Big adventure with the awsone ape

THE year's biggest movie crashes into cinemas later this month but if you can't wait for Peter Jackson's re-make of King Kong, get down to your games store now. Created in collaboration with the Academy Award winning director, King Kong is a great game on its own, irrespective of the movie it is based upon. My only reservation was the lack of opportunity to play as the great ape himself.

Most of the time you play Jack Driscoll, who must survive on Skull Island - a murky land crawling with prehistoric predators. In order to do this you must use weapons, traps and the help of your shipmates. The Driscoll levels are played out in first person perspective. When you take on the role of Kong, the game switches to a third person viewpoint so you can watch the giant gorilla dish out destruction.

The story will be familiar to anyone who has already seen the 1933 classic. Film-maker Carl Denham (voiced here by his movie counterpart Jack Black) mounts an expedition to explore the mysteries of Skull Island. Denham and his screenwriter Jack Driscoll (Adrien Brody) believe the island was once home to a long lost civilisation. They take along struggling actress Ann Darrow (Naomi Watts) as window dressing for their documentary.

The fun starts as the ship reaches its destination and Jack is lowered into the seas to row his way to the island. It's far from plain sailing. No sooner has the boat set off than huge rocks are raining down from the mountains above. Jack awakens to find himself cast adrift on the beach with Ann. In the background are the cries of a giant beast. Time to explore.

The graphics look crisp and clear. You'll probably spend a while just trekking around checking things out and getting to grips with the island. Your character can tool up with extra weapons by finding crates. These are dropped by the captain of the ship, who is flying over the island looking for somewhere to land. If you can't find one look for a dinosaur bone or a spear.

Thankfully, there always seems to be just enough weaponry to beat whatever threat is coming next. In this respect, the game is probably an easy play through. Your aim is usually true and your weapons do real damage, although some dinosaurs are so powerful it's probably best just to run.

Jackson has gone back to the original Kong in creating the denizens of Skull Island. The abysmal 1976 remake of Kong had just one big snake - here Jack must defeat dinosaurs, giant millipedes, massive scorpions and man-eating bats. The puzzles are all pretty straightforward, generally of the "find the key to open the door" variety, but they make a welcome change to shooting and running.

Sadly the Kong sections don't feel as challenging, partly because you're playing as a 50ft tall gorilla and there's not a lot capable of beating the big fella. Kong can swing through the jungle carrying Ann Darrow in his hairy paw. Whenever you meet a puzzle, it's a good idea to set Ann down as she can usually solve it for you.

By all accounts, King Kong the movie is a long film, clocking in at around three hours. It's a shame that the game is so short. You should have this adventure put to bed in the space of a weekend. The conclusion, in particular, seems to be hurried. Kong has no sooner arrived in New York than he's rampaging through the streets and shinning up the Empire State.

It felt to me as though so much more could have been done with this level. Nor do the visuals live up to the promise shown in the early part of the game on Skull Island - could the programmers have been under pressure to get the software finished in time for Christmas? That aside, King Kong is a fun to play atmospheric game that re-tells a classic story in a new way. Fans of the film will buy it anyway but I'd recommend this tall tale to every gamer with a sense of adventure.

COMPETITION

ENTHUSIA - Professional Racing: IF you think your driving skills could give Michael Schumacher a run for his money then Enthusia - Professional Racing could be the game for you.

This week The Northern Echo, CHIPS video games chain and Konami have SIX full promotional games to give away on PS2. If you're really into the technicalities of speed rather than just blasting round a circuit, it also has an incredible Visual Gravity System which helps you as you race. The VGS takes up a small area in the centre of the screen and details the pressure on the car's four tyres, while a small yellow globe moves to show the direction and strength of the G-forces affecting the car as it corners. This helps you counter the pressure exerted by gravity on the car and shave valuable seconds from your lap times. Enthusia - Professional Racing is available at CHIPS stores across the region for £37.99 on PS2 and is for 3+. CHIPS buys, sells and trades new and secondhand consoles, games, accessories and DVDs and has stores in Darlington, Bishop Auckland, Middlesbrough, Stockton, Redcar, Hartlepool, Northallerton, Guisborough, Consett, and Chester-le-Street. To have a chance of winning, answer this correctly:

Who publishes Enthusia - Professional Racing?

Send your answer, name, age, address and format of your choice to: Enthusia Comp, Northern Echo, Priestgate, Darlington DL1 1NF. Closing date: Dec 20.

Published: 09/12/2005