Tokyo Jungle preview: It's a dog eat dog world
Tokyo Jungle has an interesting concept behind it. In the aftermath of what appears to be a catastrophic, human-extinction event, you play as a variety of animals trying to survive in the ruins of Tokyo's urban jungle. In the TGS demo I played, I took control of a dog whose singular goal was to eat everything he possibly could.
A number on the top left corner of the screen shows your health, which dwindles as you go without food. How does one get nourishment? Sneaking up on other animals and eating them, of course! The game is a rather simple 2D platformer, with no real need for exploration. By pressing R2, you can sniff the ground and find animals on your radar. Crouch and hide behind bushes, and you'll be able lock on and attack your prey: birds, rabbits, cats -- all on the menu.
The surprisingly violent (and ferocious) animations do little to make Tokyo Jungle feel like more than a novel concept. It doesn't take long before jumping on an unsuspecting rabbit gets old. The mediocre presentation and lackluster visuals don't add much flair to the overall experience. I'm interested in seeing how the other animals play, but I definitely walked away from the demo less enchanted than I expected.
Check out the trailer after the break.
