Ape Out’s pitch is simple: inspired by improvisational jazz, players take control of an ape escaping from various locations where it is being held by any means necessary. This usually means rampaging through your opposition, by tossing them into walls or out windows. But as you continue through the games levels, you quickly realize that Gabe Cuzzillo and his collaborators dug deep into the game’s potential and delivered an elegant design absolutely drenched in style. Ape Out is a perfect example of a game fully committed to its theme: Improvisational Chaos. The game achieves a synergy across all its elements, especially the mechanics, visuals, and sound design.
Ape Out teaches grabbing mechanics by constraining the player in a narrow hallway.
The game plays like a top-down, twin-stick shooter but there are no weapons. Early on in the game you learn how to grab enemies. When holding an enemy you can use them as body shield to soak up bullets. After grabbing an enemy, you can throw them into walls or other enemies in ultra-violent explosions of blood. You can also aim the enemy as they shoot their last remaining bullets in hope of taking out other baddies. You move slowly when holding an enemy though, so, in general, it is better to use this ability in a pinch. The first world has a clever section that teaches you the benefits of grabbing and throwing enemies by constraining you in a narrow hallway populated with enemy characters. This is immediately contrasted in the next area where you are surrounded by enemies, posing a new challenge. This juxtaposition encourages finding a new method on the fly.
Ape Out continues to surprise the player with new enemy types, changing your approach to situations. Bomb enemies will explode if they are shot using them but also explode on impact with other enemies. Machine gun toting foes will cut through a held body shield with no effort, but can take out many other foes when held by the player. Enemies’ behavior is easily learned and the player quickly learns the pros and cons of each enemy type. As a result, the player spends most of their time thinking on their toes, either looking for better positioning or sprinting towards the escape.
Beyond the mechanics, the game stylishly communicates the improvisational theme in its visuals. As soon as the game is booted up, players are shown a loading screen of stop-motion brush strokes rapidly changing. It is immediately clear, that this game is unpredictable and bold.
Each stage has a basic layout that is shown to you every time you die, which is often. However, each individual room and the objects in them is procedurally generated. Players know the general direction they are supposed to go but are still left guessing what’s around every corner. Even the title cards for each level pop in and out randomly.
The minimalist art style presents all the information the player needs to know extremely efficiently. For example, when hit by an enemy, the player’s ape avatar starts to leave behind a trail of blood matching their color. After a second hit, the blood trail grows in size. On the third, the player loses. In addition, enemies are designed to be quickly identified by their size and head wear. The game even displays control directions on the ground, but doesn’t tell you what those button presses do, instead letting the player find out for themselves. Again, the player is encouraged to quickly experiment with the game objects and improvise solutions. The result is an extremely challenging game that feels fair because all the information the player needs is communicated clearly.
The sound design of Ape Out is crucial to its success. Cuzzillo has cited improvisational jazz drumming as the inspiration for the game’s feel. In addition to the obvious reference in the game’s score, music plays a big role in the visuals and structure as well. Each world is referred to as an album. Halfway through a world, the “record flips”, i.e. the game pauses giving the player a break from the frenetic action. Each album takes place in a unique setting, like a laboratory, or skyscraper. In addition, each album has a unique sound design.
In lieu of a traditional soundtrack, the dynamic score is composed of a myriad of drum loops and pre-recorded tracks that play at different times depending on the intensity of the action. Shadowy areas are quieter, encouraging stealth while high speed chases are high tempo and chaotic. Every time an enemy is killed, a cymbal crash is played. In an impressive attention to detail, the game determines the approximate location of the wall you finished the enemy against and determines what cymbal corresponds to that location on an actual drummer’s kit. In essence, you are creating the music by playing the game.
Ape Out is visually stunning, full of frenetic action, and boasts incredible sound design. The game comes together to ooze the attitude of improvisational jazz from every pore. After countless hours of play, I haven’t grown tired of the game and its unique style. Every design decision was successfully made to tie everything together and achieve a beautiful harmony.