Ubisoft Montpellier released in 2005 Peter Jackson’s King Kong: The Official Game of the Movie, a video game that, although it received mixed reviews at the time of its release, stood out for its ambition and innovative gameplay. Developed in less than two years, the creation of the game was designed to synchronize its release with the film by the well-known director, who played an active role in its development.
A game that was a challenge for multiple reasons
Peter Jackson, acclaimed for his work on the Lord of the Rings trilogy, expressed excitement about collaborating with Ubisoft, especially because he was a fan of another title from the studio, Beyond Good & Evil. From the beginning of the project, Jackson contributed significantly, even requesting changes to the character design. A notable example was the reconfiguration of King Kong’s face, based on feedback from his son after trying a preliminary version of the game.
The Ubisoft Montpellier team faced a significant challenge due to the lack of access to complete data about the film’s production, which forced them to turn to the 1933 movie to define the artistic direction of the video game. As explained by the art director Florent Sacré, photographs were taken of the Cévennes region in France, which were used to create the textures and materials of the game’s natural environment.
Despite the criticism it received at launch, the game stood out for its survival and combat-focused experience, with a HUD-less presentation that clearly marked an attempt to innovate in film adaptations. Although “King Kong” is not considered a timeless classic, it is still remembered for its creativity and while its flaws can be attributed to its short development cycle, it left a mark on the movie-based game genre.
