Skull Island: Rise of Kong

The game barely qualifies as playable given its myriad of technical issues, but even when it is working as intended, you'll wish that it wasn't.

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"Skull Island: Rise of Kong" is a 3rd person action-adventure game where you play as Kong, seeking revenge for your parents' death. Traverse through various environments, battling primal beasts and minions of your arch-nemesis, Gaw. The game includes exclusive film grains, a Kong style pack, boss-rush mode, and a behind-the-scenes exclusive pack, offering a unique and immersive gaming experience. Experience Kong's origins and uncover the secrets of Skull Island.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

Reviews

33%

Audience ScoreBased on 78 reviews

gameplay4 positive mentions

stability5 negative mentions

Some dinosaur models are visually appealing.
The game features a variety of bosses that require different tactics to defeat.
The collectibles system is somewhat well thought out, providing hidden places to explore.

The gameplay is repetitive and lacks clear objectives, leading to confusion and frustration.
Combat mechanics are poorly designed, making encounters tedious and unengaging.
The graphics are subpar, resembling low-budget games from previous console generations, with numerous bugs and glitches.

graphics
17 mentions
18 % positive mentions
65 % neutral mentions
18 % negative mentions
The graphics of "Skull Island: Rise of Kong" receive mixed reviews, with some praising its unique artistic style and nostalgic charm reminiscent of PS1-era visuals, while others criticize the numerous graphical errors and lack of optimization. Many users feel that the game suffers from low-budget aesthetics, leading to a disjointed visual experience that detracts from immersion. Overall, the graphics are seen as a significant drawback, with calls for improvements to enhance the game's visual appeal.
- “The graphics are also sublime.”
- “The game's decision to embrace its own original artistic style rather than strive for photorealism proves that you don't need to make something photorealistic to make it absolutely stunning to look at.”
- “This game's graphics are phenomenal; each cutscene, each area you enter is something out of a painting.”
- “Normally I don't review graphics, but this game's visuals are so awful they deserve it.”
- “There are clear graphical errors, like textures without clear transitions between them and a visible black outline showing where water starts.”
- “Tldr Skull Island: Rise of Kong is a nostalgic trip back to PS1-era graphics and glitches, definitely not worth the $40 price tag – play if you dare or just need a laugh.”
gameplay
16 mentions
25 % positive mentions
56 % neutral mentions
19 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "Skull Island: Rise of Kong" receives mixed reviews, with some praising its diverse combat mechanics and engaging platforming that adds depth and enjoyment, likening it to top-tier games like "Elden Ring" and "Breath of the Wild." However, many players criticize the overall execution, describing it as incoherent and unfun, with poor animations and a lack of meaningful content, leading to a disappointing experience for some. Overall, the game seems to struggle with balancing enjoyable mechanics against significant flaws.
- “Each boss encounter requires a unique tactic to defeat, helping explore Kong's abilities and mechanics.”
- “The game offers a diverse range of combat mechanics, featuring a plethora of combos and strategies to tackle various foes and different encounters you will come across during your journey.”
- “The inclusion of in-depth platforming mechanics, which is surprisingly satisfying, makes traversal fun and engaging.”
- “The gameplay is poor.”
- “Truly abysmal gameplay, I don't even know what to say; you can probably guess how bad it is by looking at it. Worth trying for 119 minutes!”
- “At no point during its incoherent gameplay did it make any sense, and I reward 0 stars. Anyone who decides to pay $50 Australian dollars with the intention to play it, may God have mercy on your soul.”
story
15 mentions
27 % positive mentions
53 % neutral mentions
20 % negative mentions
The story in "Skull Island: Rise of Kong" is widely praised for its exceptional storytelling and character development, immersing players in Kong's tragic journey of vengeance and redemption. While some reviewers noted technical issues that detracted from the experience, the overall narrative is considered captivating and emotionally impactful, showcasing the potential of video game storytelling. In contrast, other titles like Ubisoft's offerings and the collaboration with Silent Hill 4 received mixed feedback, with some finding them less engaging.
- “Skull Island: Rise of Kong is a gaming masterpiece that delivers an unforgettable journey into the tragic and captivating story of Kong, the iconic character from the King Kong franchise.”
- “From the very beginning, the game had me utterly engrossed, immersing me deeply in Kong's compelling quest for vengeance, and ultimately, his path to redemption.”
- “The story effectively conveys the depth of Kong's character and his tumultuous journey, where we witness firsthand his hardships, his struggle to survive and navigate in a brutal and savage world, while dealing with loneliness and changes to his psychology.”
- “And the story's a bore.”
- “But lo and behold, even that felt as if it was pulled from a rejected bedtime story.”
- “And game-breaking issues like enemies spawning underground making me unable to defeat them and progress through the story detracted from the overall experience.”
emotional
5 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
Players describe "Rise of Kong" as an emotionally intense experience, highlighting its powerful narrative that explores Kong's tragic upbringing and struggles. The game evokes deep feelings, with some reviewers noting it has profoundly affected their emotional state, showcasing stellar writing and impactful voice acting that enhance the storytelling.
- “No game in my life has ever made me so emotional, and let me be clear about that phrasing.”
- “This game takes players on an emotional rollercoaster, recounting Kong's heartbreaking upbringing, the loss of his parents to the island's formidable creatures, and his relentless struggle for survival and eventual ascent to become the undisputed king of Skull Island.”
- “The narrative is emotionally charged, and the writing is stellar, accompanied by the voice of an old lady that sounds like the lady from Dark Souls.”
stability
5 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
The game's stability is heavily criticized due to numerous bugs and glitches that hinder gameplay and enjoyment, with players often needing to restart checkpoints due to unresponsive controls. While some find the glitches amusing or reminiscent of retro gaming, the overall consensus is that they are unacceptable and detract significantly from the experience.
- “The game is marred by bugs and glitches that significantly detract from its enjoyability.”
- “The glitches are unacceptable; I had to restart checkpoints numerous times because Kong would stop moving and not respond to any inputs. The combat is dull and doesn't feel remotely fun, and the roar to find your next objective is just tedious.”
- “Tldr: Skull Island: Rise of Kong is a nostalgic trip back to PS1-era graphics and glitches, definitely not worth the $40 price tag – play if you dare or just need a laugh.”
humor
4 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is largely perceived as unintentional, with players finding it more amusingly bad than genuinely funny. While some appreciate the comedic potential in awkward camera angles and cutscenes, the overall sentiment leans towards disappointment, with many feeling the game fails to deliver a worthwhile comedic experience.
- “An abundance of hilarious camera angles of Kong's facial features and actions during cutscenes!”
- “Hilariously dismal.”
grinding
2 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be initially tedious and mundane, particularly in combat, which lacks excitement and fun. Additionally, technical glitches exacerbate the experience, forcing players to restart checkpoints and further detracting from enjoyment. Overall, the grind feels more like a chore than an engaging part of gameplay.
- “The combat starts out tedious and mundane after the tutorial, but it eventually grows on you.”
- “The glitches are unacceptable; I had to restart checkpoints numerous times because the character would stop moving and not respond to any inputs. The combat is dull and doesn't feel remotely fun, and the roar to find your next objective is just tedious.”
monetization
2 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
The monetization strategy of the game has been criticized as a quick cash grab, with developers acknowledging the limited time frame imposed by the publisher, which has resulted in a lack of quality and creativity. Reviewers advise against purchasing the game, labeling it as cheap and uninspired.
- “The developers themselves admitted that the publisher only gave them a year to develop this game, and you can clearly see that the publisher wanted a quick cash grab from the popularity of dinosaurs and Kong.”
- “Don't buy this cheap, boring, and uninspired cash grab.”
replayability
2 mentions
0 % positive mentions
50 % neutral mentions
50 % negative mentions
Reviewers express disappointment in the game's replayability, citing a lack of difficulty settings and procedural map generation, which limits the experience and value for money. As a result, players feel the game offers minimal incentive to replay.
- “With no replay value due to no difficulty settings and no procedural map generation, this game comes close to $10 per hour!”
optimization
1 mentions
300 % positive mentions
-200 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
Players expect a well-optimized game that delivers a smooth and polished experience.
- “Players deserve a polished product that runs smoothly.”
- “The optimization in this game is top-notch, ensuring a seamless experience.”
- “I appreciate how the developers focused on performance, making the game run flawlessly on various systems.”
atmosphere
1 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is highly praised for its stunning visuals, featuring diverse environments such as lush forests, foggy swamps, and breathtaking mountain vistas, all enhanced by impressive lighting and draw distance.
- “From lush forests and jungles with pristine rivers, to muddy swamps with atmospheric fog and lighting, and the high peaks featuring incredible vistas paired with a robust draw distance, this game is a phenomenal thing to look at.”