Ape Escape 2

Review By: Eric Mortensen

System: Playstation 2
Genre: Platformer
Developer: SCEJ
Publisher: Ubisoft
ESRB Rating: Everyone
Release Date: 07/01/2003
Difficulty: Easy
Learning Curve: 10 minutes
 

Pros	Cons
Very fun and addictive gameplay, great level design, many gadgets	Aimed towards kids, length

Rating:

Fun: 20 out of 20

Even though this game is intended for kids it is very fun. I never thought a game where your goal was to catch monkeys would be so fun. You will get addicted to catching monkeys after the first level. The gameplay is not just fun for kids either.  There are several ways you can catch these pesky monkeys with the many different gadgets you will obtain. People of all ages will enjoy this game.

Innovation: 9 out of 10

Ape Escape 2 is a very innovative game. There have been few games that you have the task of capturing escaped animals. This game utilizes the analog sticks like no other game. It uses the analog sticks to use all the gadgets. Each gadget uses the analog stick in a different way. This game also has great worlds that you can explore. The platforming elements could bring a few more new elements though. Ape Escape 2 joins platforming with animal capturing and adds new features that are enjoyable.

Control: 8.5 out of 10

The controls for Ape Escape 2 are very responsive. I never encountered a time where I lost because the controls were unresponsive. The only problem with the game are some of the controls use weird buttons. For example to jump you push R1. I have never played a game that used R1 to jump. Using the analog sticks to use all your gadgets also take some time to get used to. Some of the vehicles are hard to control. The controls are responsive but they made some bad choices with what button they assigned actions to.

Graphics: 9 out of 10

The graphics in Ape Escape 2 are aimed towards kids. The characters and locales are cartoony. The graphics might turn some people off this game because they might think the game is too kiddish. The locales of Ape Escape 2 are all very well done. The locales are from all around the world. The locales range from Egypt to the arctic. Each world also has a monkey theme. In one level there is the Statue of Liberty but it is a monkey instead of a woman. The graphics won't appeal to everyone but they are creative and kids will enjoy them a lot.

Sound: 9 out of 10

The sound in Ape Escape 2 is very good. For each level in the game there is a different song based on the level you are playing. Most of the songs are good and some are not so good. Some of them are actually catchy at times. The music is not the best I have ever heard but it does the job it needs to. The voice acting is above average. The dialogue is aimed towards kids. The voices for the characters seemed to be taken right from the Pokemon TV series. The two main characters are voiced by people from the show. The sound is not spectacular but it does it's job.

Replay value: 7 out of 10

Ape Escape 2 is not a very long game. The normal story line will take you under 10 hours to complete. Catching monkeys is fun enough that you might want to play through the game again. There are also lots of unlockables to look forward to. You can unlock artwork, monkey fables, movies, music, and even three mini games. The mini games aren't spectacular but they will keep you busy for a while. Even though the game is really short there is loads to unlock and you might want to play the game a second time.

Challenge: 6 out of 10

Ape Escape 2 is a easy game. You will never break a sweat during the entire game. The monkeys are not very hard to catch and you will catch most of them without any trouble. The platforming is also really easy. The game was obviously intended for children. If you have played more than a couple games in your life you will have no problem beating this one. If you are new to video games this game will be a good starting block for you.

Multiplayer: No multiplayer available

Story: 8 out of 10

The story begins with Spector, "evil monkey", escaping and hatching a plan to take over the world once again. The day got even worse when the shipments of monkey pants and monkey helmets were messed up. The monkey pants and monkey helmets fell into the hands of the wild monkeys. After putting the helmets on the monkeys decide to escape captivity and help Spector. Your job is to catch all the monkeys and stop Spectors evil plan. For adults or older children this story might seem kind of stupid. I would agree with you. The story is aimed towards small children though. Little children will probably really enjoy the story. If you don't like the story already the gameplay is good enough that you could care less about the story.

Tilt: 10 out of 10

Ape Escape 2 does most things right but has a few problems. The game is based more for younger children and they will probably enjoy it more than adults would. The game is very simple for avid gamers because of this fact. If you would like a challenge this game is not for you. The game is also not that long taking under ten hours to complete. Except for those problems this game is good. If you would like to play a very fun game that won't put up a big challenge or you want to buy a game for your younger child you could not go wrong purchasing this game.

Overall: 88.5 out of 100    88.5%

Ape Escape 2 is a very fun game. I would recommend it to anyone that wants to have fun and doesn't care that the game is intended for children. If you are a hardcore gamer and don't enjoy playing easy games I recommend you stay away from this game. I would recommend this game the most for younger children. It was intended for a younger audience and I believe they would really enjoy it. Today this game probably costs under twenty dollars if you buy it used. Ape Escape 2 can bring the kid out of everyone.

Links
Gamespy Review
Gamespot Review
IGN Review
Game Rankings Page
Official Site