Developers Assert Bad King Kong Game Is a Recurring Issue in Licensed Titles

Skull Island: Rise of Kong, tagged as "the worst game of 2023" due to its rudimentary gameplay, poor graphics, and multiple bugs, was crafted in just one year, according to developers at IguanaBee. Critics have attributed these issues to the unusually short development timeframe enforced by GameMill, leading the game to resemble more of a PS2-era title.

The indie studio based in Santiago, Chile revealed to The Verge that they were contracted to develop Skull Island from scratch with a strict deadline, starting in June and wrapping up by June the following year. This resulted in a tense development period, particularly from February of that same year onwards.

Insiders report a "vicious cycle" of license-based games, where IguanaBee, despite its aspiration to work on original projects like the well-received What Lies in the Multiverse, becomes dependent on companies like GameMill for funding. This results in their portfolio being dominated by licensed games—ironically making them the first choice for such works.

Many IguanaBee developers expressed frustrations over poor project management and limited resources during game development. Situations of letting staff go due to inadequate funding were also mentioned. GameMill hasn't responded to the issue as of yet.

Upon review, IGN gave Skull Island a score of 4, highlighting the game's lack of innovation and subpar action mechanics.