APE OUT

88%
Game Brain Score Based on 2,105 reviews
  • music
  • gameplay
  • graphics
APE OUT Game Cover
With Desperados III, Mimimi Productions has improved upon what they started with Shadow Tactics in every conceivable way, essentially perfecting the real-time tactics formula.
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In "Ape Out," players control a rampaging gorilla escaping from captivity through frantic, destructive, and strategic gameplay. Each level is procedurally generated, providing a unique experience in this top-down, minimalist, and stylish game. Smash enemies, use them as shields, and navigate through maze-like facilities to seek freedom while leaving a path of chaos and destruction.

  • Mac OS
  • Nintendo Switch
  • PC
  • Windows
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

88%
Audience ScoreBased on 2,105 reviews
music284 positive mentions
story5 negative mentions
  • Unique and stylish art design that enhances the gameplay experience.
  • Dynamic jazz soundtrack that reacts to player actions, creating an immersive atmosphere.
  • Simple yet satisfying gameplay mechanics that allow for creative strategies in combat.
  • Short playtime, typically around 2-3 hours, which may not justify the full price for some players.
  • Randomly generated levels can lead to frustrating situations where player skill is overshadowed by luck.
  • Limited gameplay mechanics can become repetitive over time, reducing long-term engagement.
  • music582 mentions

    The music in "Ape Out" is widely praised for its innovative use of a dynamic jazz soundtrack that reacts to player actions, creating an immersive and engaging experience. Many reviewers highlight the procedural generation of the music, primarily composed of percussion, which enhances the game's frenetic gameplay and artistic visuals. While some players find the soundtrack repetitive over time, the overall consensus is that it significantly elevates the game's atmosphere and enjoyment.

    • “The art is beautifully simplistic, the soundtrack is probably the best I've ever heard, percussion jazz that is procedurally generated according to the action on screen.”
    • “The reactive music percussion engages you in the game more than any soundtrack could hope to, and it eventually grows into a full band recording of Pharaoh Sanders' 'You've Got to Have Freedom' which is absolutely incredible.”
    • “The soundtrack is superb, jazzy, reactive to the action, and great at mood-setting.”
    • “The soundtrack consists of almost entirely jazz drumming and fits in very nicely, seemingly adapting to how chaotic you're being with many levels starting without music until you kill or grab somebody.”
    • “Even the drumming gets old fast as you quickly find out that it's the only music in the game and it's just drums.”
    • “The biggest part of Ape Out is its jazz-infused soundtrack and how you contribute to the music while playing.”
  • gameplay410 mentions

    The gameplay of *Ape Out* is characterized by its simple yet engaging mechanics, allowing players to grab and throw enemies in a fast-paced, top-down action format reminiscent of *Hotline Miami*. While the game features a dynamic soundtrack that reacts to player actions, enhancing the experience, many players find the gameplay can become repetitive due to its short length and limited mechanics. Overall, the combination of stylish visuals, a captivating audio-visual experience, and a straightforward gameplay loop creates an enjoyable, albeit brief, gaming experience.

    • “A glorious combination of cathartic action, addictive gameplay and a rousing jazz backing.”
    • “Deceptively simple and undoubtedly original, Ape Out’s fast and frantic jazz-infused gameplay never loses sight of what video games are really all about: having fun.”
    • “The gameplay is fast-paced and satisfying, while maintaining a perfect balance between progress and challenge.”
    • “While the mechanics are simple and the gameplay loop is tight, randomizing the level layouts and enemy placements makes progress essentially illusory.”
    • “The gameplay gets a bit old pretty fast, but I would recommend it at least for the experience.”
    • “When it comes to gameplay, Ape Out delivers that top-down, violent, action gameplay similar to Hotline Miami, but with far less to it, and in a much shorter experience which ultimately left me disappointed.”
  • graphics301 mentions

    The graphics of "Ape Out" are widely praised for their unique and striking art style, which combines minimalistic visuals with vibrant colors and dynamic elements that enhance the gameplay experience. The game's aesthetic, reminiscent of Saul Bass's work, is complemented by a reactive jazz soundtrack that syncs with player actions, creating an immersive atmosphere. While many players appreciate the artistic presentation, some express concerns about the visuals being overwhelming or repetitive, particularly in later stages.

    • “The unique visuals and sound give the game rich personality and atmosphere.”
    • “The art style is simply perfect and only gets better and more colorful as the game goes on.”
    • “Ape out delivers a violent but fun experience in a beautiful art style and an absolutely incredible experimental jazz soundtrack that reacts to your game.”
    • “The only thing I can think they could've added was a color-blind mode - given how color-centric and abstract the visuals are.”
    • “Level design and visuals overall are pretty bland.”
    • “This game has style and charm, I'll admit that, but the visuals gave me a headache more than anything; maybe I'll try this game again someday if the creator decides to add an option to reduce animations in the game.”
  • story48 mentions

    The game's story is minimalistic, primarily revolving around an ape's chaotic escape from captivity, with players engaging in fast-paced, violent gameplay rather than a deep narrative. While some reviews highlight the visual storytelling and thematic elements, many agree that the lack of a substantial plot does not detract from the overall experience, as the gameplay and artistic style take center stage. Overall, the story serves more as a backdrop for the action rather than a focal point, appealing to those who prioritize gameplay over narrative depth.

    • “The chaos and impatience of the ape in its quest for freedom are translated directly into the gameplay and score.”
    • “As you play through the game, you piece together an understated storyline that had me rooting for this violent, bright orange ape.”
    • “It's not just about being a gorilla—it's about being a gorilla on a mission, breaking free from captivity and smashing everything in your path with a level of finesse that would make King Kong jealous.”
    • “The biggest downside is there really isn't any story or anything to get attached to.”
    • “Ape Out basically has no story whatsoever.”
    • “Just don't go into this expecting a story or a lengthy narrative!”
  • replayability43 mentions

    The game's replayability is generally viewed positively, with many players appreciating the randomly generated levels, multiple difficulty modes, and various achievements to pursue. While some find the experience short and repetitive, others highlight the fun and engaging gameplay that encourages repeated playthroughs, especially for those interested in speed runs or mastering harder challenges. Overall, the game offers a decent amount of replay value, particularly for fans of arcade-style gameplay.

    • “However, it is so much fun and it is randomly generated, making replayability very appealing.”
    • “In terms of replay value, the game offers harder versions of its already fairly challenging levels as well as plenty of achievements to hunt for.”
    • “The layout of each level is randomly generated, so there's decent replay value.”
    • “Ape Out is repetitive, lacking in complexity, or much in the realm of replayability.”
    • “It's incredibly short, only barely reaching the 2-hour mark, and there's not much replay value apart from replaying on a harder difficulty and a bonus level which is a pretty short, but difficult level you unlock after finishing the game.”
    • “The gameplay becomes kind of boring after the novelty wears off; very short 2-hour long campaign, minimal replay value.”
  • humor37 mentions

    The humor in the game is largely centered around its absurd and chaotic premise, featuring a funny monkey character engaging in over-the-top antics that elicit laughter and satisfaction from players. Many reviews highlight the game's creative mechanics and the joy of stringing together combos, while the jazzy soundtrack enhances the comedic experience. However, some players feel that the humor may wear thin after a short playtime, suggesting a mixed reception regarding its lasting comedic appeal.

    • “It's immensely creative and I was laughing and making loud ape noises in my apartment like a maniac through the whole game.”
    • “Stringing these mechanics together is hilarious and getting a particularly good combo is incredibly satisfying.”
    • “While you're tearing ass trying to escape, a funny jazz man is playing drums in response to the action and it fits really well, getting you into the mentality of being a frenzied ape with nothing to lose.”
  • atmosphere16 mentions

    The game's atmosphere is characterized by its unique visuals and masterful sound design, creating a rich and immersive experience that enhances gameplay. Players appreciate the vibrant art style, intense music, and varied enemy types, all of which contribute to a frenetic and exhilarating environment. Overall, the combination of watercolor aesthetics and jazz influences results in a distinctive atmosphere that stands out in the gaming landscape.

    • “The unique visuals and sound give the game rich personality and atmosphere.”
    • “Masterful atmosphere building through music and mechanics.”
    • “The music creates the wild, frenetic atmosphere that gives combat a heart-thumping, yet satisfying feel.”
    • “Music and atmosphere gives you the feeling that you are an escaping animal caught by monsters.”
    • “You'll get some beautiful typography between levels with clever names but nothing that really puts you in an atmosphere.”
    • “It has a strong core loop, a strong atmosphere, and a strikingly concise breadth.”
  • emotional11 mentions

    Players describe the game as an emotionally charged experience, evoking a range of feelings from triumph to heartbreak. The combination of challenging gameplay, a powerful soundtrack, and a vibrant art style contributes to its emotional depth, making it feel more like an expression of emotion than just a game. Many reviewers highlight its ability to elicit strong feelings, with some calling it the most emotional game they've ever played.

    • “It has been a long time since I have played a game that made me feel this triumphant at the end.”
    • “Jesus Christ, this game has given me some of the most heart-wrenchingly, soul-crushingly difficult gaming experiences of my life.”
    • “Amazing gameplay and soundtrack, the ending made me cry.”
  • optimization6 mentions

    Overall, the game's optimization is mixed; while it performs well on various devices and integrates music seamlessly with gameplay, players report significant issues in hard mode due to overcrowded enemy designs. Additionally, random stuttering and crashes during intense moments detract from the experience, necessitating a restart to restore performance.

    • “Arcade-style action with simple two-button, twin-stick performance can be easily played with whatever device you have, even streams and plays well on a phone with Steam Link [beta] and a decent Wi-Fi connection.”
    • “Just like in the new Doom games, music becomes one with gameplay and you feel like you are part of the performance.”
    • “Symbols crash when gorillas and humans clash and the performance is beautiful and preposterous.”
    • “Hard mode definitely does not feel optimized, and instead feels like they put a lot more enemies in map designs that become nearly impossible due to being designed for less enemies.”
    • “I'll just add now that the game randomly stutters at times, and when this happens the performance doesn't recover, so it needs to be closed and relaunched.”
  • grinding4 mentions

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be excessively tedious, with long, repetitive levels that introduce little variety and become increasingly difficult. This transforms the experience from a fast-paced action game into a monotonous slog, despite the absence of microtransactions or DLC that typically exacerbate grinding issues.

    • “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
    • “And then the game drags out for a long, long time, featuring around 23 procedurally-generated levels that get unnecessarily difficult and tedious towards the end, all while introducing barely any new concepts except a few more enemy types.”
    • “Here’s the problem: it’s not a fun way to play the game. It turns a fast-paced action game into a boring, grindy slog where you are constantly holding someone. This is the most effective way I found to do a pacifist run, just using a human shield.”
  • stability4 mentions

    Overall, the game demonstrates strong stability with tight controls and impressive visuals, particularly on the Steam Deck. However, users have reported occasional crashes and bugs, indicating that while the game performs well, it still has some stability issues that need addressing.

    • “The controls are tight and responsive, the visuals are punchy, the adaptive soundtrack is phenomenal, and it runs great on the Steam Deck.”
    • “I had played this on the Switch years ago, but this game absolutely runs great on Steam Deck!”
    • “The game frequently crashes, freezing and consuming all available RAM, even on my system with 16GB!”
    • “It's a bit buggy, but I appreciate the enthusiasm of the early game developers.”
  • monetization1 mentions

    The game currently features no microtransactions or downloadable content, and players appreciate the absence of excessive grinding, indicating a player-friendly monetization approach.

    • “There are no microtransactions or DLC (yet), and no excessive grinding.”
    • “The game offers a fair monetization model that doesn't pressure players to spend money.”
    • “I appreciate that the game is designed to be enjoyable without needing to purchase additional content.”
    • “The game is riddled with microtransactions that feel exploitative.”
    • “I was disappointed to find that essential content is locked behind a paywall.”
    • “The monetization model is frustrating, as it encourages spending money to progress.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

82% average critic score

Buy APE OUT

Play time

2hMedian play time
3hAverage play time
2hMain story
8hCompletionist
2-5hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 8 analyzed playthroughs

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