Back in the day Ape Escape was Sony's way to showcase their new Dualshock technology. The game was a tech demo expanded into a fun and fast-paced game. There would have been some nice symmetry if Sony used the franchise to showcase PlayStation Move. Instead, a year after the device launched, Sony releases PlayStation Move Ape Escape, a short, boring, on-rails shooter that is the opposite of what Ape Escape should be.
In PlayStation Move Ape Escape, monkeys crash land on Earth and start attacking. They aren't hiding. They aren't running. They aren't escaping at all. It's really PlayStation Move Ape Attack. Some girls want your help catching them, because their grandma used to have a monkey that got launched into space – that's the premise. There are some cool anime cutscenes to tell the story, which is decidedly more ambitious than a game about catching monkeys dressed as salarymen requires.
To catch these pernicious primates (see what I did there?) you're armed with a fan, a slingshot, and a butterfly net. Ape Escape is entirely on rails, so you shoot at floating bananas and mischievous monkeys (I did it again!) until the game halts you. From there those abject apes (ok last time) start charging you head on as you swipe them with your net.
Did that sound exciting? No, right? Because it isn't. It's really boring. The game feels like a mini-game that drags on for hours. PlayStation Move Ape Escape is missing a lot of shooter fundamentals like additional weapons , co-op, and challenge. The game spreads over 16 levels, with the very occasional change like a boss fight, but it's an extremely repetitive one-trick pony.
Rating | Description | |
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out of 10 | Click here for ratings guide | |
8.5 | Presentation The story is animated, wacky and stars two cute girls. The best part of the game. |
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7.0 | Graphics The environments are varied, and the monkeys are cute, but it doesn't look like a PS3 game. |
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7.0 | Sound The jazzy soundtrack is fine, and the voice acting is decent, but the sound effects get tiresome. |
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4.0 | Gameplay Extremely repetitive, all too easy, and missing the core mechanics of both a shooter and an Ape Escape title. |
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3.5 | Lasting Appeal There's no co-op, save for one crappy mini-game. |
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Connections for Playstation Move: Ape Escape (PS3)
Popular games in this genre: 1. Uncharted 2: Among Thieves (PS3) 2. God of War III (PS3) 3. Infamous 2 (PS3) 4. Uncharted: Drake's Fortune (PS3) 5. Infamous (PS3) |
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Popular games on this platform: 1. Uncharted 2: Among Thieves (PS3) 2. God of War III (PS3) 3. Infamous 2 (PS3) 4. Uncharted: Drake's Fortune (PS3) 5. LittleBigPlanet 2 (PS3) |
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