Review: Ape Out (Nintendo Switch)

APE OUT is a wildly intense and colorfully stylized smash ‘em up about primal escape, rhythmic violence, and frenetic jazz.

Pros:

• Beautiful almost abstract like graphics, so vivid.
• 3GB Download size.
• Ongoing tutorials.
• Gameplay- play as an Ape and escape!
• Top down view perspective.
• Gory deaths, limbs everywhere.
• You can throw guards and even limbs at other guards.
• Levels are sprawling, maze-like and have many many routes.
• Death- shows the route you took and the whole map.
• Very stylish.
• Stellar Jazz soundtrack that is not only punchy and symbolic but also reacts to your actions.
• Such a visceral powerful experience in that you feel every punch you deal, the glee emitted when smashing Windows, throwing doors.
• Fun game.
• A lot of trial and error.
• Many ways to play the game, can go stealthy, speed runs it or even go full falling down.
• Colour palette changes which amplify it even more. The highlight being the night sections where all you see is the torchlight.
• So satisfying.
• Arcade mode- counter with a kill counter that summarises your score between levels.
• Levels are split into records (vinyl) and have an A and B side.
• Unlock hard mode for completed levels.
• Level select.
• Can replay levels.
• Engaging locations that mix up the whole formula.
• The game just keeps delivering.
• Easy to learn.
• Simple controls.
• Just love all the strategies and off the wall decision making.
• That feeling you get when you finish a level.
• Ripping doors off and killing a group of guards.

Cons:

• No gore option.
• Cannot rebind controls.
• Long load times especially the initial boot up.
• Little indication on hit points of yourself.
• Cannot move the camera at all.
• No checkpoints.
• Have to unlock hard and arcade mode.
• No online leaderboards.