One of the most memorable moments for me at SXSW this year was playing Devolver Digital’s Ape Out while a man in a gorilla suit danced behind me. It was quite surreal and i would be very disappointed if Devolver Digital doesn’t include a gorilla suit with the game when it launches this Summer.
The game is a smash-em up where you play as a gorilla who is trying to escape a maze-like compound. There are soldiers of all kinds from heavies to weaker ones who die in one hit but you can only take so much damage. You die very quickly in this game, similar to how Hotline Miami works, you need to think quick and plan out how you’ll tackle each room. The game also sports a frenetic jazz soundtrack that really goes well with the violence as you’re smashing your way through doors and tossing solders all over the place.
The game currently has a playable demo available on Steam and will launch this Summer. Now the question still remains, is the ape a man in a gorilla suit or is it an actual ape breaking out of a compound? We may never know.