It was once a gaming axiom that movie cash-ins — sorry, tie-ins — were always dross. The Lord of the Rings games proved this wrong, and now Peter Jackson has gone one further with King Kong: heavily involved every step of the way, with the film’s actors providing the voices, the director has helped produce one of the most cinematic games yet seen.

The Skull Island terrors of giant crabs and dinosaurs are a visceral thrill, as is the opportunity to play as Kong, beating your chest for extra power to your blows. But the game’s real achievement is its immersion in a 3-D world: you have to keep looking behind you so as not to miss unexpected sights; and there is no inventory screen so that you are never pulled out of the action.

Novice gamers may find the movement tricky; if so, keep at it. King Kong proves, yet again, that video games haven’t long to go before they overtake movies as the dominant form of entertainment.

DOMINIC WELLS