Ape Escape 2
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Ape Escape 2 is a platform video game developed and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation 2 video game console. It is the second game in the Ape Escape series, and is also used as the basis for the cartoon series by Frederator.
Why It Rocks
- Good graphics and artstyle that still hold up pretty well.
- Decent voice acting. In fact, the voice acting in the UK version is better as it has more profanity than the US version & keeps the Japanese names, Marc Silk as Specter is hilarious & Spike/Kakeru is voiced by Beano’s Dennis the Menace from the 90s.
- There are now 300 monkeys to capture.
- Along with that is a brand new type called Secret Monkey. Secret Monkeys' appearance and actions are related to the environment around them, and their method of captivation usually requires . For example, in the fourth level that takes place in Spain, the Secret Monkey is a bull fighter.
- Good boss fights.
- A lot of references to movies and pop culture icons.
- If the player has successfully complete the game and catch all monkeys, Spike can be playable on a new file. This is the game's New Game+. In this mode, all of the Monkeys become harder to catch, but all of the Gadgets in the game become available for you at the start.
- Really good soundtrack.
- Great environments.
- The game is much longer than the first, as there is 20 hours of gameplay.
Bad Qualities
- Spike/Kakeru plays exactly the same as Hikaru/Jimmy. The only difference is the cutscenes are removed.
- The platforming isn't that good due to Hikaru/Jimmy not being able to jump very far. In fact, the double jump removes his momentum.
- The gadgets are exactly the same as they were in the first game.
- The Gotcha Box Collectible System (which is optional) could get tedious & could slow down the game’s pace.
- Blurry & pixelated special effects in the emulated PS4 Version.
- The emulation issues in this version are even worse on the PS5, where there's a massive amount of textures glitching out.
- Like the first game, the US voice acting is poor & the script is butchered compared to other Versions.
- There is no 100% reward.
Reception
On release, Famitsu magazine scored the game a 32 out of 40. Kotaku praised the game citing the PlayStation 4 port which was released on PSN in August 2016. IGN gave the game a 9/10: "More than anything, the inescapable level of addiction in COLLECTING monkeys is the overriding reason to not just rent, but to buy and cherish this game". GameSpot gave it an 8.4/10: "The game's relative ease is offset by the sheer number of weird unlockable items, and the end result is a platform game that is, above all, great fun".