« About Video Game Design | Main | Shin Megami Tensei: Digital Devil Saga 2 »
Ape Escape 3
By admin | September 7, 2010
The story for Ape Escape 3 is just as bizarre as previous entries. Spectre has come back to wreak havoc once again with the help of a human scientist named Dr. Tomoki. Spectre has turned all the monkeys loose on the TV this time so they can turn all the citizens to mindless zombies. The previous heroes Jimmy and Spike have been sucked into Spectre’s little game so they are unavailable for hero duties so the game looks to a sibling combo of Yumi and Kei. The story really doesn’t evolve much throughout the game except for small cutscenes that urge you to continue on the pursuit of catching monkeys and trying to free all humanity from Spectre’s trap.
 |
 |
This game plays pretty much like all installments. It doesn’t matter which character you pick to control because they control exactly the same. You start with a club and a net which allows you to stun the monkeys by hitting them with the club then quickly switching to the net to capture those dirty apes. Throughout the game you will acquire more gadgets to make capturing monkeys more inventive and easier. You can equip up to four gadgets at one time using the face buttons and you switch between them by simply pressing the corresponding button. You will acquire gadgets like an RC car which can be used to lure monkeys toward you or to press buttons in narrow tunnels or cages. There are also a bunch of different forms your characters can switch to such as a knight and ninja. Each form has different stats such as the ninja is fast and can scale walls while the knight can take more damage and also dish it out more effectively. You have to use these forms sparingly since they drain a meter which can only be replenished by getting energy jars or just waiting for it to refill. These forms don’t really change how the game is played that much but they do add a new element to capture monkeys with.
The monkeys are not all the same either, they each have different stats which makes capturing the monkeys that much more fun. Some of the monkeys are faster than others while others have weapons such as guns. This time around the monkeys can actually knock you down and take your weapon so if you have the monkey net out and he nets you then its all over for you. There are around 400 monkeys to catch this time around which may sound staggering but it really isn’t since the game is pretty big anyway. Just like in previous games, you don’t have to catch all the monkeys in each level just a certain number like if there are nine monkeys then you usually only have to capture seven. This makes it easier since some monkeys can really be a pain in the ass to capture.
 |
 |
The controls are quite unique for this franchise and if you are new to it, it may take you awhile to catch on. You use the left analog stick to move around and the right analog stick to use whichever gadget you have equipped at that time. It may sound weird using an analog stick to use your gadgets but it makes the game that much more unique and entertaining. Aside from moving and attacking, you will use the two right triggers to jump and double jump.
The graphical side of the game fares quite well. The character designs for the humans are all unique and have a very nice anime-style to them. The monkeys vary between each level with themes corresponding to the level such as cowboy monkeys when you are in the wild west stage. The environments are not recycled from previous games which actually surprised me and each one has a very unique theme and very well designed. The only problem I experienced was the occasional slow down whenever a few enemies were onscreen at once.
The audio side isn’t quite as good. Everything is done fairly well except for the human voicework which just grates on my nerves. All characters sound really bad and don’t seem like they fit their character’s personality. The music is actually really catchy and I caught myself humming some of the tunes from time to time even after not playing for a few hours.
If you are a fan of the previous entries or just want a very fun and unique platformer then this game will satisfy your needs.
Topics: PS2 Game | No Comments »