Peter Jackson's King Kong game demo

**Forward Observer** · 10-16-2005, 00:27

I have really been looking forward to Peter Jackson's new King Kong movie due out in December. From the previews it looks like it will be rousing good fun.

Anyway, there will also be a movie based game, and I just noticed that they have already released a demo.

If you are interested, you can download it here:

http://www.3dgamers.com/dlselect/gam..._demo.exe.html

There are two short scenarios. One has you playing as one of the lead characters, trying to avoid a T-rex while getting from point A to point B.

The other has you playing as Kong, saving the girl while fighting one T-rex, then some raptors, and finally two T-rex's. This portion feels a bit like a console button mashing platform game, but is the harder of the two sequences.

There is not much info on how to play, no HUD to speak of, but you can figure most out by looking at the command changes option.

The graphics are attractive and the game has a very cinematic feel to it. The T-rex is pretty awesome, and the loading times seemed very fast too.

All in all, it could be fun, particularly if you get into the movie, but like any story based game there might not be too much replay value.

Cheers

**Bob the Insane** · 10-16-2005, 19:28

Tried it...

The first bit in first prson mode where you are being chased by the T-Rex is pretty freaky and pretty effective...

The second with controlling Kong in more fighting game/platformer... Very pretty, not much depth and will the whole tap faster thing for the special kill moves, very console...

Overall, undecided...

**Navaros** · 10-17-2005, 09:42

This demo contains Starforce in it therefore I shall avoid this demo like the Bubonic Plague (that it is, IMO).

**Bob the Insane** · 10-17-2005, 23:35

Originally Posted by Navaros

This demo contains Starforce in it therefore I shall avoid this demo like the Bubonic Plague (that it is, IMO).

I know, how bizarr was that!!! For a DEMO!!!

**Forward Observer** · 10-17-2005, 23:43

Sorry, I had no idea. I guess I saw no warnings since I already have Starforce because I have Silent Hunter 3 Installed. I've had no problems with any of my DVD or CD drives though, so it has been a non issue for me.

**FesterShinetop** · 10-29-2005, 20:30

It wasn't for me untill I decided to burn some audio CD's... didn't work anymore. I did burn some audio just a few days before I installed this demo so I decided to run the StarForce removal tool and voila, it worked again!
So if you are experiencing problems with CD or DVD burners after installing (and even after uninstalling) the demo be sure to check out the removal tool, it can be found on the Starforce website. Though I have heard a lot of stories of people for who even the tool didn't help. So I guess I was lucky...

Can't believe how stupid Ubi is for putting a copy protection this intrusive on a [snip] DEMO!!

Can't say the demo was actually worth all the trouble either...

EDIT; Language, please ...

**GoreBag** · 10-30-2005, 08:20

Whoa whoa. Starforce is a copy-protection device that prevents you from burning CD's?

**Forward Observer** · 10-30-2005, 16:50

Yes, since it is designed to keep people from copying the game disk for non personal use, it also can foul up the ability of your CD or DVD burner to burn copies of anything.

It does not screw up all CD and DVD burners though, so it is kind of hit or miss. Add to this problem, the fact that hardly any of the games that use Starforce have any warning that it going to be installed on your system.

This has caused a lot of controversy--at least on line, and many gamers have vowed not to buy any product that has Starforce--mostly Ubisoft games, I think.

I think you can do search and find a list of all known games that use Starforce.

It's a shame that piracy or at least the perception of piracy has forced game companies to do what they think they have to do to protect the proprietary nature of their software.

It seems to me that on-line confirmation like Microsoft uses or even Valve's
"Steam" would be a more acceptable protection method than Starforce, but then those methods may be more expensive to maintain.

Ultimately, either people will have to live with such things as Starforce, or conversely decide to not buy the games that have it, and maybe force the publisher to do something else by hitting them in the pocketbook.

Cheers

**Navaros** · 10-31-2005, 02:49

Originally Posted by NeonGod

Whoa whoa. Starforce is a copy-protection device that prevents you from burning CD's?

It can, but in addition there are many horror stories that are far worse than just that. Like some people had Starforce literally break their drives so that they became permanently broken - even USB drives.

My motto is: "Just say no to Starforce".

The worst part of all is that most people who have problems with it will probably not even be aware that it's on their system, because it infests their system like a parasite without giving warning or asking for permission at all.

IMO installing it without telling the end user should be illegal. Boggles my mind how Publishers can get away with that legally.