A rumble in da (Tokyo) Jungle

For the longest time, I couldn’t decide whether I loved or hated this game. The lack of polish in some areas and questionable design decisions in others can overshadow Tokyo Jungle’s moments of brilliance. As I finished the story, however, I realized I couldn’t stop smiling: It knows how absurd it is, but it doesn’t care. The developers takes the ridiculous concept and runs with it all the way, mainstream tastes be damned. That’s something you really have to admire.

Originally slated as a PSN-only game, and eventually released on disc as a budget title, Tokyo Jungle doesn't exactly look triple-A. The graphics are PS2.5-quality, the textures chunky, the animation jerky, the resolution low, the HUD busy. A few more Trophies and narration on the story and tutorial elements would also have been welcome. But as a fun, funny, totally unique experience with old-school appeal and dozens of hours of gameplay, Tokyo Jungle is as adorable as kittens.

Tokyo Jungle will be dismissed by many as a kooky Japanese oddity. It’s not quite that simple though. While there is a lot here that has obviously required a lot of what western conference rooms would call thinking outside the box, it’s all packaged around familiar videogame mechanics of levelling up; stealth; attacks and counters; mission objectives and item collection. That the lead character is a Pomeranian in a baseball cap ceases to be an issue once the compelling gameplay hooks you. Even when you’re randomly eaten by a surprising tiger eight generations into an animal’s lineage, you’ll still be watching a tiger eat a pomeranian in a baseball cap. And that’s brilliant.

My expectations for Tokyo Jungle weren’t high, but when I started playing, I quickly realized a marked error in my preliminary judgment. Tokyo Jungle might be bizarre, different and even a little bit whacky, but it’s also a lot of fun. It’s a truly different game; you’ve never played anything like it. And in a gaming industry full of the same old thing, this very fact should intrigue you. The icing on the cake? The fact that it’s a damn good experience with incredible depth and replay value.

While mutilating and devouring the flesh of cute little animals under ruined, famous Japanese landmarks is a riot, there's not much more than this to do in Tokyo Jungle. The control is sufficient, and the hunting action is quite fun, but as soon as the thrill of the hunt wears off, it's really just running around in circles until you eventually die. And, unfortunately, there's not too much of a difference in the way the various animals control, which doesn't help the feeling of repetitiveness.

While some may take pleasure in trying to top the leaderboards for their survival skills, I feel that most will quickly tire of this game after putting it through its paces.

That said, you should still dive into Tokyo Jungle. While a bit shallow, it's an insane idea done really well. If nothing else, it's worth your cash just to see your fantasy animal match-ups go down. Really, you haven't lived until you've seen a pack of puppies take down an alligator.

Struggling to survive, mate, and generally make your way in a savage new world has potential. Alas, Tokyo Jungle somehow spins its killer concept into a mundane, frictionless side-scroller. That’s too bad, but nothing a little Discovery Channel marathon can’t cure.

Tokyo Jungle is in some small ways a success, and in others, a failure. It does deserve a ton of credit for being a fresh type of game, so unique in its concept. This game is also something to consider if you have a lot of gamer gatherings at your place and want something you and your friends can laugh at, as it produces hilarious stories and highlight-reel moments by the dozen. But fun quickly fades when trying to actually go through the game, with the experience being dragged down by the crazy inconsistencies of its own world, sloppy multiplayer, disgraceful graphics, annoying music, an overdose of repetition, and too many smaller glitches to count.