Ape Escape 3
More fun than a barrel full of... you know the rest.
Published: January 30, 2006
Y'know, for a game that started as little more than a tech demonstration of what it could be like to use two analog sticks to control characters, Ape Escape has done awfully well for itself. Chalk it up to the universal appeal of monkeys, I suppose, but there is something to be said for offering just a smidgeon of storyline and healthy doses of personality for the little critters you're stuck catching each game.
Such has been the formula for two games now (the first was happily published by Sony, but they mysteriously opted out of the second and instead left that to Ubisoft), and the third is, quite honestly almost identical to the first two. Sure, the game might be back at home with Sony as both publisher and developer, but there's really only been one major change to the gameplay.
The other minor changes are more monkeys and a TV- and movie-based theme that uses the backdrop of series antagonist Specter using his helmet aided super-intellect to broadcast TV shows so inane they turn the viewers into comatose couch potatoes. It never really gets any more complex than that (save for the end, but we won't spoil that "twist"), but it's a great excuse to let the developers' imaginations a little breathing room.
The result is a set of 25 or so levels that settle nicely into a handful of clichés, but fun ones nonetheless. You've got your space station level, your wild west level, your snowy mountaintop level, your kung-fu fight, your beachside resort. Minor tweaks to the monkey AI mean they slowly get better at avoiding attacks (sometimes taking as many as two or three clean swipes right on target before they lose their balance and fall long enough to be captured), and some can actually knock your weapons free and use them against you.
Luckily, there's a speedier option for simian stockpiling (and oh God, that's the last use of intentional alliteration in the review, I promise): the morph gear. Like all the gadgets in the game (almost all of which are recycled from the prequels), new morph data is divvied out by your helpful hub world adult inventor friend with just about every new level. A constant stream of new things to use keeps the game interesting, but the morph gear is what adds longevity to the captures.
Essentially suits that change your moves or add new ability, all morph gear forms make capturing monkeys as easy as clicking down on the right analog stick. Depending on the suit, you'll either fire out a net for an almost instant capture, or use a sort of area effect move to capture any around you. Since later monkeys can get increasingly tough to catch and the key to completing levels is to capture a certain number (it's never all of them in a level save for the boss fights), it becomes crucial to know when and where to use the suits.
The addition of gadgets, spoon fed at a near-constant rate, also satisfies the ADD geek in us all. There's no real time to get tired of capturing monkeys because the game is so good at throwing new stuff at you in rapid-fire succession. But, like any talented developer, SCE clearly understands pacing and level design that eases you into using the powers so it's never overwhelming, just encouraging.
In fact, the level designs themselves were designed from the start to be played through at least twice. Most of the early levels have monkeys hidden that can't be found until you have the later gadgets in the game, and though some may bitch about the forced bit of replay to extend the game length, it's not required to have ALL the monkeys in a level to beat the game (finishing it with the bare minimum of essentials will drop you in right around 50% completion).
Such has been the formula for two games now (the first was happily published by Sony, but they mysteriously opted out of the second and instead left that to Ubisoft), and the third is, quite honestly almost identical to the first two. Sure, the game might be back at home with Sony as both publisher and developer, but there's really only been one major change to the gameplay.
The other minor changes are more monkeys and a TV- and movie-based theme that uses the backdrop of series antagonist Specter using his helmet aided super-intellect to broadcast TV shows so inane they turn the viewers into comatose couch potatoes. It never really gets any more complex than that (save for the end, but we won't spoil that "twist"), but it's a great excuse to let the developers' imaginations a little breathing room.
The result is a set of 25 or so levels that settle nicely into a handful of clichés, but fun ones nonetheless. You've got your space station level, your wild west level, your snowy mountaintop level, your kung-fu fight, your beachside resort. Minor tweaks to the monkey AI mean they slowly get better at avoiding attacks (sometimes taking as many as two or three clean swipes right on target before they lose their balance and fall long enough to be captured), and some can actually knock your weapons free and use them against you.
Luckily, there's a speedier option for simian stockpiling (and oh God, that's the last use of intentional alliteration in the review, I promise): the morph gear. Like all the gadgets in the game (almost all of which are recycled from the prequels), new morph data is divvied out by your helpful hub world adult inventor friend with just about every new level. A constant stream of new things to use keeps the game interesting, but the morph gear is what adds longevity to the captures.
Essentially suits that change your moves or add new ability, all morph gear forms make capturing monkeys as easy as clicking down on the right analog stick. Depending on the suit, you'll either fire out a net for an almost instant capture, or use a sort of area effect move to capture any around you. Since later monkeys can get increasingly tough to catch and the key to completing levels is to capture a certain number (it's never all of them in a level save for the boss fights), it becomes crucial to know when and where to use the suits.
The addition of gadgets, spoon fed at a near-constant rate, also satisfies the ADD geek in us all. There's no real time to get tired of capturing monkeys because the game is so good at throwing new stuff at you in rapid-fire succession. But, like any talented developer, SCE clearly understands pacing and level design that eases you into using the powers so it's never overwhelming, just encouraging.
In fact, the level designs themselves were designed from the start to be played through at least twice. Most of the early levels have monkeys hidden that can't be found until you have the later gadgets in the game, and though some may bitch about the forced bit of replay to extend the game length, it's not required to have ALL the monkeys in a level to beat the game (finishing it with the bare minimum of essentials will drop you in right around 50% completion).
