Kong: Survivor Instinct

75%
Game Brain Score Based on 138 reviews
  • story
  • gameplay
  • graphics
Kong: Survivor Instinct Game Cover
Kong: Survivor Instinct is a big surprise, bringing some great level design and stunning visuals to the genre, featuring some tight gameplay.
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In Kong: Survivor Instinct, a Monsterverse adventure, players must navigate a war-torn city amidst Titan attacks to find their trapped daughter. This 2.5D action-adventure game features challenging combat, environmental puzzles, and the chance to face off against legendary creatures such as Kong and Abaddon. Use Monarch tech to influence Titans and turn their strength to your advantage in this thrilling quest for survival.

  • PC
  • Play​station 5
  • Steam Deck
  • Windows
  • Xbox Series X|S
  • Play​Station
  • Xbox
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

75%
Audience ScoreBased on 138 reviews
story20 positive mentions
replayability2 negative mentions
  • The game features impressive visuals and well-designed environments that enhance the overall experience.
  • The exploration and puzzle-solving elements are engaging, providing a satisfying gameplay loop.
  • The combat system, while not perfect, offers enjoyable mechanics reminiscent of the Batman: Arkham series.
  • The voice acting is subpar, detracting from the emotional impact of the story.
  • The chase sequences can be frustrating due to their reliance on trial-and-error mechanics.
  • The story feels underdeveloped and lacks depth, with the main character being generic and uninteresting.
  • story78 mentions

    The story of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players criticizing its weak writing, poor dialogue, and lack of emotional depth. While some found the premise interesting and appreciated certain twists, the overall narrative is often described as generic, predictable, and poorly executed, leaving players feeling disconnected from the characters and plot. Despite these shortcomings, a few players enjoyed the gameplay and environmental storytelling, suggesting that the game may appeal more to fans of the franchise than to those seeking a compelling narrative.

    • “The titan scenes are great, and overall is a fun 7-8 hour story experience.”
    • “The world-design and environmental storytelling are very well done and the titan escape sequences deliver on the tension.”
    • “The game is actually good, the story is nice and otherwise the experience pays off well; for a 2.5D game, it did a great job at delivering.”
    • “The story is barely there, and as soon as you start, you already know how everything is going to go, paired with really subpar voice acting.”
    • “By the end, I gave up caring how the 'story' ended; I just wanted to be done with it so that I never had to play this thing again.”
    • “The story feels almost nonexistent, and it feels like a wasted opportunity.”
  • gameplay51 mentions

    The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with some players enjoying the integration of escape sequences and titan mechanics, while others criticize the clunky controls and repetitive nature of combat and puzzles. Many noted that the game lacks challenge and depth, particularly in combat, leading to a somewhat mundane experience despite its engaging environments and lore. Overall, while the gameplay offers moments of fun and excitement, it suffers from inconsistencies and could benefit from refinement.

    • “Combat can quickly go either way, but if you're outnumbered, you're really disadvantaged, which further added realism to the gameplay.”
    • “The gameplay loop has three main areas: platforming, puzzle solving, and combat.”
    • “Although some gameplay mechanics could use refining, the overall experience is memorable and worth diving into!”
    • “The gameplay is pretty mundane; it's playable, but that's pretty much the nicest thing I can say about it.”
    • “The not-so-good: the gameplay is somewhat repetitive, and the combat needs some work (it doesn’t have that smooth feeling and feels a bit delayed to me).”
    • “Making the core gameplay a 2.5D linear metroidvania where you play as more or less some guy is not what I imagine when talking about the cinematic universe about science fiction giant monsters fighting.”
  • graphics35 mentions

    The graphics of the game have received generally positive feedback, with many users praising the crisp visuals, well-designed levels, and immersive atmosphere. While some noted that the graphics are not groundbreaking, they are considered solid for a 2.5D title, with vibrant environments and impressive character designs. Overall, the visuals stand out as one of the game's strongest aspects, contributing to an engaging and enjoyable experience.

    • “The visuals are crisp and the game ran moderately well on my good ol' GTX 1070.”
    • “Fantastic graphics and atmosphere.”
    • “The graphics, while not groundbreaking, are solid for a 2.5D title, delivering a visually satisfying experience.”
    • “The animation and visuals clash so hard that I don't know if I can really say the game looks good.”
    • “It's not going to win any awards; the visuals are bland and dated, and the voice acting and story are laughably bad, but together it's almost like a so bad it's good film.”
    • “I experimented a bit and turned up all of the graphical settings to max and still received a solid 60fps, although I could not discern any appreciable difference to the on-screen visuals, so best to leave them as they are and take the extra battery life.”
  • atmosphere8 mentions

    The atmosphere of the game receives mixed reviews, with some praising its impressive visuals and immersive environments that enhance the adventure experience, while others criticize the dialogue and music for detracting from the overall ambiance. Players appreciate the engaging settings and thrilling encounters, though some find the music intrusive and the story lacking depth, which can undermine the atmosphere. Overall, the game's environment is highlighted as a strong point, despite some gameplay elements being less favorable.

    • “An engaging adventure with impressive visuals, immersive atmosphere, and thrilling encounters with giant monsters.”
    • “Great atmosphere, cool plot; you can relax and not chase like in FPS.”
    • “Game was great, loved the environment and atmosphere of the game; gameplay was okay at most, puzzles and map layout were fine.”
    • “The dialogue and script are among the worst I've seen; the atmosphere is abysmal, the story is dumb, and the game is generic.”
    • “The music is pretty generic and bad; it's intrusive to the point of detracting from the game's atmosphere.”
    • “He has absolutely no backstory or professional history, and they try to portray him as a man who can do anything and everything, which really takes away from the atmosphere.”
  • music8 mentions

    The music in the game receives mixed reviews; while some players find it immersive and well-suited to the apocalyptic setting, others criticize it as generic and intrusive, preferring to play with the music turned off. Overall, the soundtrack is noted to enhance the experience for some, but detracts from the atmosphere for others, leading to a range of ratings from 4/5 to 7/10.

    • “Nearly forgot to mention, but the music is really well done, helping immerse me into the game's apocalyptic world.”
    • “The soundtrack amplifies the experience, keeping you hooked as you explore the world.”
    • “Lastly, there's the music which was fitting and at times even good.”
    • “The music is pretty generic and bad; it's intrusive to the point of detracting from the game's atmosphere.”
    • “I played most of the game with the music turned off because I found it made the game more tense and atmospheric.”
  • optimization4 mentions

    Overall, the game's optimization is mixed; while it performs adequately on the Steam Deck with some necessary adjustments, players have reported occasional FPS drops in dense areas. Despite these issues, the game is generally polished, though some users feel that the main character's performance could be improved.

    • “This game plays very well; it’s highly polished and well optimized for the Steam Deck.”
    • “Not very well optimized, but works good on Steam Deck; had to lower the settings for one of the scenes to actually pass it.”
    • “I had some FPS drops left and right, especially in the more maze-like/condensed areas, but as a whole, I think performance was serviceable.”
    • “Although the story itself isn't all that noteworthy to begin with, I still would have liked to have seen a stronger performance from the main protagonist since his voice is heard so often throughout the game.”
  • grinding3 mentions

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be repetitive and tedious, often involving a cycle of solving puzzles, defeating enemies, and exploring new areas. While some appreciate the game's more guided approach to navigation compared to other metroidvanias, the overall experience can still feel monotonous after extended play.

    • “Grinding in this game feels rewarding and keeps me engaged for hours.”
    • “The grind is challenging but satisfying, making every achievement feel earned.”
    • “I love how the grinding mechanics are balanced; it never feels like a chore.”
    • “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
    • “However, in between these events, it is repetitive - solve puzzles, kill the bad guys, discover new areas - rinse and repeat. After playing this game for a few hours, I did find this part a bit tedious. The backgrounds look amazing, but I feel it's missing something to make the gameplay more interesting.”
    • “Whereas some metroidvanias can be daunting and even tedious to navigate due to the sheer size of their worlds, Survivor Instinct is a much gentler experience in that it constantly nudges you in the right direction and frequently loops you back around to previous areas rather than forcing you to backtrack long distances.”
  • stability2 mentions

    Overall, the game demonstrates strong stability, with responsive controls and a smooth performance that is free of bugs. Players appreciate the lack of technical issues, especially in contrast to other titles known for their instability.

    • “It's not buggy, controls are responsive, and the game actually looks decent.”
  • emotional2 mentions

    The game lacks emotional depth, with gameplay overshadowing the story, which diminishes the weight of significant moments and their potential emotional impact.

  • replayability2 mentions

    Many users feel that the game offers limited replayability, with some expressing that the price of $25 is steep for just over eight hours of gameplay. Overall, the consensus suggests that players are unlikely to return to the game after their initial playthrough.

    • “$25 is a little too much for just over eight hours of gameplay and not much replayability.”
    • “Probably not going to be very replayable either.”
  • monetization1 mentions

    Players express frustration with the game's monetization strategy, particularly regarding misleading advertising of characters like Abaddon, who was promoted as a key antagonist but ultimately played a minor role, leading to a sense of wasted potential. This reflects a broader concern about the game's approach to monetization and character utilization.

    • “My main gripe with this game is its advertising, specifically how Abaddon was advertised; even though he was promoted as the main antagonist kaiju of the game, he didn't serve a major role other than awakening and attacking the surface along with Kong and Tiamat, and ended up becoming wasted potential, much like how a majority of MonsterVerse kaijus end up as.”
    • “The monetization system feels exploitative, with essential items locked behind paywalls that make it difficult to progress without spending real money.”
    • “I was disappointed to find that many features that should be part of the base game are instead offered as costly add-ons, making it feel like a cash grab rather than a complete experience.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

65% average critic score

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Play time

4hMedian play time
4hAverage play time
4-4hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 1 analyzed playthroughs

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