Recently, we got a new preview for the upcoming Monsterverse game Kong: Survivor Instinct, which shows a little more gameplay. It does not show a whole lot. In fact, all it shows is the playable character David outrunning the main antagonist Titan, Abaddon, as the monster tries to attack and kill him. There are even dog sized spiders that ambush the character during this segment that will slow you down leaving you open for an attack by Abaddon. At the end of the preview, we are given the official release date of October 22 on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and Steam.
Shortly after, there was another sizzle reel that showed Tiamat rising out of the water and looks ready to attack David, who was standing on a dock pretty close to a boat that got swept away by the monster.
This is really lackluster as there was no new gameplay. The only new information is the release date. So far, the audience reaction to the game has been mixed. While there are those that are excited to play this game, but there are even more people not really excited for the game. It has not really swayed people into wanting to play the game.
According to Gormaru Island, 7Levels, the studio making Kong: Survivor Instinct, is aware of the criticisms people have such as not being able to play as Kong and the lack of Godzilla appearing in the game. Gormaru quotes 7Levels saying, "if the game sells well enough, is received well enough, they may invest in such consumer demand." From this standpoint, I can sort of understand. Godzilla is entirely different license even the one for the Monsterverse because that license goes out to Toho Co. and the license for Godzilla is not cheap. Getting any monster from Toho's roster is not cheap at all.
I remember Adam Wingard explaining even though Mothra was always intended to be in Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire he created a monster called "Phosphera" because he was not sure that he was going to get the license for Mothra. It sounds like when Legendary Entertainment uses any of Toho's monsters, they have to keep buying the license each time. Each license is a license meant for a specific use. In the case for Kong, however, the Monsterverse Kong is exclusively for Legendary Entertainment to use. It is easier to license out Kong and other monsters like Tiamat, Abaddon, Behemoth, and other Titans because they are original creations. Legendary can license them out to whoever whenever they want to as opposed to Godzilla and Mothra, which is not as simple as they require a separate license for a specific purpose.
Despite understanding the circumstances, however, 7Levels has not really sold people on the gameplay to get people to purchase Kong: Survivor Instinct. Gameplay does not really look exciting. It is being sold as a "Metroidvania" type of game. A "Metroidvania" is a kind of platformer genre that has multiple paths for the player to explore. Kong: Survivor Instinct does not show that this is that kind of game that involves a lot of exploring. This just looks like a sidescroller where you are trying to reach point A to point B. Interaction with the monsters are minimal as you are either being chased or using the Orca to call on Kong to help you out. Based on responses, people wish they could play as Kong rather than him being a background character that you summon when the game calls for it.
Furthermore, this game is coming out a year after GameMill released their King Kong game (Skull Island: Rise of Kong), which turned out to be a major disaster as that game had so many issues with bugs and development was outsourced to a third party studio called IguanaBee having been given only one year to build the game from scratch. So there is a lot of pressure that people expect from this new Kong game that I think 7Levels does not realize. To this day, Peter Jackson's King Kong is hailed as the definitive King Kong game that many gamers use as an example.
The only reason to really play the game is if you're a fan of the Monsterverse that wants to discover more of this universe's lore. The eco-terrorist Jonah Alan from Godzilla: King of the Monsters returns in this game and some fans are interested in knowing how he is involved. Maybe the previews were bad and the game turns out better than expected or it could turn out as people feared. People are not really convinced yet on whether this will be a good game or not.
I do hope that the game does do well. I might get it if a majority of people say that it is fun. Currently, Silent Hill 2 remake, Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero, Super Mario Party Jamboree, and Sonic X Shadow Generations are all releasing this month making October a packed month. So Kong: Survivor Instinct doing well is going to be a real challenge for 7Levels.
What are your thoughts on Kong: Survivor Instinct and 7Levels weighing on Godzilla not being in the game? Is it about as much you expected? Will you be playing the game when it releases? Leave a comment in the comments section of your thoughts on the game. Make sure to follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Minds, MeWe, Gab, and TRUTH Social to stay up to date for more news, reviews, and discussions.