Following last year's abysmal Skull Island: Rise of Kong, the King of the Beasts is back in unexpected form with Kong: Survivor Instinct. Canonically set after 2021's Godzilla vs. Kong movie, this 2.5D cinematic side-scroller offers a more human-driven story instead of the kaiju beat-'em-ups we're more accustomed to. It's an intriguing approach reminiscent of Deadlight, though Survivor Instinct is let down by poor gameplay.

You play as David, a father searching for his missing daughter after several Titans begin rampaging. Sadly, the narrative lacks both a compelling hook and satisfying conclusion, which isn't helped by middling acting or repetitive voice lines. David has also made an enemy of the Hyenas, an eco-terrorist group messing with Titans, leading to some shallow combat sequences. All you're really doing is hitting someone with your melee weapon, blocking, grabbing them, or shooting them. It's just not that exciting.

A Metroidvania-esque approach to exploration offers competent level design, tasking you with finding 'Biowaves' that mimic a Titan's cry, calling them to you and clearing large barriers. More tools gradually become available across this serviceable six-hour campaign, like a grappling hook and a sledgehammer for breaking down walls. Backtracking is thankfully minimal, and that's helped by a convenient fast travel system. Thorough exploration is also rewarded with health or ammo upgrades.

Survivor Instinct's biggest saving grace is the entertaining set-pieces, which usually involve escaping from a Titan strangely determined to kill you. While this can deliver a visually impressive spectacle, it's frustrating how little room for error there often is. These moments are meant to be fast-paced, sure; you're running for your life after all. However, a split-second delay or mistimed jump is often enough to kill you, and that annoyingly restarts the entire segment.

It's a real shame because there's a promising premise here that could've delivered something unique beyond the usual 3D kaiju brawlers. For a human-focused story, it's unfortunate that more time wasn't put into this, and while exploration is passable, the gameplay soon falls into repetition. Unless you're a die-hard fan of Legendary's Monsterverse, it's difficult to recommend this over other Metroidvanias.