Kong: Survivor Instinct

In a gaming landscape filled with monster-slaying epics, Kong: Survivor Instinct takes a refreshingly different approach. This 2.5D action-adventure title doesn’t put you in the massive footsteps of the iconic Kong, but rather places you at ground level, experiencing the terrifying reality of being human in a world of titans. As David Martin, players navigate a monster-ravaged cityscape in search of their estranged daughter, while iconic creatures from the Monsterverse loom as persistent th...

Kong: Survivor Instinct is enjoyable with engaging story, challenging combat, and clever obstacles.

Skull Island: Rise of Kong was one of the most maligned titles of 2023, even if I didn’t think it was worth all the “worst game of the year” badges of (dis)honor it received. With that being said, I was pretty sure no one else would be crazy enough to make yet another game based on King Kong that soon. I half expected for people to just wait for a few years before trying again with another concept, but nope, here we are, less than a year later. Kong: Survivor Instinct is a brand new tak...

Kong: Survivor Instinct looks rather nice, and its 2.5D action-adventure gameplay is somewhat enjoyable despite being quite basic. It's just a shame that there's so much clunky human-on-human combat, which is not fun in the slightest, and that manipulating its gargantuan monsters is simply a case of gathering collectibles.

A rugged platformer, but a dire Metroidvania, struggling to truly feel like a part of its namesakes legacy.

By backseating Kong and having a drab human narrative serve as the vessel for this game’s monotonous action, Kong: Survival Instinct ends up feeling like a colossal, kaiju-sized dud that does little to lick the wounds of last year’s Skull Island and, if anything, further dampens the great ape’s reputation.