Kong: Survivor Instinct — Everything We Know

Imagine playing as King Kong—how amazing would that be? While we’re not quite there yet, Kong: Survivor Instinct brings us one step closer to that dream. In this new game, you’ll control a father trying to rescue his daughter in a collapsing city—a familiar plot, but with a twist. Though it doesn’t fully immerse you in the role of King Kong or other Titans from the Monsterverse, it aims to capture the thrill of influencing their behavior. But will it truly feel like playing King Kong himself? Here’s everything we know about Kong: Survivor Instinct.

What is Kong: Survivor Instinct?

Kong: Survivor Instinct is an upcoming 2.5D action-adventure game. It’ll take place in the Monsterverse, where you face off against fearsome beasts and survive a brewing carnage at all costs. Monsters have sunk the city into chaos and destruction. Still, you have no choice but to brave through the destruction in search of your missing daughter. You’ll constantly face life-threatening encounters as Titans convert the world into a war zone. But don’t worry, as you can summon the help of the mighty Kong himself alongside other monsters.

Story

An unnamed city is on the brink of destruction as a sudden Titan attack ensues. The Titans destroy everything they touch, forcing a rapid evacuation of the city. While some of the city’s residents manage to escape, others are trapped in the debris. Among them is your only daughter, who you are forced to brave through the dangers roaming around the city to rescue.

Rescue Mission

Get ready to embark on a new adventure set shortly after the events of the Godzilla vs. Kong film. You’ll control a male human protagonist called David. He works at an oil rig but must switch careers to be a survivalist in search of his missing only daughter, Stacy. You’ll meet other survivors with different stories as you comb through the city. Some have lost their loved ones, others are hopeless, having lost all they had. The more you play, the more the impact of the Titan invasion sinks in through the stories you unravel and the crumbling debris you manage to muddle through.

Alan Jonah Returns

You’ll probably remember Alan Jonah, a cold-blooded killer from Godzilla: King of the Monsters. Well, he’ll be returning to Kong: Survivor Instinct as the leader of the mercenary group called the Hyenas. While he’s previously dabbled in eco-terrorist activities, the villain will be executing a new diabolical plan.

Gameplay

Kong: Survivor Instinct plans to incorporate platforming, intense combat, and Metroidvania-style exploration. You’ll navigate a 2.5D world, engaging in thrilling action and adventure. At its core, you’ll strive to survive the dangers of the Monsterverse. Steam highlights the following key features of the upcoming game:

Key Features

• Monsterverse adventure: Kong: Survivor Instinct will feature the Monsterverse, which is a shared universe for Godzilla and other sister characters. It’ll pit you against Titans that have invaded the city. With the help of Monarch tech, you’ll gain an upper hand against the formidable monsters you come across. Enemies will range from humans to monsters. All along, you’ll navigate a city on the brink of destruction. From burning buildings to toxic leaks and collapsing skyscrapers, you’ll platform around the Monsterverse, surviving at all costs. You’ll scavenge for supplies and craft valuable weapons while solving environmental puzzles for good measure.
• Face King Kong: While exploring, you’ll come across the mighty Kong himself. Besides Kong, you’ll face off against Abaddon and more giant monsters, both new and old. The gameplay will dabble between scavenging for supplies and fighting mercenaries. If not mercenaries, then fearsome Titans. The monsters will often be nearby, posing a possible lethal threat at all times and thereby impacting your strategy. But you can also control the monsters, influencing their behavior, using the ORCA Σ technology.

Development

7Levels is currently developing Kong: Survivor Instinct. The same studio will publish the game. The studio has been developing and publishing games since 2014. Among the titles they have worked on are Jet Kave Adventure, Football Cup, Solitaire TriPeaks Flowers, Railbound, Golf Peaks, and more. With experience developing and publishing games in the past, Kong: Survivor Instinct should be in capable hands.

Trailer

The Kong: Survivor Instinct cinematic trailer is now out on YouTube. Right off the bat, you can see the Monsterverse is more fully fleshed out. It looks expansive, with possibly a ton of things to do. While the trailer is cinematic, it does showcase some of the gameplay you can expect. You’ll engage with quite a ton of platforming across a 2.5D world. The visuals look stunning, pending actual gameplay footage, of course. You can really see the crumbling city in its ashes and debris. Monsters, too, have intricate detail, with Kong massively scaled up to tower above you. 

It seems Kong and the player will fight side by side, which will hopefully be implemented seamlessly. Overall, it’s disappointing we won’t actually control Kong himself. Yet given that the story seems like it’ll be an intriguing venture and the gameplay doesn’t wholly disappoint, Kong: Survivor Instinct might turn out to be pretty great. Also, reveal trailers nowadays have been holding back on showcasing gameplay. So, it’s pretty neat that the developing team let us in on as much gameplay as possible.

Release Date, Platforms, & Editions

Kong: Survivor Instinct is slated to release sometime in Fall 2024. Upon release, it’ll launch on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC platforms via Steam. You can add the game to your Steam wishlist as early as now to get a notification as soon as it drops. As for editions, it’s unclear whether there will be any available for preorder. Still, you can always follow the official social handle here to keep track of new updates.

So, what’s your take? Will you be grabbing a copy of Kong: Survivor Instinct when it drops? Let us know over on our socials here.