Ape Out - Review

 

Devolver Digital has always seemed to have a great eye for talent, and finding often very unique games. One of those games comes from Game Developers; Bennett Foddy, Gabe Cuzzillo, and Matt Boch. I was curious for a while to play it but like so many games they often pop out of my head or something else shiny comes along to distract me, that is why I keep a list now of games to play. I was browsing XBOX Game Pass the other day and saw their game Ape Out and thought it would be criminal not to give it a go.

As we all know smoking looks cool, unless you are using a vape in which case not so much. One of the things I along with many other kids loved growing up were candy cigarettes', we wanted to emulate adults and look cool without the possibility of get cancer or dying (unless you choked on one).  Playing Ape Out I found myself asking was this like smoking those candy cigarettes looking cool, or was it a memory misremembered and it turns out I didn't look cool at all?

Story

Ape out does not box itself down in an overly complicated storyline, and with the style of game it is makes complete sense. You are an Ape stuck in an enclosure, you need to escape to freedom. The games is set over four vinyl records, complete with sides A and B which is awesome and provides a sense of style that resonates throughout the game.

Overall the goal/story is simple but depending on what a game developer is trying to do it doesn't need to be.

Visuals

The visuals are both powerful and simple taking a minimalist approach on detail and colours. The game has you playing from a top down perspective. The ape you control is orange splash of colour in the shape of ape. The enemies have a little more detail, each type has a different uniform and weapon. Throwing them against other enemies or solid objects creates and explosion of red which in some games could across as gratuitous but in Ape Out comes across as more as a canvas having more paint thrown on it. There are intense sequences where the lights may go out and the view becomes dark blue with shades of purple and the only light is from the torches of your hunters. 

Overall the visuals are both artistic and cool, throwing in white pot markers that appear occasionally on the screen making it feel like an old movie is simply inspired.

Music

Jazz is something that came to me at the early part of my adult life working in Zhivago's Music where every Friday Dominic would play Miles Davis's Kind Of Blue on the stereo nestled on my desk. While a lot of music has spoken to me over the years nothing has done it quite like Jazz and Video Game music. Imagine combining them? That is exactly what Matt Boch, composer of the soundtrack, did. In fact, the music is integrated into the gameplay with cymbals crashing when a thrown enemy hits a wall and explodes.

The soundtrack is fantastic and there are certainly no wasted moments, but that is not what makes it great. What makes the music great is that it is dynamic, the intensity of the music depends on your actions in the game, playing quicker more intense, the music changes to that, playing it careful and slow and you get something different. 

Overall the soundtrack duration is close to an hour and there is no point me saying which track is my favorite because to me it is a nice smooth run of a soundtrack that has to be listened to in its entirety. The thing I love about Ape Out is that is doesn't know how not to be cool, it just comes naturally.  

Gameplay

The gameplay is intense in a very good way - standing is still is not an option. The objective is to cross a map in any way you choose as long as you survive, one or two gunshots won't kill you but will leave a blood trail for others to find you. Each level can take anywhere from one minute to five, but don't let that fool you - you will die a good few times throughout the game. It will feel frustrating at times but in a good way. The music is constantly egging you on and helps not lose your cool.

There are only a few controls to worry about, throwing and grabbing. Throwing will often kill an enemy and in most cases will see their arms pulled off. Throwing enemies against others is a good way to clear an enemy. That is until later when you have enemies with flamethrowers, bombs, and rocket launchers (they really have it out for this ape). Enemies can be used as human shields, they can in turn kill other enemies for a limited time. On some levels you will have to debate is better to attack or use the environment to your advantage and play it a little more stealthily.

One particularly great mechanic is that when you are killed you get to see the full map of the level, the route you took and how close or far away you were from the end. 

I have never cared so much about an ape surviving and in some cases it was nail biting, well I have no time to bite mine but Nolls did on my behalf. The game wants you to fail sometimes but ultimately it wants you to be free. At the end of every record (set of levels) you are faced with new challenges which while came be tough always feel achievable. If however you want more a challenge there is a hard mode and arcade mode.

Overall the gameplay was fantastic and like every other element of the game was cool.

Final Thoughts

So, after three short hours how did I feel? Like I should have played the game sooner and when I finally get the Nintendo Switch will download it straight away just for another excuse to play it, and this time on the go. The story is straight to the point, and what better story is there than survival. The visuals are wonderfully simple, the soundtrack couldn't be cooler if it tried and the gameplay is fun and meaningful. Overall this one easily gets a 5 out of 5