Kong: Survivor Instinct (PC) review: Not the kaiju game you were looking for

Kong: Survivor Instinct is a 2D Metroidvania platformer, whose premise is relatively simple. The game places you in the midst of a crumbling cityscape, where Kong and his fellow behemoths clash in the background while you scramble to survive. It’s an interesting concept but despite playing the game on repeat for a couple of days now, I find the game struggling to give me a reason to be enthralled by what's happening at ground level.

Kong puts you in the shoes of David Martin, a single father desperately searching for his missing daughter amidst the chaos caused by Kong's rampage. Unfortunately, the story never really takes off, with David's interactions limited to a handful of bland survivors and an unremarkable version of Alan Jonah – the returning villain from Godzilla: King of the Monsters, whose portrayal lacks the bite and charisma of his cinematic counterpart (played by the excellent Charles Dance in the Monsterverse series).

The plot of the game essentially boils down to "don’t get crushed by Kong," and while that does create some tense moments, it lacks any depth or compelling narrative drive. David's journey across devastated suburbs, upturned apartment buildings, and mysterious underground labs is visually interesting at times. The game excels at capturing the feeling of a city torn apart by giant monsters. You can run across car rooftops suspended in spider webs or navigate a building's collapsed interior, twisted into strange angles by Kong's violent force. These moments can be spectacular, but they’re often let down by repetitive environmental puzzles that fail to build on the game's potential.

Most of the exploration hinges on the same tired puzzle mechanics. Pushing crates, shooting padlocks, and repairing generators is the core of Kong’s platforming, with only a sledgehammer and grappling hook being added to David’s otherwise basic movement set. While games with a similar genre like Metroid Dread entice players with evolving skills and secrets that beg to be revisited, Kong rarely offers such rewards. Instead, its puzzles and upgrades feel like chores, guiding you along a predetermined route with minimal surprises or backtracking rewards.

The combat, too, feels largely uninspired. David’s main weapon is a pistol, but ammo is scarce, and so most of your encounters rely on melee attacks. Combat has some elements of nuance, such as blocking, parrying, and using enemies as human shields, but these mechanics are overshadowed by a sense of clunkiness. Movement becomes awkward when enemies surround you, and David’s inability to climb or jump while in a combat stance leads to moments of real frustration. Worse still, the game never introduces new enemy types or upgrades that force you to change tactics, and the absence of any proper boss battles makes the whole experience feel one-note.

There are some moments where Kong: Survivor Instinct tries to raise the stakes. At certain points, Kong or one of his monster rival spots David through a building window, triggering frantic chase sequences that see the titans ripping open entire structures to get at you. These scenes are genuinely exciting, filled with a sense of danger and urgency. However, they’re marred by a lot of trial and error and it’s easy to make a wrong move and get killed, which means repeated checkpoint restarts. Still, there’s something exhilarating about watching Kong peel apart a building as though it’s a toy.

Kong is visually stunning but for all its visual flair, these titan-fueled set pieces don’t change the core experience, which quickly settles into a loop of bland puzzles and stiff combat encounters. Kong and his fellow kaiju, while spectacular in the background, have almost no impact on the gameplay itself. Occasionally, you’ll collect enough biowaves to summon Kong to clear a path for you, but it’s more of a flashy cutscene than a moment of interactive excitement.

Ultimately, Kong: Survivor Instinct feels like a game that never quite reaches the heights of its potential. The idea of playing as a vulnerable human in the midst of a colossal monster slugfest is intriguing, but the execution is lacking. The environments look impressive, but the level design doesn’t make the most of them. Such a waste. The combat also has flashes of creativity, but it’s let down by stiff mechanics and an unwillingness to evolve. And while the occasional chase sequences involving Kong or other titans are thrilling, they are fleeting moments in an otherwise plodding adventure.

If you’re a fan of kaiju and want a brief glimpse of what it might be like to be a bystander in one of their battles, there’s some fun to be found here. But for players seeking a more substantial Metroidvania experience, this one may leave you feeling as small as David does next to Kong’s towering figure.

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