Difficulty:

Easy

Time Spent:

20 to 40 Hours

The Bottom Line:

"Just plain fun"

Hidden among some more well-known franchises, Ape Escape is back and better than ever. This third installment see a host of new innovations to keep things fresh, and hopefully ensure that a fourth game will come down the pike for so long.

The game opens as the evil genius monkey Specter is back to his old tricks, and along with scientist Dr. Tomoki, has created studios that transmit shows so silly, they leave the audience drooling couch potatoes, all the easier for him to then bring his scheme to fruition. Even Ape Escape 2's protagonist have been neutralized, so you play as either boy Kei or girl Yumi (though there's little difference between the two) and grab a monkey net to go capture all monkeys under Specter's control. The levels of the game are then filming studios (each a different genre, from Westerns to driving, and "Titanic"-esque to martial arts) rife with monkeys to be caught. A new game addition is the ability to morph into new forms like a gunslinger or a ninja, each with their own special attacks and method of capturing monkeys, and some will really come in handy during the time attack mode that you can take on after completing a level. As before, some monkeys are relatively docile while others sport weapons, and now some may even knock your gadget from your hands and take it for themselves; if they snag you in the net, it's back to the warproom for you! Eventually you reach the studio HQ for the final showdowns against Tomoki and Specter that will put their plans to an end.

All the improvements from the 2nd game highlight the reasons to get this game. From the morphs that add a ton more fun and strategy to the levels, to the more comprehensive shopping area, it's readily apparent the creators didn't just unthinkingly churn out a sequel. The humor spread throughout the levels, and the homages to so many genres and specific movies, are a delight to see, and generate several chuckles. The unlockable "Mesal Gear Solid" minigame is genius fun, especially for fans of both franchises, and is a few hours long in its own right. Each of your gadgets, like the Dash Hoop that propels you along rapidly and the Sky Flyer that lets you jump higher and descend slower, are fun without having their necessary usage be overused.

The camera is woefully inadequate and frustrating, with no way to maneuver it except in a stand-still free-camera mode. It's really a thorn in your side during time attacks, as capturing monkeys always spins the camera around you, but never exactly 360 degrees, leaving you disoriented in a situation where tenths of a second really matter. Luckily in the main game it's generally just an inconvenience, as there's generally not a ton of danger. That's another issue; while you'll get a hit a lot, an overly generous life bar means you may still come close to dying if not careful, but you'll likely advance 80% or more into the game before losing a life in the much more challenging end-game. It's challenging, but a slightly higher sense of danger would've made for more tension. Another odd quirk is not being able to get every monkey in one pass. You're required to get x of y monkeys for stage completion, but instead of letting you play on, reaching x warps you out of the level.

Finding a way to improve the camera work is a must for a sequel, as it's so irritating at times and feels as much an enemy as any monkey. The only thing worse that a button not responding well is not even knowing when to press it because you can't figure what's around you. The graphics have that 'almost anime, but not quite' look that works well for the game. The monkey screeches and catchy level tunes are aural highlights, though some voice-acting is a bit odd. A host of unlockable games and challenge modes keep the fun going after the main game's completion, and many you can actually pause to do as a break from the main game. If they could just tweak the camera a bit and maybe make it a bit more difficult (or add difficulty levels), they'd have a truly superb Ape Escape 4 when they make one.