Ape Escape 3

🎮 PlayStation 2 ⏳ 10 hours ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4/5)

A Silly Sequel #

The 3rd entry in Ape Escape is a colorful, energetic, and wonderfully silly platformer that feels like a perfect showcase of the playful side of the PlayStation 2. The game continues the unique formula of chasing down mischievous monkeys using a collection of increasingly ridiculous gadgets. While it doesn’t reinvent the franchise, it refines what made the previous games so enjoyable and adds enough new ideas to keep the adventure feeling fresh. And for some reason, the protagonist is yet another person again, and not the same as, neither the previous entry, or even the first. This is very weird in my opinion since all of them are quite similar when it comes to looks, and even their voices, it really makes no sense to create new ones for each individual new entry.

Classic Monkey-Chasing #

The main gameplay revolves around exploring different stages and catching monkeys with tools such as the Time Net, RC Car, and Monkey Radar. So don’t expect any change in formula on this title, and if you don’t like the previous ones, there is no chance this will change your mind. Each gadget has a specific purpose, and learning when and where to use them gives the levels a satisfying mix of platforming, exploration, and light puzzle-solving. This title in specific has the least amounts of gadgets, as the second is the one with the most of them, and I think this is due to a new mechanic I’ll be explaining further into the review. The monkeys themselves are also full of personality, often running away, hiding, or attacking the player, and I felt that the monkeys on this title were less aggressive than in the previous entries.

Transformations Add Variety #

One of the biggest additions is the transformation system, the protagonists can use special costumes that give them unique abilities, allowing them to fly, swim, fight, or interact with the environment in different ways. And this time around, instead of one additional MC, you get two: Kei and Yumi. The only difference between them is visual appearance, and since you got many transformations, you get double the amount of costumes. These transformations add variety to the levels and help prevent the basic monkey-catching mechanics from becoming too repetitive. They also contribute heavily to the game’s goofy sense of humor, you get things like a simple knight with a shield, up to a kung-fu master, and even a secret/additional one after you beat the final boss.

Colorful and Charming #

As for the visuals, it is bright and cartoonish, with a wide range of colorful environments. The character designs are expressive, and the animations give the game a lot of charm. It doesn’t have a ground-breaking upgrade level when we compare the 1st and 2nd titles, but as for the animations in particular, they have been improved quite a lot, which directly affects the level of quality of input feedback. It may not be technically impressive by modern standards, but its distinctive art style has aged better than a more realistic presentation probably would have. The soundtrack is similarly upbeat and memorable, matching the game’s playful atmosphere, and each individual transformation has its own unique OST, which makes them way more memorable.

Peak Goofiness #

The story is intentionally ridiculous, involving the monkeys taking over television and causing chaos. And for this purpose, it really felt like it drawn inspiration from titles such as Gex, that has a very similar main plotline, although it is not explored in depth as it was in Gex. It’s not particularly deep, but that’s hardly the point. The humor, exaggerated characters, and absurd situations are what give Ape Escape 3 its identity. The game never takes itself too seriously, and that works in its favor. And the first title already made this very clear, but as subsequent entries are made, this becomes more and more intense, and I guess this reached a peak when it comes to goofines.

Repetitive but Fun #

0The main weakness is that the core gameplay can become somewhat repetitive, especially if you’re trying to collect every monkey and complete everything in each stage. Not a specific issue on this title, and not even in the franchise, but on this kind of game, collect-a-tons can be quite repetitive most of the time. Some missions also feel more like variations on familiar ideas rather than completely new challenges, especially when it comes to platforming. Still, the constant introduction of new gadgets, costumes, environments, and minigames does a good job of keeping the experience moving. The best mechanic when it comes to 100%ing it in my opinion is the secret/additional transformation, which really forces you to thoroughly investigate each level, instead of simply using the radar all the time.

The Ultimate Ape Escape #

Overall, this title is one of those games that succeeds primarily because it is fun. It isn’t trying to be a technically groundbreaking adventure, it delivers creative levels, silly humor, and plenty of personality. A clear example of when a franchise knows its identify, and plays around with it, instead of trying to please everybody. For fans of the series, it’s a worthy sequel, while newcomers can still appreciate it as an accessible and charming 3D platformer. It is a must play if you like the franchise, of even other similar games, it is the ultimate Ape Escape experience. Even more so when it comes to all the extra content such as “Mesal Gear”, which is basically a whole new game inside of it, that focuses on stealth and is one of the best fusions between games (Metal Gear) that I’ve ever experienced.