I want to start by saying that i have a lot of love for this game. Mainly because it's an important game from my childhood, but also because I've always adored monkeys, and this games has a lot of monkeys.
Having replayed it now as an adult i can say that it is a solid 3D platformer. The Sky Flyer and the double jump makes the task of running through a stage feel fun and free. Probably the worst part is when they make you drive a tank with tank controls. However, the monkeys and their personalities always hug the spotlight. 5/5 just for the monkeys.

I remember when I was a kid, I came home to my dad having bought me a game that he thought I would enjoy. Apparently, the person who he talked to at the store told him that this would be a good game for me. I have to admit that as a dumb kid, I was more than a little hesitant to play a game being recommended by my dad. I mean, he’s a dad! Who didn’t even grow up playing any video games! What could he (or any other adult) possibly know about what good video game is? I put the game aside, until eventually with all options spent, I just decided to give it a shot.

Ape Escape, a platformer on the PlayStation developed by Japan Studio and released in North America on June 22, 1999.

To this day, I am so grateful to both that store employee and my dad for putting that game in front of me. Ape Escape has ended up becoming one of my all-time favorite games of my entire life. An unexpected gem of a game. Ape Escape established a standard early on in my life for how video games should be.

Ape Escape, beyond being a nostalgically cherished game from my childhood, stands out as a monumental title for its gameplay, engaging audio-visual presentation, and offering an experience that endures to this day; redefining a standard for video games.

The gameplay mechanics are unique in that Ape Escape is one of the earliest titles on the PlayStation to make full use of both joysticks (specifically requiring a DualShock controller be plugged in before allowing you to play). The controls feel very natural and each button on the DualShock controller is given a purpose.

There are awkward moments: particularly in vehicles like boats and tanks, but nothing torturous once you get the hang of it. Objectives are simple: catch the required number of monkeys to move on to the next stage. Rinse repeat. You accomplish this through the use of various “gadgets” that the game provides to you as you progress throughout the game.

You start with two basic gadgets: a net to capture the monkeys and a club to stun them with. Later your gadgets become more sophisticated, helping you adapt to new challenges and opening up more areas of the levels to explore. You access levels using The Time Station hub where you can not only select stages, but also play mini-games, redo gadget training, or save/load your game. You can even browse a fun monkey book about all the little apes you catch on your journey!

The story of Ape Escape goes like this: you (Spike) and your friend (Jake) go and pay The Professor, who studies apes at the local amusement park, a visit one morning and on arrival you’re confronted with helmet wearing ape’s who have tied up The Professor and his assistant. The apes are being led by one particularly intelligent and cunning ape, named Specter, and manage to hijack The Professor’s time machine. They use it to send themselves, as well as you and your friend Jake, back in time to rewrite the course of history.

You as the main character must now help The Professor locate and capture all the apes (including Specter) to prevent Specter’s world domination plans.

There isn’t much in the way of character development. Characters remain largely the same throughout the game and don’t have any real arcs except for Jake, who gets brainwashed by Specter into being a mindless slave. You do eventually learn what Specter’s problem with humanity is, but it doesn’t really reveal itself until you 100% the game.

The plot takes itself seriously (perhaps a little too seriously) and I think it does a good job of imposing the seriousness of the situation onto you. A kid friendly version of trying to prevent a Planet of the Apes situation by goofy looking, silly-billy monkeys. A pressing matter for sure, but there’s still plenty of room for humor and slapstick antics.

The time travel aspect of the plot is also a nice concept! Going through different time periods provides the game with unique settings and keeps things from getting boring.

The graphics are amazing especially when you consider the time period the game was developed in. Stages are very colorful and bright, others are darker, and all reflect the historical periods and settings that they take place in. Nothing about the game looks like they cut corners when it came to visual quality.

The audio design is also solid. The monkeys yelp when they notice you, you can hear the whirring of machinery, each gadget has its own distinct audio profile, and enemies react to you in similarly unique ways.

The music! Oh my god the MUSIC! Soichi Terada brings his absolute fucking A-game here, his magnum opus, to Ape Escape. I didn’t know it was possible for me to imagine what the appropriate type of music would go along with being inside a T-Rex’s body, but Terada is the best to ever do it. Every song fits perfectly within the stage it’s supposed to represent. Every track is banger. Terada brings a now emblematic, drum and bass style to the game and it works spectacularly.

Ape Escape is just a very pretty and audibly impressive game. I have no doubt that you’ll find something about this game’s visual and audio feel that will charm you. There’s a lot to see and do here.

The game won’t take you weeks to finish, especially on a casual run. I’d say 9-10 hours max if you’re really taking your time. Maybe a little more if you’re going for 100% completion, which is where the replayability of the game is going to factor in. The two main driving forces of which are collecting all the monkeys (204 in total) and collecting all of the Specter Coins hidden within each level that unlock mini-games in the Time Station hub area.

Ape Escape scratches that monkey-brained (no pun intended) part of me that just yearns to collect and sort. I can’t help but be drawn to wanting to capture every single monkey in the game no matter how many times I play through it! It’s a certain type of collect-a-thon game that you just don’t see much anymore. Which is a shame! Ape Escape really shines in this aspect and is where most of the fun comes from. You’ll find yourself coming back to Ape Escape even after finishing and seeing everything it has to offer.

One shortcoming is due to the PS1’s limitations the game can experience some slowdown and sluggishness at times from simply too many things happening at once. Nothing about it is grating or unplayable, but it is something to keep in mind. There’s jank here, but manageable jank.

Some gadgets and vehicles take a bit of getting used to at first. It’s hard for me to put into words exactly what I mean by that. I’m reminded of a phrase my parents used to say: "Todo tiene su chiste" a Spanish phrase that translates to "Everything has its trick". You just have to feel it out and eventually it will just click in your head how they work and function. Almost like you’re developing Ape Escape motor skills.

The best comparison that I have for Ape Escape with other games would have to come from Crash Bandicoot and Spyro the Dragon; two other PlayStation collect-a-thon platformers from the same era.

Where Ape Escape stands out from both of those is the full use of the DualShock’s capabilities, but also from the gadgets themselves which give the player more to do like puzzle solving or navigating levels. You have to put a bit more thought into the game than you normally would for Crash and Spyro.

I had a lot of fun playing Ape Escape from start to finish and if memory serves me correctly it was the first game I ever truly felt the urge to 100%. What stood out in particular to me was how much character the Ape’s had. Their personalities distinguished by the color of their pants was already a genius concept by itself, but giving them each a small bio via the Monkey Radar gadget added that little bit of charm and cuteness that gives Ape Escape its fun personality.

And that’s ultimately what Ape Escape is in its rawest, purest form; just plain fun and that’s what video games are supposed to be. Ape Escape isn’t just a good game, it’s a great game. Ape Escape holds a special place in my heart. When I die, bury me with a copy so that when I get to the afterlife I can enjoy it for eternity.

Ape Escape is an example of a game that combines good gameplay mechanics, and a remarkable audio-visual experience. Its use of the DualShock controller was engaging and demonstrated its capabilities.

The story, while simplistic, is engaging and well-executed. The graphics and audio, particularly the music by Soichi Terada, are exceptional for its era, and enhance the experience.

Furthermore, the game's replayability and content, highlighted by the collect-a-thon nature and charming details, make it a game that continues to draw me back again and again. Despite some technical hiccups and a learning curve with certain gadgets, Ape Escape is a game that you cannot miss. A game that transcends nostalgia to stand as an example of how fun video games can be when they’re done right.

Whether you're revisiting it or experiencing it for the first time, Ape Escape is a game that promises and delivers so much. A must-play beyond any shadow of a doubt.

I wanted to go back to my roots and play a fun monkey game. After experiencing Ape Escape, I don't think I've played a game that accomplished everything it set out to do so perfectly since Celeste.

Ape Escape is so fun and it's full of that old school ps1 charm. The premise is super unique and the art style is great and just fills you with that warm feeling of comfort that you can only get from a chunky ps1 game. The goofy voice acting comes around to being great and just makes the game all that much more enjoyable.

I don't think I've ever played a game that took as much advantage of the controller as Ape Escape either. It's obvious the game was designed with the dualshock in mind and the game does a great job of utilizing every feature of the controller without making it overly complicated.

The structure also feels unique compared to other 3D platformers. Going in, I was expecting it to play like a
collect-a-thon platformer, but I was surprised by how unique it felt. The gameplay style is hard to describe, but it feels like it's halfway between a 3D collect-a-thon and a more typical 3D platformer and it was very refreshing.

Each ape serves as a unique puzzle that has multiple different ways of approaching it, depending on the gadgets you like to use or the type of movement/approach you like to take which helps replays stand out.

It's not a perfect game, but my issues with it are so small they're just nitpicks. For example, I never fully got used to the menu UI. It's hard to describe, but the menu options default to undoing what you just selected, so for example, if you want to load a save and select that option, the first option in the subsequent menu is to go back to the previous page instead of confirming you want to load the save. This just really messed with my muscle memory from playing other games.

I'm also not a fan of how the time trials are tied to 100% completion. Time trial modes don't really appeal to me in general and in games like Ape Escape, where there is no reward for 100% completion, making the time trials contribute to the completion requirements just feels like padding.

Ape Escape has always been one of those bucket list 3D platformers for me and I'm just so happy that it lived up to the hype. It's not one of my favorite games at the end of the day, but it accomplishes everything it sets out to do so perfectly and is just so fun and unique that I can't help but give it 5 stars.

This game is genuinely just such a joy to experience. The 5 is purely an enjoyment thing because if I was to think critically there is a couple problems. Like the fact the game fakes you out like twice for the ending and the fact that to get the actual final ending you have to collect every monkey (which isn't a lot but still I didn't do it). Plus the controls can be really weird and take a minute to get used to. But this game is just so full of charm and joy. A very fun and enjoyable experience where I have almost a child like joy seeing these apes run around and me trying to capture them. With the different environments you head to to keep the feeling fresh. All the silly little gadgets you get to capture them and solve puzzles. I also love the soundtrack of this game, very joyous and very fast paced. The bios of the apes you capture accompanied by the pictures gave me such a good laugh. Overall enjoyable time (let me specify I played on the ps5). This game is just pure fun and I can not be mad about that. Play it if you have ps plus premium on ps5 its on the classics catalog. Definitely worth the one month I paid for it.

A modern masterpiece

Just finished the game about 30 minutes ago and I am just left speechless by everything I had just experienced. Never in my many years of waiting for Alan Wake 2 did I ever think this would be the sequel we receive. Everything about Alan wake 2 is handled to perfection which is why I believe this game will go down in history as one of the best ever in its genre. Not only is it an achievement for its genre it is now my GOTY.


A mind boggling story

This game is a trip from start to finish , every second oozing with aesthetic and brilliant storytelling. I would like to go into details on what makes this journey so brilliant but this is very much best played without knowing anything. Moving on , the cast is great from Alan , Saga to Casey with even some surprise characters showing up. I will take this quick moment to really recommend fans to play through Control if you would like to understand even more of the lore. Beyond that , I also recommend a replay through of Alan wake 1 as it would really make things a lot more coherent with 2. I will just leave the story part at that because you simply need to experience this game with as little information as you can but just know its an amazing story that will surely be diagnosed for years to come.

I will not be getting into ANY of the story bits in this review as I never do for games that are best played blind. Just experience this jaw dropping, mind twisting and mind blowing journey for yourself and you will understand why this story was masterfully crafted.



A beautiful looking adventure

Furthermore, the graphics are beautiful, the game just looks amazing on the PS5 so I can only imagine how it must have looked maxed out with 4K on PC. Many times throughout my playthrough I just saw myself looking at the scenery during the daytime and it was always magical.


Scary

This game nails the atmosphere, really giving itself a perfect creepy vibe. One aspect I wasn’t too much of a fan of was the constant jumpscares you will experience in specific sections. It can be scary but most of the time it just serves as a way to annoy me. Besides the jumpscares I genuinely found the game unsettling and creepy which is very rare for a game to accomplish for me nowadays. There were many times I would be creeped out traversing certain sections since the game always made you wonder about what could be down that hallway. It's simple tactics like that that will really give you the creeps as you make your way through the game. The story itself is just as unsettling and creepy in which once again I won’t get into so I just really hope you play it.

This game is true horror.

Gameplay

One of the more interesting aspects of Alan Wake 2 is its gameplay. Why? It's simple because there are many segments of the game where you won’t be doing much combat. I honestly really like this as it aids in really panning out its story more. Furthermore, it makes the moments you do engage in combat even more impactful and fun but this can be argued so just be aware you won’t always be in combat. The combat itself is very akin to Alan wake 1’s combat which is a good thing because I found it very fun. The big changes in the combat is through movement which is a lot more akin to RE4Rs movement. Dodging is fine but it can be a bit wonky against certain enemies but for the most part it was passable. The enemy variety is pretty basic sadly but I really liked the designs on them but be aware there isn’t a big pool of enemy types there are only a few types you will be battling against. Playing on hard difficulty the game provided a fair enough challenge but honestly wasn’t too tough if you are good about managing the resources you get. One of the more welcome editions this game has is how open and exploration centric the game is. It will not hold your hand and give you markers on the map telling you where you need to go. You will simply just look at your objective then look at the map to see where the spot you need to go is and on the way find collectibles. Speaking of collectibles there are multiple to look for in this game from Puzzles, lunch boxes to supply stashes. It is highly recommended to be on the lookout as all 3 collectible types will give you very useful resources. If you plan on 100% the game I HIGHLY recommend making save points near the end of the game so you have a save file to go back to. This can come back and bite you in the ass because once you hit a certain point you will not be able to explore the sections freely forcing you to replay the whole game again if you want to collect everything. The gameplay feels second to the story and I was 100% fine with that because the story of Alan wake 2 is phenomenal but the gameplay we do get here is very fun and combat that I hope is explored more in its DLCs this game will be receiving.


Some Issues sadly

I hate to have to bring up some issues I have with this game because I do think it's a perfect game….. But it has some issues. Luckily the issues I have with this game do NOT have anything to do with the core game, it's only with its performance. Playing on the PS5 version I experienced many frame drops and bugs and glitches throughout the game's run time. Glitches ranging from characters model glitching out all the way to soft locking the game forcing a game restart its moments like these that will set you back a bit. Picking up items can sometimes freeze your whole screen for a few moments making you wonder if the game crashed or not lol. Hell I even got audio bugs that would quite frankly bug all sound effects only leaving environment sounds to be heard. It is frustrating because the glitches happen more than they should have and I can only hope they iron out these bugs and issues with patches.

in the end

Usually I would have knocked this down half a score for all the bugs but Alan Wake 2 is truly a masterpiece. This game is an achievement in every aspect that should be played by ALL horror fans. Easily my GOTY currently and I really don’t see that changing now for this year. I would gladly wait 13 years for sequels of games if this the quality we will get over getting the garbage we usually get now.

100% recommend at full price.

ever since until dawn back in 2015, i’ve been waiting for a new full game by supermassive. the dark pictures anthology (i only played the first 2), is so far meh, it just doesn’t hit the same spot as until dawn. i was sooooo excited for the quarry because i thought it’s THE game i’ve been waiting from them. i bought the game months ago and i’ve been waiting for spooky season to play it - popcorn, blanket, the full preparation XD

but… this wasn’t it. it came so close but no. the dialogue options are so limited, the game forces you to play a certain way. you want to be friendly towards a person? you can either be rude or a bit less rude. i mean it scratched the itch i had for a choose your own adventure horror game but it wasn’t sadly THE game i’ve been waiting from supermassive :(