Kong: Survivor Instinct is a strange addition to the MonsterVerse games, not because its new story, but because you ironically, don’t play as Kong himself. Developed by 7Levels, this 2.5D platformer takes a familiar formula, Metroidvania meets monster mayhem, but falls short of delivering a truly compelling experience. In the shadow of Kong and other titanic foes, the game offers thrilling moments against a backdrop of cinematic chaos, yet lacks polish in key areas. Let’s jump in!

A lot of ambition

Kong: Survivor Instinct drops you into the shoes of David, a desperate father trying to find his daughter amid an apocalyptic Titan invasion. This sets the stage for a journey through a crumbling city, where towering monsters like Kong and Abaddon wreak havoc, tearing down buildings as you try to survive. As far as narrative setups go, it’s intriguing but doesn’t dive deep enough into character development or meaningful stakes to keep players fully invested. Some hints of MonsterVerse lore and the appearance of iconic characters help set the tone, but the storyline feels more like background noise instead of the beating heart of the game.

Visually, the game does make an impression. Buildings crack, cars scatter, and the battles between Titans create a sense of chaotic beauty that’s hard to ignore. The massive creatures fighting in the distance will always grab your attention and will even let you stop to take it all in from time to time. Yet, despite the great visuals, the game’s audio, especially the voice acting, is lackluster, diminishing the immersion with performances that range from flat to overly dramatic. The music could have added more depth to scenes that should be tense and gripping​ but never escape mediocrity.

A mixed bag

In terms of gameplay, Kong: Survivor Instinct leans on familiar Metroidvania elements. You’ll navigate a labyrinthine cityscape, occasionally backtracking to access new areas once you’ve unlocked specific items like a hammer or a grappling hook. This setup is decent and works well enough, especially when environmental obstacles give way to new paths. However, the exploration can feel repetitive, as the levels aren’t very imaginative or memorable. The platforming mechanics themselves are responsive, but the simplicity of the puzzles and the scarcity of truly challenging sections leave a sense of missed potential. There are a lot of great Metroidvania games on the system already so if you want to stand out in this genre, you have to deliver some stellar gameplay, which this game simply doesn’t achieve.

The combat is where things start to unravel. As David, you’re frequently forced into skirmishes with members of the mercenary group known as the Hyenas. Combat offers a limited toolkit of melee attacks, dodges, and blocks, plus the occasional firearm with sparse ammo. While this is standard for the genre, the execution feels clunky and unsatisfying. Hits lack impact, movement feels sluggish, and enemies don’t respond dynamically, making fights a chore rather than a highlight. Even as you unlock new abilities or weapons, the action rarely feels engaging or fluid. Many players might find themselves tempted to lower the difficulty simply to sidestep the combat frustration and focus on the platforming elements​

Where Kong: Survivor Instinct does shine, on the other hand, is in its occasional use of massive monsters. Though you don’t control Kong, you frequently interact with the world as these creatures battle nearby. There are moments where you need to hide from or avoid them, and the thrill of watching a Titan rip apart a building you’re in brings an intensity that the core gameplay otherwise lacks. The downside? These scenes are often heavily scripted, leaving little room for creative player agency. While they look impressive and can be heart-pounding, the lack of interactivity makes them feel like cutscenes rather than true gameplay​

Conclusion:

At its best, Kong: Survivor Instinct captures brief moments of greatness. Watching Kong and other beasts in the heat of battle offers a glimpse of what a fully realized MonsterVerse game might look like. However, these high points are few and far between, held back by uninspired gameplay mechanics, a predictable story, and frustratingly clunky combat.

6/10

Tested on Xbox Series X