Kong: Survivor Instinct review

Movie tie-ins are often hit or miss, but from the moment I saw the trailer for Kong: Survivor Instinct, I was impressed, but it’s not the kind of game you expect as a 2.5D action-adventure metroidvania. It features huge titans that terrorise the city, and you’re just one man, but it works really well. As you explore more and learn about the shady goings on, encountering different titans and enemies, it’s a thrilling experience that is not only enjoyable, it’s also one of the best looking games of 2024.

After a titan attack plunges the city into disarray, you play as a man called David who must find his daughter before it’s too late. The environments you encounter have been destroyed by these titans, whether you’re wandering through collapsed buildings or streets covered in spider webs, these titans have devastated everything. While you feel so insignificant, there are opportunities to manipulate titans with a new piece of Monarch tech called Orca, getting them to aid you in different ways such as collapsing huge blockages.

Watching Kong wandering around in the background never gets old, and when new giants appear is always exciting, even when they’re trying to kill you. It’s a stunning game, with environments looking so realistic. Although everything around you is destroyed, it’s impossible not to be impressed with what 7Levels has done with the visuals. While it looks fantastic, it’s the level design that adds to the spectacle, with multiple areas that can be re-explored once you have new tools to break through hidden areas or pathways.

You’ll end up finding a sledgehammer that can be used to break through walls and floors, meaning you can go back and find new items or ways to summon titans by collecting biowaves from the environment. The map is easy to follow, with clear indicators for unexplored areas or paths that haven’t been explored yet. You can fast travel across the city with ease, meaning it is never a chore to revisit any of the previous places you’ve seen. Supplies are in short supply, so it pays to go back and pick up bullets and first aid kits you may have missed.

You’ll also have to deal with various creatures and mercenaries on your travels, with combat being tough if you miss your timing. You can use melee weapons to beat up enemies, but some soldiers can block your attacks and swing for you. You can parry, and if near an edge of a building, it’s possible to grab them and throw them off of the side. You gain firearms which can do significant damage, but bullets aren’t in abundance, so the need to make each shot count is important.

There are also areas that require you to shoot off locks, so conserving ammo is the better option. While engaging with enemies up close is more challenging, it is often the right way to go about it. You’ll have various environmental puzzles to solve, such as pushing huge blocks to climb up to new areas or find cogs to help repair power consoles, but there are also smaller routes to find by pulling ripping open floor panels by grabbing them and shaking down doors. Every new area has multiple entry points and rooms, giving you plenty to find and places to explore.

While playing is a lot of fun, it is the story that I loved. Not just the overarching one, but the smaller personal stories you encounter. In a world ravaged by titans, it is the survivors you encounter that bring a personal edge to David’s journey. At the heart of Kong: Survivor Instinct, you’re a dad looking for his daughter, and the survivors you encounter are all dealing with loss of a loved one or hope that they might still be alive. The voice acting is pretty good, and it helps to bring that personality to a city ruled by gargantuan creatures.

Kong: Survivor Instinct is an epic adventure filled with some wonderful platforming. The environments are beautifully crafted and the intricate and gorgeous design is a testament to the developers’ hard work. Some of the encounters are challenging, and with some up-close combat being tough due to tight parry windows, I still loved it. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed playing through David’s story, and as far as surprising hits go, this is right near the top of the list for the year.