The latest video game based on the King Kong franchise, Skull Island: Rise of Kong, has been widely criticized for its poor graphics, gameplay, and bugs. Many have called it “the worst game of 2023”. However, the developers of the game have revealed that they were not given enough time, resources, or information to create a quality product.
A One-Year Deadline for a Licensed Game
According to a report by The Verge, the developers of Skull Island: Rise of Kong are from IguanaBee, an indie studio based in Santiago, Chile. They were contracted by GameMill, a publisher known for producing licensed games based on popular movies, TV shows, and toys. The developers said that they were given only one year to create Skull Island from scratch, starting from June 2022 and ending on June 2, 2023. One developer said that the crunch to meet that deadline “was really set in motion in February”.
The developers also said that they were not provided with all the information about the project, such as the story, the characters, or the gameplay mechanics. They had to improvise with the limited information they had on hand. They also said that they were not given enough funding to maintain a certain number of people for an extended period. One developer said that they had to let go of a colleague who had been there longer than them.
A Vicious Cycle of Licensed Games
The developers said that they have a “love/hate relationship” with GameMill, as they are the ones who accept or give the projects and IguanaBee does not have the means to develop almost anything on its own. They said that they want to work on original projects, such as their well-received original game What Lies in the Multiverse, but they are beholden to companies like GameMill for funding. However, this also means that their portfolio is filled with licensed games, which makes them a go-to for them.
The developers said that this is a “vicious cycle” of licensed games published by GameMill, as they are often rushed, poorly made, and poorly received. They said that this affects their reputation and morale as developers. They also said that they feel sorry for the fans of King Kong who expected a better game.
A Lack of Response from GameMill
GameMill has not yet responded to IGN’s request for comment on the situation. The publisher has been involved in several other licensed games in recent years, such as Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl, Cobra Kai: The Karate Kid Saga Continues, and G.I. Joe: Operation Blackout. Some of these games have received mixed or negative reviews from critics and players alike.
Skull Island: Rise of Kong is currently available for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, and PC. IGN gave it a 4 out of 10 in its review, saying that it “makes no meaningful attempts to do anything new or clever, with mindless combat and pointless platforming that make it feel like a worse version of every action game from the last 20 years.”
