, but as he sniffs around, trying to find you, he hears Ann yelling for help in the distance and goes off after her. Once he's gone, you can come out, as well as find a lever along the left side of the clearing. When you head back to the initial clearing, you see the V-Rex stalking along a cliff, and he roars at you, before continuing to hunt for Ann. The lever goes to a gate back at the spot where you first ran into the V-Rex, and past the gate is the spot where the bridge was. When you try to cross over the broken wood to reach the other side of the cliff, it breaks beneath you and you fall onto a ledge below. You then make your way up and to a passageway through the rocks, as Hayes tells you to go on ahead.

Ann: Heading through the jungle, you find an ammo box containing some rounds for the Tommy gun, and then make your way through a stretch of some tall grass that's crawling with small Venatosaurs, as well as a Terapusmordax hovering above. Past that, you find Ann on a path on the other side of a large chasm, and she tells you that Kong is right behind her. You have to save her from some more Venatosaurs and continue to follow her, as she's attacked by another group. You also have to protect yourself from some Terapusmordax that come at you, as well as some

Venatosaurs that jump across the chasm to attack you. There's an ammo crate with a shotgun here, but it's best to use up the Tommy gun before making the switch. Eventually, Ann runs across the path and gets swarmed by Terapusmordax, with a Queen picking her up and flying off with her. That's when Kong swings by, chasing after them.

Kong: Aptly, this is the first King Kong level, where you chase after the Terapusmordax Queen to save Ann. You run through some stone paths, swing across tree branches, and climb along vine-covered cliff-sides while chasing the Queen and some of her offspring. At one point, you have to stop and deal with the latter, before continuing the chase for a bit further, only to get swarmed by more small Terapusmordax when you try to climb up a wall to reach the Queen. Once you get rid of them, the chase goes on further, with more swinging and wall climbing, before you climb up

to the top of a cliff where you finally face off against the Queen, while Ann manages to get away. The Queen nearly knocks you off the edge when you first try to climb up, but after that, she does her predictable swoop attacks, followed by her offspring swarming you. After several repeats of this, you can finally finish the Queen off, before clearing your path, then climbing down and swinging over to another walkway in order to recapture Ann. She attracts the attention of the Venatosaurs, but by running, you can easily catch up and knock them away before they can hurt her. You then have to do more wall-climbing and swinging parallel to her before you're able to successfully flank her. Once you do, you just run up and take her.

The Canyon: Back to Jack, you make your way towards a canyon, finding an ammo box with some Luger shells near the edge of the cliff. You then head across a narrow, winding bridge, while getting bombed by Terapusmordax. Though it's possible to rush past them, it's best to just stand and shoot them. Reaching another cliff-side, you make your way around it to another bridge, with lots of bats. If you keep following the path, it leads you to a sniper rifle and some ammo (as well as the corpse of the sailor who fell with Jimmy), which you can use to shoot all of the roosting bats before

attempting to cross the bridge. You have to watch out for some that come at you while you're shooting but, once they're all dead, you can safely cross. On the other side, you head down another path along a cliff, making your way to the canyon floor. After going through a passage in the rocks, you hop down into a marsh next to the trail, and as you wade through the water, a herd of Brontosaurs comes stomping down the valley. Reaching the end of the marsh, you have to use an urn and a spear to burn your path clear, before heading up some steps and across a path going back up the cliffs. Crossing a bridge and finding some sniper rifle ammo near a

waterfall, you head through a passage in the rocks and into a watery cave. As you likely expect, the place is full of Megapedes, so it's best to use some nearby grubs to flush them out so you can shoot them. Killing them, and smashing your way through some wooden doors, you crawl through a very snug tunnel, which also has some Megapedes, and enter into a large cavern, which has Scorpio-pedes on the ground and Terapusmordax in the air. Fighting your way through, you reach another bridge extending through a sheer vertical chamber, and bait away some Moonspiders to get around a corner, as well as kill one of the small and faster variety of Megapedes. Once you're on the other side, the level ends.

Millipedes: At the beginning of this level, after knocking your way through a gate and grabbing some ammo for the sniper rifle, you see Denham and Hayes on a ledge across from you. You have to protect Hayes from some Megapedes, while Denham gets a door open for them. Once the bugs are dead and they manage to get through the door, you make your way down the cliff-side, as they do the same on the other side of the canyon. At the end is a rickety, narrow bridge where some Terapusmordax swoop down at you when you start to cross. The bridge ends with a crate full of more

ammo, while on a ledge below, Denham is, again, opening a door, and you have to protect Hayes as he fends off some Megapedes. When Denham gets the door open, some Cunaepraedators come rushing out and you have to kill them as well. Once they're dead, Denham and Hayes head through the door, while you cross over to a passage in the cliff-side and head down to a very large cavern, full of fighting Megapedes, as well as some Terapusmordax that swoop at you when you enter; there's also some more ammo down there. After clearing the next section behind a barrier of more Megapedes, you have to shoot a torch up high up

the wall in the previous chamber so it lights an urn down below, then use it to light a spear and toss it through a hole in the wall to light another urn there. Beyond that small, watery spot with more Megapedes, you head to a chamber that slopes down to a section of water, and with patches of brambles, one of which is obstructing a lever that you later need to open a door, hence the need for the fire from earlier (this is the first of several such puzzles). Before you can reach said door, you have to kill some more Cunaepraedators that come out of the water at you, while across the water, Denham and Hayes, again, battle Megapedes and

you have to give them a hand. The crabs come in waves, and just when you think you've killed them all, more show up. Once they're all dead, you can acquire that lever, if you haven't already, jam into the post in front of the door, and open it up to move on.

Brontosaurus: This level expands upon that fire carrying puzzle from before. After you, Denham, and Hayes get out into the open, on the canyon floor, you cross over to the other side, dodging the Brontosaurs, only to find a lot of brush past some ruins. You have to make your way down the valley, to an urn burning at the end of it, and then use spears and other urns scattered along the way until you make it back with fire. Heading down that way, you not only have to avoid getting stepped on but also patches of brambles, both dead and lush, and deal with some Venatosaurs who come at you

continually. At this point, you're running low on sniper rifle ammo, but fortunately, there's a crate containing a shotgun and some shells on the opposite side of the canyon early on (also, the Venatosaurs will get crushed by the Brontosaurs if they stand in the wrong spot). At the end of the canyon, you have to go around some brambles and wade through water to reach the burning urn, then light a spear and toss it across the way to light another one. It's also a good idea to use the torches to burn the brambles to make heading back easier, as well as ignite the urns lining the canyon floor so you don't have to keep running to the sides to light

the spears. More and more Venatosaurs show up, both the large and small kind, making it a constant battle to get back up to Denham and Hayes. And when you do, guess who's also waiting up there? The V-Rex. You have to quickly rush back to where the guys are, then burn that large mass of brush blocking your path, as the V-Rex attempts to smash his way through to you. It takes a while to burn, so you have to light it as soon as you reach it, and if the V-Rex smashes the ruins before your path is cleared, all you can do is try to hold him off by some shots to the face until you can finish the level.

Jimmy: Coming out of a cave, you come across a box of ammo, as well as see Kong's mountain lair in the distance (as Denham films it, he mentions how Kong is king of the island, and then, talking to himself, comes up with the moniker "King Kong,"; he asks Jack if he thinks that could catch on). Up ahead is a long stretch filled with tall grass, as well as a lot of small Venatosaurs and Terapusmordax, with the sniper rifle again coming in handy when dealing with the latter. As you fight your way through, you hear Jimmy call for you in the distance, and you find him just up ahead and

around a corner. However, the Venatosaurs find him as well, and jump on the bit of land he's standing on, forcing you to help him, while also fending off more that come after you (fortunately, there's another ammo box here). Once they're dead, Jimmy gets onto a pair of small rafts floating in the shallow river and heads downstream, while you continue on foot. As you progress, you see the Skull Islanders watching you, clearly planning something, and when you come to a large gate with no way to open it, you find out what. They open the gate, letting in more Venatosaurs, specifically a large group of small ones, followed by a big one;

there's an ammo box with a shotgun and some shells to make killing them easier. After that, the natives fling burning spears at you and you have to take cover, though they also unintentionally clear the way for you. Beyond that is a stretch of river, which you have to cross using a fallen tree, while also avoiding more burning spears. You have to get rid of the natives by lighting a spear and using it to burn the walkway they're standing on, and then run like hell across the tree, as more spears fly at you. Reaching the riverbank, and finding a Luger and some ammo, you deal with some more Venatosaurs before joining Jimmy on the rafts. With you on the one raft with Jimmy himself, and Denham and Hayes on the one bringing up the rear, you head on down the river.

On the Raft: This very short level is akin to a slow rail-shooter, as you head downriver, fending off enemy attacks. The first are from Megapedes, which swim at you from the shoreline, and then, natives flinging flaming arrows from a fallen tree going across the river. Up ahead are two spots where you have to light spears and toss them to the shoreline, setting fire to both some brush and the bridges from where they're attacking. There's almost no room to dodge on the small raft, and the bushes and bridges tend to burn so slowly that you have to toss the spears as soon as you can, or you'll

get massacred. The whole time, you're also having to fend off more Megapedes, which come at both you and Jimmy, as well as Denham and Hayes, from the shoreline, as well as dropping from the large roots and fallen trees extending across the river. There's a spot about 3/4 of the way through where some Terapusmordax show up, and after that, you enter into some rapids, as well as take down more bridges filled with natives. At the end of the level, Denham realizes the V-Rex has found you and has driven off the natives.

Rapids: As you can probably guess, this level, which is also really short, has you fending off the V-Rex while still heading downriver. Unlike the Venatosaurs, he has no problem walking into the river to get at you, forcing you to either shoot or spear him in the head in order to keep him at bay. A second V-Rex appears on the opposite side of the river, though fortunately, you really only have to deal with one of them getting within biting distance at a time. That said, though, there are parts where some Terapusmordax get caught up in the mayhem and you have to kill them as well. You also have to

keep your eyes on both V-Rexes as they make their way around the sides of the river to find a way to get at you, as they sometimes get pretty close. After you pass through a tunnel, one of them gives up, while the other goes around it and gets ahead of you, planning to intercept. The current pulls you toward him, and it looks as if there's nothing you can do, when Kong suddenly jumps down and faces him. The characters pass by him, noting that he's holding Ann in his hand.

Fight: It's time to take control of Kong for the second time in order to kick some V-Rex ass. It's recommended that you put Ann down, preferably atop the stone roof next to you, before beginning the fight. However, in the middle of the fight, Ann runs away, through a nearby door, but your first order of business is to kill the Rex. Once he's dead, a cutscene shows that Ann ran to a spot housing two more V-Rexes, forcing you to come to her rescue. After clearing away some debris and smashing a door, you have to swing across tree branches and climb across some cliff-walls,

landing in front of another large door. Some Venatosaurs show up to pester you, but there's a tree nearby that you can grab and use as a club to bat them away. Once they're gone, you smash through the door, do some more swinging and climbing, jumping from one side of a canyon to another, before swinging to the spot where the V-Rexes have Ann cornered (how did she manage to get this far in so little time?). It's a good idea to go for an attack when you swing in to literally knock them off-guard, and then, it's just a matter of taking them on and beating them to the point where you finish them off, without allowing them to gang up on you and wear you down. After they're dead, you get a cutscene of Kong beating his chest and roaring victoriously, before he picks Ann back up.

Swamps: The guys have run aground in a murky swamp, and you're immediately faced with two ammo boxes, one for the Luger and the other, which you have to burn some brush to get to, for the sniper rifle. Up ahead is one of many stretches of water you have to wade through,while fending off Udusaurs. Beyond that first stretch is a large pool where a Terapusmordax swoops at you, and when you kill him, he falls into the water and is fed upon by the Udusaurs. You have to go first, with Hayes killing those that come at you, but once you get to the other side, you have to do the same for

the others, as the water's so deep they're unable to defend themselves. The Udusaurs attack from both the front and behind, and Jimmy is a straggler who often gets grabbed by one, forcing you to act quickly before the monster drowns him. When they've all crossed, you head on, going through the longest stretch of water yet, one with a fork in its path and is filled with Udusaurs, as well as some more bats that swoop down on you. It feels like your comrades take forever to cross this spot, especially given that you have to protect them, and at one point, Hayes randomly yells at you for counting out loud, even when Jack doesn't say

anything! Onshore is an ammo crate filled with sniper rifle shells, before a dry land passage where you have to deal with some roosting bats, and then a path through the rocks leading to a large, wide open area, with another stretch of water blocked by brambles. You have to climb atop a stone ledge housing an urn and burn the others a clear path, while also fending off some Terapusmordax that attack you up top. When the path is cleared, you have to protect them from Udusaurs again as they cross the water, preferably by using that ledge as a vantage point. Once you and everyone else have crossed, you head up some stone steps, through a cavern, and up some more steps to the next level.

Chased by V-Rex: Another Kong level, this one starts with you wielding a tree and using it to send a group of Venatosaurs who are menacing Ann flying. Once they're taken care of, you throw away the tree, climb up a pillar, and put Ann down so she can run over to a ledge, light the spear she's wielding with an urn, and use it to clear the path for you. While she does this, some Terapusmordax fly at you, while down below, some more Venatosaurs show up, and if you don't hop down to face them, they will jump up and knock you down. Regardless, once the path is cleared, you can just

climb up the vine-covered cliff-side across from the pillar and continue. Again, Ann tries to get away from you, and as you follow her down a river, you get jumped by some more Venatosaurs. You can either fight them or just shove your way past and hop down a waterfall, where Ann is waiting. You pick her up, then do some more cliff climbing and swinging before reaching a large alcove in a cliff-side. Again, you need Ann to clear the way, but there's more to it this time. After dealing with a couple of bats, you have to smash away a large door, revealing a burning urn, then let

her down so she can run to it and light another spear. But when she does, a pair of Venatosaurs chase after her, and you're also bombed by some more bats. Once you've taken care of them, you have to climb the pillar and let Ann down so she can clear the way. More Terapusmordax attack you while you're hanging from the top of the pillar, and this time, it takes a while for the fire to clear your way. After it does, you again climb up the cliff-side and chase after Ann, who gets a V-Rex on her tail. Swinging along, you land on a pathway parallel to where she's being chased, blocked by some rubble. Before you can clear it, some Venatosaurs jump

you, followed by a second V-Rex. You have to quickly dispose of the dinosaurs, as by this point, the other Rex has Ann cornered on the edge of a cliff. When you clear the way and reach her, you see a cutscene of her jumping off the ledge to avoid the V-Rex's jaws and landing in Kong's open hand. They have a moment between them, which is shattered when Hayes shoots Kong with a Tommy gun from nearby. He runs off before Hayes can fire some more.

The Log: Obviously, they had to include the iconic log scene in the game, but this is actually one of those really short levels where you don't get to do a whole lot. It starts with you and the guys already on the log, when Kong shows up on the other end. There's no point in shooting him, as it won't affect anything. He grabs the log, rotates it from side to side, and Jack falls into the deep ravine below, along with the others. The screen goes black, and you hear the sound of some crashing, then it comes back up to show Jack's POV looking up, with something, I think Denham's camera, hanging from

some vines up above. You then follow the sound of Hayes and Jimmy calling for you down a water-filled passageway, finding them on a ledge across from you. While Hayes and Jimmy are determined to go find Kong's lair, Denham opts not to go on, having lost his camera and all the film. You then follow the ledge you're on out of this cavern and into the next level. (Yeah, there's no game version of the bug pit scene from the movie, either.)

The Skull Islanders: Back to playing as Kong again, you and Ann come across a large door, guarded on either side by natives who throw flaming spears at you. Instead of trying to get up to them and attack, it's best to grab some of the objects you can pick up here and throw them as projectiles; a random Venatosaur also hops in to try to make things more difficult. After the coast is clear, you can move the rubble in front of the door, then smash through it, take Ann, and continue on. Swinging with her and landing in the midst of a settlement, you get to go on a kaiju rampage,

smashing through stone structures, destroying wooden huts, and sending attacking natives flying. You then jump and swing to a spot where Ann has to clear your path, but you also have to protect her from some Terapusmordax and natives who try to get her with their own flaming spears. She's safe once she manages to burn through the blockade, but you have to deal with more enemies before the path is cleared and you can climb up, take her, and swing on. You not only climb along the cliff-sides with the vines but also take down some more islanders attacking from scaffolding built along them. At the end of the level, you reach another large door, but when you clear the debris blocking it, a V-Rex suddenly bursts through, knocking Kong off the cliff and forcing Ann to run for it.

To Save Ann: When you come out of a tunnel, you see Ann, with the V-Rex right behind her. He knocks down some scaffolding she runs onto, washing her downstream, while you have to run down a cliff-side path parallel to them. Up ahead, the V-Rex corners Ann in some bits of ruins, and you have to make your way between his feet and around some brambles to reach a spot where some spears are located. The water slows you down, though, and by this point, he's destroying the ruins, so you cut it kind of close. Once you grab a spear and fling it at him, he turns his attention to you.

You then have to run further downriver, under an arch and into a large, open field in front of a door that Ann has to open. As she makes her way over to the controls, and also while she's opening the door, the V-Rex will occasionally focus back on her and you have to spear him again. Like the level earlier with Denham and Hayes, you have to keep running and avoid getting chomped, using bits of ruins as cover, while Ann gets the door. Also like before, it takes an ungodly amount of time for her to do it, but unlike those guys, she, at least, lets you know when she's got it open. You have to wait until she says so before going for it because, even

though it may look wide enough for you to get through beforehand, you won't fit, and you can also end up cornering yourself. When it is open, you run through, follow a path up a cliff-side, and reach a ledge where you interact with Ann to have Jack help her up, while the V-Rex roars in frustration over losing his prey. You then head through a passage in the rocks full of long grass and enter a cave, where you reunite with Hayes and Jimmy.

The Cave: Another short, nothing level, the four of you head through a tunnel and into a tight passage with waist-deep water, when Kong roars up above. Ahead, he smashes his hand through the cave's wall, trying to find Ann, and further down, he punches through the roof. Ann, knowing he won't hurt her, goes on ahead and calls to Kong, trying to calm him down. Reaching another spot where you have to wade through water, you then find Ann standing in front of a large hole in the cave wall, with Kong looking in at her. She does manage to soothe him when he sees and growls at you, and he walks off. When you get out of the water, you and Ann head on, and that's it.

Venatosaurus: In stark contrast, this level is fairly lengthy, with the main hub being an enormous chamber with steps leading up to a door. But no sooner do the four of you walk in than Hayes realizes you're not alone and you run up the steps, the top of which has a couple of ammo crates. While Hayes goes for the sniper rifle, you get the shotgun, and use it to fend off a seemingly unending wave of Venatosaurs. Not only do you have to protect yourself but also your comrades from being dragged off and eaten, and it's best to alternate between the gun and spears, given the former's slow reloading time. It's also a good idea

to either stay up top with the others or walk to the top of the steps, scan the area, and blast the dinosaurs when they charge at you, rather than heading down into the middle of the level after them. At one point, the suspenseful music will die off, making it seem as though it's over, but then, it'll start up again, as more Venatosaurs come at you. And then, when you've taken care of them, you hear a much deeper and more threatening growl, as a juvenile V-Rex shows up, along with several more Venatosaurs. After that, the skirmish is finally over, but now you have to find a missing lever for the door, as well as clear the way to it

with some fire. Tunnels on either side of the chamber are where you need to explore, with the one on the left being where you find the fire. Ann joins you as you head into it, and it's crawling with Megapedes, both just past the entrance and in some water-filled spots beyond. A chamber in the very back of this section is where you find a burning urn, and then have to light a spear and toss it up onto a ledge to light another urn. However, the first urn happens to be on a platform in the middle of some water, which is filled with Cunaepraedators that you have to kill before you can move on. You 

then go back through the tunnel, lighting urns along the way, as well as killing more Megapedes. After getting out and clearing the way to the door controls, you head to the other tunnel, this one behind a small waterfall. You immediately run into some Megapedes and a Venatosaurus, and after getting past them, you head on to a ledge overlooking a chamber where some more Venatosaurs and Megapedes are fighting amid some tall grass. You can use a flaming spear to burn the grass and kill them, then make your way to the back of the chamber, where the lever can be found. More Megapedes show up and attack you down there, but once you've taken care of them, you grab the lever, head back to Hayes and Jimmy, jam the lever into the control, and finally open the door and move on.

In The Mud: You head out of the cave system and into another swamp. Jumping down from a ledge, you're attacked by small Venatosaurs, but there's a crate with a Tommy gun nearby as well. Up ahead is a spot you have to burn through, and in order to get to the flaming urn, you have to get around a patch of Moonspiders. Once you've burned your path clear, you head deeper into the swamp, as Englehorn flies overhead in his seaplane. There's a spot up ahead where you have to protect the others from Udusaurs as they wade through some water, and then you head through a cave, wade through more water, and come to a stone altar. Climbing up

it, you get attacked by Terapusmordax, including a Queen, and this is where your Tommy gun, if you haven't already burned through its ammo, can really come in handy; otherwise, you'll have to take them out with spears. The top of the altar is the best vantage point, but that's also where the Queen will swoop at you, and even when you kill her, you have to finish off any of her offspring that are still flying around. Fortunately, if you get hit, you can jump down a level and take cover until the screen stops flashing. Once the bats are dead, you head on through more water, following the direction of the

seaplane. It's still not smooth sailing, though, as some more bats fly down at you and more Venatosaurs show up onshore, where there's also a crate containing a sniper rifle and ammo. Beyond that is another stretch of water, this one taking you beneath another altar, where you have to smash through wooden doors and shoot Udusaurs as you make your way through. The level ends when you get out of there and head towards some stone steps.

Call Kong: Passing through a tunnel, you and your party make it to a lakeshore, where Englehorn can finally come in for a landing nearby. You and your party run there, thinking you're finally getting out, only for a V-Rex to suddenly show up, forcing Englehorn to retreat. The Rex then focuses on you and your party, and you have to run up a hillside towards a settlement, running across narrow wooden bridges, avoiding brambles, and making your way up and around at points that cause you to come face to face with the dinosaur. Like before, you need to either shoot or spear him in the end to keep him at bay, until you run under an arch and

drop down in the midst of a small village. Although the V-Rex can't fit through the arch, he starts smashing against it, and with no other recourse, Ann decides she needs to call Kong for help. She opts to climb and light some urns atop some nearby pillars to call him, but before she can, the V-Rex smashes into the area, forcing you all to take cover nearby. Despite the danger, Ann decides to head up and around to the pillars, while you distract the V-Rex. Like in the first level where you dealt with him, you can kill some Terapusmordax circling overhead to distract him with food. On top

of that, she gets attacked by some bats when she climbs to the top of the pillar, forcing you to shoot them as well. Eventually, she lights the urn, leading into a cutscene where she calls for Kong. His roar immediately echoes through the place and he promptly shows up, taking Ann from atop the altar. But, like before, Hayes opens fire on Kong with his Tommy gun. Unlike in the movie, he's not killed by Kong himself but by the V-Rex, who tramples him when he charges at Kong. Both of them fall over the edge of the cliff, leading into the next level.

Kong to the Rescue: Following a cutscene that shows Kong and the V-Rex fall down the cliff, you first have to defeat the dinosaur, while Ann takes cover nearby; she also actually tries to help by flinging flaming spears at him. Some nosy Terapusmordax show up during the fight, a clue to what happens next. Once you defeat the V-Rex, Ann gets carried off by a Queen. They land on a nearby arch, and you have to quickly clear away some rubble and smash through a large door before Ann gets eaten. The Queen flies off with her and you chase them, swinging and climbing along, while also dealing with some small bats that attack

you along the way. This is one instance where you can fall to your death as Kong if you're not careful, specifically when you're wall-climbing in a very narrow canyon, as the bats that swoop at you can knock you to your doom. When you reach a large stone platform, you then battle the Queen and a big swarm of her offspring. In fact, a second Queen enters the fray at one point just to make it a little more difficult. Once they're vanquished, you take Ann, climb up to a ledge, smash through a large door, and climb along the cliff-wall, before swinging into an enormous fissure in the ground

that has lava on the bottom! You have to climb along the wall and swing onto a slowly sinking pillar with a tree atop it, then jump to another branch, swing to the wall, and climb out of there. Beyond that is a spot at the bottom of a waterfall where, like in the movie, you have to face three V-Rexes at once (the third one only shows up when you head to the back of this spot). There's a branch at the edge of the stream, leading to another waterfall, that's the best place to place Ann, as you need all of your strength for this fight. Even then, you have to keep an eye on her, as one of the Rexes may try to gobble her up. After they're all dead, you can take Ann, run to a large door in the back, clear the way and smash through it, and head on with her.

To the Plane: Hayes dies from his injuries, and Jimmy runs off in a rage and into a pair of Venatosaurs. When they're dead, Englehorn flies overhead again, and Jack tells Jimmy they need to get back to the shoreline. There's a door in a corner here, past some brambles, that the two of you have to open together, and once you're through, the level involves you heading back down the way you came when you were being chased by the V-Rex. Of course, the place is now crawling with Venatosaurs and Terapusmordax, who attack in waves the farther down you get. There are spots where you can take cover if you get overwhelmed, as well as

plenty of spears, and an ammo box containing a Tommy gun nearby, but at the same time, the many patches of brambles and narrow walkways also make it possible for you to get cornered, and there are patches of tall grass where hiding dinosaurs can suddenly come at you when you least expect it. There's a spot near the shore where you can use a burning urn to clear away a lot of the brambles and kill a number of enemies, but it takes a while to get to. Fortunately, the last handful of Venatosaurs appear at the edge of the shore, where a lot of brambles are, making them easy targets for 

flaming spears, though you still also have to deal with a few more bats. Once you've fought your way through, you and Jimmy head down to the shore, where Englehorn is waiting in the seaplane. But while Jimmy goes with him, Jack, of course, opts to stay and head to Kong's mountain lair to rescue Ann.

To the Lair: Not long after you begin this level, making your way through a twisting mountain path and come upon the steps leading up to Kong's lair, you get attacked by some of those especially ugly-looking bats I mentioned. That's pretty much how this first section goes: you're constantly getting dogged by these bats as you make your way up the steps, before coming to a spot where you have to break down a wooden door and head through a passage. After wading through some water, you come to a ledge overlooking a chamber where a juvenile V-Rex is roaming around. You also have to look for a lever in order to open a door to move

on. You can either try to kill the young Rex with spears or some sniper rifle ammo you can find on another ledge, or you can kill the bats that attack you and slip past the Rex while he's feeding on them. Either way, you have to clear away some brush using a flaming torch in order to get up to the ledge where you find the lever, which is itself guarded by some Moonspiders you have to clear or bait away. Once you have it, all you have to do is make your way back to the ledge you started on, put the level into the pole, and open the door up. (There's also a hidden spot here where you find some more sniper rifle ammo, but you also let loose another dinosaur.) Beyond the door is an ammo crate containing a shotgun and some ammo, though you'll want to trade it in at the beginning of the next level.

Kong's Lair: This is a fairly short level, with the only challenge being at the beginning. Making your way around a bend on a mountain path, you find an ammo crate containing a sniper rifle, which you're going to need for what lies ahead. Like the first part of the previous level, you make your way up to a huge temple in the mountainside, fighting off hordes of bats. Since there's a bunch of them hanging around the entrance to the temple, it's a good idea to use the sniper scope to take out as many as you can, then go back to the shotgun once you're out of ammo. After you've cleared the way, you head inside the temple and, in the back of it,

you find a tunnel where you have to wade through water. Following the water, you come to Kong's cave, where you see him lying on the ground asleep, Ann sitting in his hand. You have to swim up to her and interact with her to get her attention. When you do, she steps out of Kong's hand, as he rolls over in his sleep, and walks to a spot where she can climb down into the water (which she splashes into very loudly, despite how you're trying to be quiet). Just when the two of you are about to wade out, a huge Cave Serpent emerges from the water in front of you. Ann screams, awaking Kong, who gets up to defend her.

Fight in the Cave: Pretty self-explanatory title: while Ann and Jack escape, you play as Kong and battle not just one but several enormous female Cave Serpents, as well as some small males. They slither around and leap at you in a manner similar to the Megapedes and, like when you're fighting the Terapusmordax Queens and their broods, the males, which tend to swarm you and bite you on the back, are simple enough to deal with, while the females are tougher to handle, especially given how hard they are to grab. Also, like with the V-Rexes, you can be attacked by two big ones at a time, and they can potentially kill you even when

you go in for a finishing move. Fortunately, there are ledges and vine-covered walls in the cave that allow you to jump and swing to avoid their attacks, as well as perform some jumping attacks on them. Honestly, while it can be tricky at times, I don't find this fight to be as tough as those with the V-Rexes, despite how slippery these Cave Serpents can be.

Free!: Probably the biggest example of a "nothing" level. As Kong tears apart the mountain behind you, you and Ann run back down the temple, then get to a ledge where you jump down into some water below. Surfacing, you find a convenient raft nearby and climb onto it. The two of you float downstream, Ann noting that Kong will follow you and that you need to get off the island as soon as possible. Kong then suddenly jumps down into the water behind the raft, but you pass through a narrow gorge that he can't fit through. However, the look on his face shows that he's determined to get Ann back. And that's where it ends. At the very least, they could've thrown in a few enemies for you to fight in the water or as you first head downstream.

Chased By Kong: While wading and then making your way through a passageway, as Kong rampages up above, you come out at a spot where a Venatosaur and juvenile V-Rex are fighting over a carcass. If this spot looks familiar, it's where the first part of the level called "Hayes" took place. This time, however, you just have to push past the dinosaurs and some pesky Terapusmordax flying around above, as well as clear away some brambles. Like before, you can use a flaming spear to light the grass up and possibly kill the dinosaurs that way. When you move on past them and burn the brambles, you see Kong climb up a cliff and scan the area from the ledge, while you keep moving on your own path. Again, another fairly short level, although this one has a bit of challenge to it.

Heading Back: Going through a tunnel and out onto a ledge, with Kong searching for Ann in the distance, you come upon a Venatosaurus and Terapusmordax fighting over a carcass. Usually, the former kills the latter, then goes for Ann, forcing you to save her. You also have to knock a torch down from a wall to burn through some brush and clear the way. When you head down a slope, which is the stone path you saw Kong taking Ann in the level "On Kong's Tracks," you run into some smaller Venatosaurs and more Terapusmordax, followed by a larger Venatosaur further along, and another pack of small ones right

before you take a right down a grassy path (you more than likely have to rely on spears here, which is aggravating). Following the path, you come to a spot where you get ambushed by the Skull Islanders, who set the grass aflame with their spears. No matter how quick you are, you can't get past this spot before it becomes engulfed in flames, so you have to wait for the fire to die down, then run for it, dodging more spears they fling at you. After that, you just keep running into the next level.

Back to the Village: Another short level where you don't have to fight any enemies, you immediately head to a spot surrounded by walls, dotted with torches you have to knock down in order to clear your way to the passage you have to take (even you may hear a Megapede hiss or a Venatosaur growl, you don't get attacked). Beyond that, around some more corners, you come to the Great Wall and the sacrificial altar. After looking around and not finding or seeing anyone, Ann walks across the lowered bridge to try to find something to help you. Jack starts to tell Ann something (likely that he loves her), but before he can, you suddenly hear the natives screaming and the bridge is raised, revealing that they set a trap.

Kong's Capture: Like in an earlier level, you get to do some major wrecking here. You jump across the pit to the Great Wall's door, smashing it open and running into the midst of the village. You smash a group of attacking Skull Islanders, as well as destroy their huts and pieces of stone architecture, before smashing through another door, climbing up a wall, and swinging over to some platforms and other quadrants where more natives throw spears at you. Wiping them all out, you can then clear some rubble from in front of another large door and smash through it, before barreling down a pathway and sending more

islanders flying and smashing more huts. Beyond a very weak door there is an enormous lava pit, with a platform where Ann is tied up. You swing over to her, take her, then climb up a nearby pillar and let her down so she can clear a path for you to climb on up. By this point, she has enough sense to come back to you, and you can pick her up and climb up the cliff-side, past the spot that was blocked before. A ledge crumbles beneath your weight and you fall into a shallow canal. Kong puts Ann on his shoulder and you continue on, as she tries to warn him that he's in danger. At the end of the canal, you

land on the seashore, where some men fire upon you, before you're hit with gas. This causes you to slow down, and while you can do as much damage as you think you can, the screen starts flashing white and you get a cutscene where Kong puts Ann up on a ledge and passes out.

Kong Struck Down: This should've either been tacked on to the end of the previous level or made into a cutscene, as absolutely nothing happens here except for what must in order for the story to progress. You walk around the rocky shore (carrying a spear you have no use for), up to Denham, who's standing triumphant in front of the unconscious Kong, while nearby, Ann admonishes him for what he's done. Denham then makes the famous speech from both the original film and Peter Jackson's movie: "In a few months, his name will be up in lights on Broadway: 'Kong, the Eighth Wonder of the World.'" It then ends, and you're on to the final part of the game, in New York.

In the Streets of New York: Unlike in the original or the Jackson movie, instead of a Broadway theater, you begin chained on an outdoor stage. Denham walks out past the curtain, introduces Kong, and the curtain goes up, revealing you to the audience and a bunch of press. This is when you pull against the chains, breaking yourself free, then hop down and rampage through the streets, eventually making your way to the Empire State Building. Like on Skull Island, there are obvious obstructions you have to smash through, like big, chain-link fences, spots where you swing on the underside of bridges, like you did with the tree

branches, and you can crawl along the sides of buildings, like the vine-covered cliff-walls. Once you get past the area where you start out, you begin running into soldiers on rooftops, police cars, and those lethal army trucks you have to take down with projectiles. While you're here, though, you can wreak havoc to your heart's content: smashing streetlights, grabbing and throwing cars, and also enjoying some of the detail put into the environment (there's one building that has a poster for The Invisible Man, which was released in 1933; seeing that made me smile). When you come to a

spot where you have to move a parked bus in a manner similar to the blockades of rubble from before, then smash through another section of chain-link fence, you're nearing the end of the level. You just keep going straight, ignoring the army trucks parked down alleyways you run past, until it transitions into a cutscene where Kong is surrounded at the base of the Empire State Building, only for Ann to show up and talk him down. He picks her up and you go back into the game, where you have to go to the corner of the building in order to climb up, and repeat this when you reach a ledge up above, ending the level.

The Empire State Building: This is one of the few times in games where you're destined to lose, no matter how hard you try. After Kong climbs up onto a ledge below the very tip of the building, you then head up there, as the bi-planes show up and begin attacking. You can smash or grab and throw some planes that get close enough, either sending them tumbling down the side of the building or flinging them into another plane, as well as use the dome that the spire is sitting atop as a shield, but eventually, you get fatally wounded, your controls become sluggish, and that dire music kicks in from before. Once that happens, it's over, as Kong is too

weak to throw any planes you manage to grab, and you then see an animation of him getting fired upon head on. He loses his grip, slumps down, looks at Ann one last time, even reaches for her, and then, to her horror, falls to his death. It's a shame that they couldn't have made this as elaborate and multi-layered as it is in the movie, with Kong climbing up and down the top of the building, having to save Ann at one point, or even allowing you to jump up and smash a plane, like Kong does there. In any case, after Kong falls, there's a cutscene, called "Kong's Death" on the

level select reel, where people have gathered around his corpse. A policeman tells the crowd to disperse, that the airplanes "got him," and Denham says the immortal line, "It wasn't the airplanes. It was Beauty killed the Beast." The cutscene pulls back through the buildings of New York, before going into the credits. If you've seen the movie, you may be surprised at how Jack has no part in these final New York levels. You'd half expect them to make a level around that part where he commandeers a cab and distracts Kong by having him chase him, but nope, Jack disappears once you leave Skull Island.

That is, unless you've earned a total of 250,000 points when playing through the game again. It starts out like usual, with you playing as Kong and attacking the airplanes, but when you've destroyed enough, four floodlights along the base switch on, making it so that the planes can attack without getting within Kong's reach. Then, next thing you know, you're playing as Jack, who's flying in the seaplane with Captain Englehorn, and your task is to destroy the spotlights, as well as take down the planes that are still attacking (you have infinite ammo for this). While doing this, it's best not to get too close to Kong, as he'll think you're an enemy

and attack you like the other planes, and you can also take damage from being shot by them, leading the screen to flash red like before. However, you can't be damaged by slamming into the building itself; you simply get bounced away. After you take down the airplanes, some emergency spotlights are switched on, but Kong is able to climb down to safety; if he gets shot too many times, however, it will play out like before, but you have the option to try again. Once you've succeeded, there's a cutscene where Jack and Ann fly to Skull Island, where Kong has been returned, and circle around,

watching as he stands up at his mountain lair, roaring and beating his chest triumphantly. They then fly back to the Venture and the game ends. I triggered this alternate ending completely by accident the first time, as I knew nothing about it, and the transition from playing as Kong to Jack in the plane was so sudden that it nearly gave my brain whiplash. I also didn't do so well on my first attempts, mainly because Kong killed me when I got too close, but once I figured out what I was supposed to do, it was a nice surprise to see an ending where the big ape is returned home to live out the rest of his life undisturbed.

Peter Jackson's King Kong: The Official Game of the Movie may be an awkward mouthful of a title, but the game itself is a very entertaining blend of first-person shooters, survival/horrors, platformers, and beat 'em ups. The gameplay is action-packed and often relentless, but never feels ridiculously unfair, it's cool to be able to play both as Jack Driscoll and King Kong himself, you have the added bonus of the actors from the movie voicing their respective characters, the level design and sense of atmosphere within them is absorbing, the sound effects are top notch, and the music score, while nothing on what you heard in the movie, is great in its own right. While it does have some flaws in the form of dated graphics, particularly for the characters, issues of lighting and everything blending together on Skull Island, some occasional glitches, annoying aspects to both types of gameplay, levels that are short and downright pointless, and the final ones in New York not being as awesome as they could've been, the good far outweighs the bad here. Make no mistake, if you're both a fan of the Eighth Wonder of the World and an avid gamer, than this is the best you're every going to get as far as games based around King Kong.